QMU film maker to
capture Scotland’s
largest arts
project
Following the popularity of his
stunning time-lapse images of
Edinburgh during the festive period,
an award-winning film maker is to
capture the development of one of
Scotland’s largest arts projects on
film.
W
ALID SALHAB, Media Practice
Lecturer at QMU, enthralled an
international audience with his
Kinetic Edinburgh films which combine
stop motion and time-lapse techniques.
His second film, Kinetic Edinburgh II,
released at Christmas 2012, received over
three million hits on YouTube.
His creative skills have now been engaged by The Helix, a land
transformation project driven by Falkirk Council and Scottish
Canals which is turning 350 hectares of land between Falkirk
and Grangemouth into a vibrant new parkland with visitor
attractions.
Walid has been contracted to produce a time lapse/stop
motion film of the Helix project as it moves toward completion.
His main focus will be the 75-day construction phase of 'The
Kelpies', two 30 metre high steel-plated sculptures of horses’
heads, weighing over 600 tonnes, which will tower above the
Forth & Clyde Canal and form a dramatic gateway at the eastern
entrance to Helix Park.
The filming, which started at the end of June and will last for
four months, will capture the construction of both sculptures.
Each Kelpie head will be positioned either side of a specifically
constructed lock and basin, which is part of the redeveloped
canal hub. Created by Scottish sculptor Andy Scott, The Kelpies
are a monument to the horse-powered industrial and agricultural
heritage across Central Scotland. Commuters travelling on the
M9 can already see the sculptures taking shape.
Walid will turn his footage, shot over 42 separate days, into a
three minute time lapse/stop motion film. Images of The Kelpies
construction will account for 90 seconds, with the remaining
running time showcasing other visitor attractions within the
Falkirk area including The Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk Stadium, and
the newly refurbished Bo’ness Theatre.
8
QMYOU / Creativity & Culture / Knowledge Exchange
Film makers from all over the world were inspired and intrigued
by the unique technique used by Walid to create Kinetic
Edinburgh I and II. Surprisingly, no sliders or tracks were used,
with all images painstakingly recorded by a hand-held camera.
Each film was made up of over 10,000 individual photos all
pieced together to create the illusion of movement.