The Lake

The Lake was our second full production under the Somerset Productions banner and saw us heading in a slightly different creative direction.  While the multiple locations and characters in About The Girl had provided a strong basis to that particular story, with The Lake, we wanted to create a more contained production.  With a cast of two, it seemed like a pretty straightforward undertaking.

The Lake was actually based on a short story written by Michael Humble in Grade 11.  In the original story, a man describes the conflict, jealousy, and longing that he experiences when his closet friend finds true love with an enigmatic water nymph.  In order to translate the story to film, a different approach was needed and the anonymous narrator became Old Man, who was brilliantly played by Bob Clout.  Of course, this effort to simplify both the original story and the shooting process resulted in a unique set of challenges, namely recreating the ‘50s for the flashback scenes that would prove to be the integral part of the story.

We briefly contemplated close-ups and filters as a means of creating a “fuzzy memory” feeling for the flashbacks but decided that a more authentic representation would be better for the story.  To achieve that goal, we wound up gathering a suitable wardrobe (including rented period swim costumes) and asking some of North Bay’s vintage car enthusiasts if they would lend us their vehicles.  With all the pieces in place, we were anxious to get back to shooting but soon realized we had one other problem.  Our cinematographer had walked.

Patrick Gilbert was quick to step into the role and wound up filming the dynamic visuals that represent the flashback era of the film.  We combined the footage he shot with filters and a couple period clips that were actually filmed by Kevin Hoffman’s family to achieve the look we desired.  Many people have actually asked where we got the footage and they are often surprised that we shot it ourselves.  The Lake turned out better than any of us had hoped thanks to our ability to improvise, and the creative ingenuity of our entire team.

Watch it Here:  The Lake on Vimeo

Recognitions:
•  Winner:  Music and Film in Motion’s 2010 Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards:  Patrick Gilbert and Ed Regan – Best Cinematographer
•  Featured: National Screen Institute of Canada: 2010 Online Film Festival
•  Featured: Cinefest Northern Connections Shorts Showcase - September 22, 2010
•  Winner: Best Short Length Movie Film North International Film Festival - September 25, 2010
•  Featured: North Bay All Canadian Film Festival - February 11, 2012