Hi everyone! For this weeks blog I wanted to talk about a project that I have been wanting to do for quite a long time but I have been putting it on the back burner as I took care of other things but i figured it was time to see if I can actually pull it off.
As many of you know I love to photograph abandoned buildings. There is something in the decay of these old structures that just draws me to it like a moth to a light bulb. i have also been falling in love with shooting video and filmmaking and I have been studying filmmaking and honing my editing skills while running my own YouTube channel and the Peace Camera YouTube channel. Now that I feel that my skills are getting better I think I am ready to take the big leap on this idea.
So what the idea Dave? Just spit it out already. Ok so here it is. I want to make a documentary film all about abandoned places. I want to start out by filming some of the local places that I have been to already as well as meet up with other urban explorers like myself and interview them on what fascinates them with abandoned buildings.
I would like to travel around the country visiting a lot of abandoned spots that are high on my list of places to visit. This includes abandoned malls, schools, hospitals, factories and amusement parks. If possible I would even like to hit certain places around the world. One place I definitely want to visit and is the number one place on my bucket list of places to go would be Chernobyl in the Ukraine. For years I have dreamed about visiting there. Yes I know it is the site of the worst nuclear accident in history but It has been over 30 years ago and it is now relatively safe to visit and they now lead tours through there. But it is an entire city that has been abandoned so I have to go if I get the chance.
So how am i going to do this you ask? Good question. I am hoping to do this with some help. I am starting to work up the numbers on the expense that this undertaking will be. Once I get all of that figured out I am going to record a trailer and place it on Kickstarter or Go fund me and try to raise the funds for this. I also need to figure out what my backers will get in return. One of this things I would also like to come out of this project would be a book documenting all the places I have visited and maybe offer limited edition prints as well. I want to make sure that I do this right and put out a product that I can be proud of and stand behind.
Yes I know that this is a big undertaking. I will be bringing in help as needed and if I need to figure out a timetable for completing this project. I am estimating that this would take two years to complete. This would give me a year plus to travel to these locations and film and then about 6 months or longer to edit. Once it is done I would be submitting to film festivals to try to gain exposure and then I would hope to get it out on the mainstream media.
So yes this has been what I have been thinking about for quite a long time. I cant wait to get this started. I am working up the numbers and starting to cut a trailer that i hope to release within the next month or two. I hope that you will support me in this adventure. I will keep everyone up to date here on my blog and on my other social media accounts.
Until next week I will leave you with a few of the videos I have done in the past of abandoned places.