Our filmmakers’ collective, Campdale Motion’s first film together as well as my first project as DoP, The Holy Yield was yet another memorable undertaking.

The film tells the story of Jeremy, a construction planner whose morals are challenged when he is ordered to build an apartment block over the ruins of an ancient Catholic monastery. The short explores the tension between tradition and modernity with a touch of dark humour.

We shot all ten minutes of the film on 16mm, using Kodak’s 500T and 250D vision 3 stock. I was impressed by just how forgiving celluloid is, especially in the highlights. That said, shooting on the Arriflex 16BL from the 1960s had its challenges – relying on the camera’s old viewfinder was not the least of them. Nonetheless, it was an incredibly rewarding experience and we pulled off some great shots.

The Holy Yield was awarded Best Short Film by TerrorMolins Film Festival last November, and is currently continuing its run through the festival circuit.