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SALT LAKE CITY — James Cawley has been working as a cinematographer and director for five years. After exploring the wide world of filmmaking, he was eager to take on a project shot in 4K.
The latest in high definition technology, 4K makes viewers feel like they’re actually in the vibrant and awe-inspiring locations featured in Cawley’s documentary, “Secrets of the West.”
Shot in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, Cawley set out to give his audience a view of the real Old West by exposing it to the sweeping scenery and wide open spaces of the region that drew settlers to the area 200 years ago.
“I wanted to do a project that I was passionate about, which is the outdoors, preserving national state parks and the beauty of nature,” Cawley said.
Cawley funded the entire project, which has taken much of the last year. With the help of stockfootage.com of Orem, and steady cam operator Scott Warren, Cawley has been able to realize his dream.
“They saved me probably $10,000 by allowing me to use some of their gear,” Cawley said of stockfootage.com, which lent him high-end production cameras so he could shoot in 4K.
He said they took the cameras to crazy places — crevices and canyons and deserts — where such expensive equipment probably had no place being. The RED cameras he shot the doc with cost $250,000 and without the generous assistance of stockfootage.com he never would’ve captured the scenery in such glorious definition.
“I wanted to showcase this amazing place that's unlike anywhere in the world, that we have in our own backyard,” Cawley said.
There were some setbacks that arose during the shoot, like hiking gear into remote locations, getting permits and contending with the wildlife.
“I was outside of Goblin Valley, about 40 miles, and I looked down and felt something on my leg stinging me,” Cawley said. “I got out my cellphone and I shielded the light and I looked down, and the scorpion's got its stinger in my leg. I slapped it away and I'm sitting there thinking well, Green River is a two-and-a-half hour drive, that's probably the closest place for a hospital, but then I'll ruin the time lapse — let's see how it goes. It was swollen, but in the morning, I was good and got back to hiking.”
Cawley spent hours alone at night capturing breathtaking images of the night sky. The time lapses are delicate and tedious, but well worth it.
“It takes a photo about every minute, and you need about 420 of those photos to equal a 15-second clip,” Cawley said.
The shots were far more complicated than simply putting a camera on a tripod and hitting record, Cawley said. The calculations and equipment needed also required a human touch.
"And Warren donated his time to walk around the old west with his robot gear on," Cawley said of his steady cam operator.
The 30-minute documentary features interviews with an anthropologist, state wildlife organizations and the Utah Film Commission, who all offer commentary on the history and future of the Western landscape.
“I think that's important because it ties into the back end of preserving these places,” Cawley said. “The more people that see them, the better.”
Cawley has started a Kickstarter campaign to cover the costs of post-production, which includes narration, music and a bit of marketing. He would like to enter the film in festivals, particularly the Sundance Film Festival, and expose the scenery of the West to audiences everywhere.
*KSL.com
