Noski Deville continues her collaboration as Director of Photography with artist Jananne Al-Ani, shooting across various HD formats using helicopter, boat and drone platforms.

Black Powder Peninsular takes the form of an aerial journey across the British landscape. Al-Ani’s film features an area of north Kent rich in military and industrial history. Locations include the remains of the Curtis’s and Harvey explosives factory at Cliffe; the ghostly footprint of the Anglo Iranian Oil Company’s refinery on the Isle of Grain; and the ruins of Palmerston forts in the Medway estuary.

Black Powder Peninsular is a single-channel digital video, which extends Al-Ani’s long-standing enquiry into the relationship between the technologies of photography and flight and their impact on modern warfare, from the earliest systematic use of aerial reconnaissance over the battlefields of northern Europe during World War One to the use of surveillance satellites and drones today.

As a cinematographer/director of photography I collaborate very closely with artists working with moving image to help find the vision and how best to achieve the concept of a given piece of work. In the early stages this may be in embryonic form and together we find the nucleus of the idea and the visual interpretation to result in a final piece to be exhibited as an installation in art galleries.
As a cinematographer I research, discover and interpret factual, creative and technical information. Black Powder Peninsular (BPP), the third and final element of trilogy, The Aesthetics of Disappearance: A Land Without People, a story that explores the complex and intimate geo-political relations that link Britain to both the US and the Middle East.

For BBP I researched the history of the gunpowder industry in the Medway area and looked at historic military reconnaissance and contemporary surveillance footage footage to gain a better understanding and nuances of the subject. I studied maps and looked at Google Earth images of the area in minute detail to find sites and ground markings that might be significant and visually/ aesthetically interesting. I visited the sites to recce and assess the geographical morphology of the landscapes/sites and ease/difficulty of access. This information was then discussed in-depth with the artist and together we decided on a strategy of approach that would abstract the landscape rendering it open to re-interpretation and discussion.

At this point we hired a light aircraft with pilot to be able to view and photograph our specified sites from the air. From these results we then further discussed at length to agree on the suitability of key sites to be filmed. I then started on the technical research necessary to be able to achieve the visual images and required aesthetic for the piece to be successfully resolved.

On BPP the movement required was different and more complex (90 degree and vertical lift) than on the previous projects in the trilogy, Shadow Sites I (SSI) and Shadow Sites II (SSII), and therefore posed particular logistical and technical problems to be overcome. We decided to film from a helicopter and to use a drone (relatively new and affordable technology which was not historically accessible for previous projects) to film from a boat on the River Medway. The drone has the effect of flattening and abstracting the landscape, rendering it unfamiliar and ‘other’ which was the required aesthetic for this piece.
I researched various camera systems and lenses in-depth to assess their weight, technical specifications and suitability for the specific situations we were filming in. The problems I encountered included location agreements, which prohibited the use of drones over key sites owned by London Port Authority. Our producer had successfully navigated the surprisingly diverse and complex ownership of mudflats in the Medway. However access to them, working with the light and tides, required me to devise a suitable power supply and the design and build a landing/take off platform rigged for the boat. I worked closely with the boat skipper and the drone operators to achieve this. Power and battery needs for the Octocopter drone and data back-up management, plus safety were all key technical considerations. Technological advances in HD and UHD camera technologies, gimbals and aerial mounts offered us affordable use of drone based filming where the team could re-rig the cameras from a hi-res 50mp stills camera to a small UHD camera in 15minutes. Each flight was limited by battery power, line of sight and height restrictions and this had to be planned for and taken into account during the shoot.

Due to drone filming restrictions certain key shots could only be realised by helicopter. I researched companies and equipment to find the best solution and worked closely with them to discuss the required exact 90 degree look down and the vertical lift shots we required in order to disrupt accepted visual conventions. Logistically, technically and aesthetically these are complicated, unusual and demanding requests that require a high level of expertise and engagement. All aerial platforms i.e. balloon, drone, plane, helicopter etc offer specific types of movement, time in air, length of shot, height and viewpoint. Each has specific issues to be aware of in terms of weather conditions, wind strength and direction, etc and as the cinematographer I engage in this during pre-production planning and on the shoot. Creative use of light and lenses is at the heart of good cinematography. Choosing the best tools and lenses for the specifics of a project, engaging in the aesthetic, technical, economical and logistical requirements, planning for camera movement, shot cutting structure and ensuring the best light and look are key elements of the work.

As the cinematographer I engage in research to find the underlying story and sub-text specific to the project, the appropriate cinematographic technical and creative approach in order to fully engage in and realise the project cinematically. Working with Jananne Al-Ani on The Aesthetics of Disappearance: A Land Without People’ I had to find economic technical solutions to enable us to film with a 90 degree lookdown on a low budget in very specific and demanding conditions.

For the first two projects of the trilogy, Shadow Sites I (SSI) and Shadow Sites II (SSII) we were filming in Jordan. At that time aerial drone platforms were not readily accessible and camera rigged helicopters were beyond logistical and economic means particularly with the added problem of shooting vertically. I met and discussed aerial techniques with a number of experienced aerial camera specialists. Low budget rigging from an open-side plane or helicopter did not offer the required forward facing vertical view we required and was a very high risk approach. We researched and found a couple of archaeological and historic floor port/glass bottom planes but non readily accessible in the Middle East. On further research I discovered and subsequently met with a wildlife specialist based in the UK to test his Cessna single strut aerial rig. Hiring a Cessna small aircraft is possible in most countries and therefore offered a viable solution.
Through the wildlife specialist I tested a Red One HD camera rig and a small HD aerial gimbal from a Cessna, however at that point the data was not stable enough due to the vibration of the Cessna engine even with the recording drives isolated in a suspension rig. I decided the best image, economically and logistically, would be to shoot on Super 16mm film and this is what we used in Jordan. This was still not without it’s risks we would sometimes have to land on the dessert floor so I could quickly change over the 10min 400ft film magazine rather than lose the light by having to return to the aerodrome. On SSII we also used a high res medium format Hasselblad 60mp stills camera, treating the images differently in post-production to attain the creative look we desired. This work then informed the further development of our creative and technical approach on Black Powder Peninsular.

My research and creative practice feeds into my teaching and further research by developing my experience, knowledge and skills, engaging in emerging creative and technical tools and approaches, all of which are changing rapidly, alongside evolving technologies. I creatively research different original approaches and narrative structures, in documentary based, fiction and personal filmmaking projects, exploring the shifting and complex ways in which we view, understand and interpret visual material.