A York-based film maker is to shoot a horror film about fracking in and around the city.
A few days before the anti-fracking rally in York on Saturday (July 30) the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to fund the movie smashed through its £5,000 target.
Titled 2 Miles Under the short horror flick is the brainchild of Dave Thorp, who regularly shoots films, music videos and documentaries around the world.
He has returned to his native Yorkshire for this project, inspired by the decision to allow hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the area.
“I was angry and frustrated by the decisions made by councillors and local governments which seemed to fly in the face of the mood of the locals,” Dave said.
“Despite hundreds – well actually thousands – of objections from members of the public, their council representatives decided to give the go ahead to the engineers.
“I decided to shoot a short horror film to raise awareness, and drive further discussion about the process and the possible consequences.”
The film is not a documentary but a drama with a Tales Of The Unexpected feel, he said. The message: “Bad things happen to bad people.”
Special effects
Exteriors and locations are being filmed throughout August, and then a host of visual, practical and CGI effects need to be added before completion at the end of the year.
Dave has assembled a raft of talent in front of and behind the camera.
Stars include Daniel Coll who’s appeared in Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Mel Gibson’s Braveheart; and York-based composer and rock musician Si Wright – who is writing the score.
“The greatest challenge, so far, has been overcoming the wariness and suspicion of the ‘protester community’ because they fear the film will demean them or mock their protests so we needed to clarify that we’re making a drama because documentaries so far haven’t worked,” Dave said.
“They haven’t changed the opinions of the decision makers. Once they realise what we’re doing, and how and why, they’re on board!
“Although it’s a drama it’s based on real events that have been happening around the world because of fracking, and as film makers that also frees us from a lot of the ‘legal’ issues we’d have encountered portraying corruption, bribery and engineering incompetence in a documentary framework.”
Loves Yorkshire
So far this year Dave Thorp has filmed in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany and Los Angeles. “I’m often asked why I live in York, instead of London – but the answer is simple: I love York and I love Yorkshire.
“It’s a very beautiful land, and we need to keep it that way.
“Although the film is not based in any specific village we wanted to emphasise the beauty of the surrounding countryside, and how fracking might jeopardise both the local people and the local environment”.
To learn more about the anti-fracking horror film – or to contribute to the fund-raising campaign – go to the 2 Miles Under Kickstarter page.