Watch: Sneak peek of new short film depicting Donegal’s scenery

Gerard Lough’s new short film Waiting For Magic Hour has wrapped filming in Donegal.

Magic hour refers to the name photographers give to the brief period during sunset and sunrise where the twilight can make for visually striking images. 

The movie includes a vast array of Donegal locations such as Inishowen Lighthouse, Errigal Mountain, the ruins of Dunlewey Church and the shipwreck Bad Eddie at Bunbeg Beach.

"We've literally gone from one end of the county to the other in search of the very best scenery. No sound stages, no green screen, no CGI,” Lough said. 

Brazilian newcomer Aline Panini (The Young Offenders) plays a photographer who is sent to Donegal for a weekend to shoot some of the county's most sweeping scenery. A local man played by Donegal actor Aidan O'Sullivan (Spears)  is assigned to drive her around and very soon their different personalities clash in humorous and unexpected ways. 

Nevertheless, they gradually form a friendship over the course of their road trip. Actor Aidan O'Sullivan has now notched up over one hundred film credits, this film marks the sixth collaboration between himself and Lough.  

The project is Lough's eighth short film as director and has kept him busy while he tries to decide what his next feature film should be. "I think all creative types can find themselves blocked at some point in time or are beset by indecision for any number of reasons. If you don't watch out, the months can turn into years and then you get spooked and struggle to summon up the confidence to get behind a camera and direct again. 

“That's why I'm a big believer in doing a short film or a music video when you're at that crossroads. The strange thing is, by the time you're finished your small project, you'll probably have figured out what the big project should be." 

It marks a sharp departure in style for Lough, who is best known for the dark crime thriller Spears which was shown in cinemas in Ireland in 2022. This film is a much more light-hearted affair. 

"That's the other beauty of doing a short film, because of the drastically smaller budget, you're free to try something different to what you've done before,” he continued.  

Also returning from the Spears team is actor Michael Parle. A new addition to the team is Derry musician Michael Mc Elroy who created the electronic score for the film. He recently played a set at the Celtronic event held at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny. 

Lough has also taken on the director of photography role again with this project being an opportunity for him to test drive the Blackmagic 4K cinema camera for the first time. 

"The Blackmagic camera is the God send to independent film-makers I've been waiting for,” he said.

“Some of the previous cameras I've worked with created images that were pretty good if you knew what you were doing but usually seemed to have that cold, digital look no matter what. The Blackmagic gives you the flexibility of shooting digital but can now also achieve the gorgeous, warm look of 35mm film. The icing on the cake for me what using an anamorphic lens to give it that cinematic widescreen look, which is perfect for a film where you really want to show off the scenery."

On a personal note, the film is dedicated to his father Pat who passed away last year. "Dad had a passion for photography and a respect for the craftsmanship that goes into both still photography and cinematography. This little film will pay tribute to him and all the photographers of the world." 

Waiting For Magic Hour will make its debut on the film festival circuit in autumn 2024 as Lough is still a firm believer in the magic of the big screen debut in front of a live audience. "Once you've seen your film play in a cinema, it's hard to just settle for nothing beyond YouTube! The film has been shot in anamorphic for another important reason; it'll look deadly in a cinema presentation."