SUPERNATURAL FOLKLORE THRILLER
Teaser trailer
CRANNOG BAY | FULL SCOTTISH MOVIE
Haunted by nightmares and an uncertain past, Chris (Josh Currie) turns to paranormal investigators for advice. Despite a warning "not to go back", He travels to a remote fishing village, shrouded in folklore, searching for answers. However, He's unaware of the secrets lying in the dark waters of Crannog Bay....
Review by Dark Eyes Of London Blog
Crannog Bay (UK 2023: Dir Doug Kyle) I wrote a longish piece on Kyle in the third issue of my short lived 'Dark Eyes of London' hard copy fanzine, in which he mentioned that he was just finishing Crannog Bay, a continuation of themes of bringing Scottish island folklore to life.
While Crannog Bay as a location is fictitious, one of the great things about Kyle's short films is their sense of location. For this one (filmed in 2021 but not released until 2023) he deploys some very effective drone photography which perfectly captures the beautiful - and threatening - terrain.
Mixing song, Celtic folklore and, yes, monsters, Crannog Bay is the story of Chris (Josh Currie), a native of the area taken away at a young age by parents keen to help him overcome recurrent nightmares about attacking mer-men. Now an adult, Chris has been drawn back to the Bay, the nightmares having returned. He tries to make sense of what's going on, first by attending meetings of the 'True Believers' support group, and then, courtesy of group member Russel (Doug's brother Andrew, like many in the cast a regular in Doug's films) and a psychic (Jane Fullerton). But try as he might to rationalise what's happening to him, Chris is being steered inexorably towards the denizens of the Bay and his own fate.
Although only running for about 40 minutes, Crannog Bay manages to combine creature feature, local drama and rumination about what it means to be, as one character puts it, "a true local." Chris feels the pull of his birthplace but also the awkwardness of someone returning home after a long spell away. The 'true locals' in this case have made peace with the occupants of the sea (a very 70s Doctor Who creation, put together as usual by Kyle and Claire Martin - see his other films for more of this sort of thing), turning a blind eye to the islanders who regularly go missing. I love Kyle's films; you can keep your faux 'folk horror', this is the real deal.
About Us
THE IDEA
Following the success of "The Yird Swine," Director Douglas Kyle wanted to turn his next project away from the Land and focus on the Sea. Going through his back catalogue of ideas, Douglas discovered an old script for "The Culling Of Crannog Bay," about a fishing community who waged war on the Fisher-Folk of the Sea.
THE WRITING
Draft 1 saw a health spa on the Hill which was converting its customers into Fish People. Various drafts were written, some scripts reaching about 100 pages long - it was a vast epic story, really pushing the boundary of Zero-Budget Film Making. Notable features included a army of fish people finale, a car chase and a Hills Have Eyes style amibence, with Fish People watching from afar. However, when COVID hit, the script was shelved. While filming their next project, "Stag's Head," at Cove Bay, Douglas wanted to revisit a story set near the Sea and so quickly progressed the idea. With the help from his brother Andrew, a less epic story was written, with the original tagline: "The Shinning At Sea."
THE PRODUCTION
Filming in the height of summer was a huge advantage for this production, allowing the Cast & Crew to film in the evenings. Almost entirely shot at Cove Bay allowed them to get to know the location well. Filmed over 9 days (the same as Stag's Head!), this film included several drones shots and most importantly some underwater photography. The Director himself filming the majority, while also writing a sequence so he could wade into the harbour! His Brother Andrew gleefully volunteering to play the suited up monsters over his wetsuit for some key shots! Trying to create a "surreal" look to the film, colours were boosted while on the mythical island, and a strange "call of the sea" music motif was created by the Director humming into a microphone! "Crannog Bay" was a very very ambitious project for the team, playing with themes of tourism, local folklore, Lovecraftian monsters and a surreal, mythical ambience.
CRANNOG BAY
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What Others Think...
YouTube Comment
Member of the Cast
YouTube Comment
I loved this. It reminded me of certain Lovecraftian themes, but with its own unique twist ... And it felt as though everyone involved in making it was doing it first and foremost for the love of doing it. The "zero-budget" aspect enhanced the film for me, because it reminded me of the horror movies I grew up with. Thanks for sharing it.
YouTube Comment
Member of the Cast
YouTube Comment
I was tremendously pleased with this film you have made great strides since the last film and it flowed much better than previous films. Absolutely everything was improved, the directing, the acting, the editing, the filming. Huge improvements. Actors all knew their lines and they were meshing with each other to make a much more fluid performance. You looked like film actors rather than an am dram troop, so well done, you must have worked hard on this. The filming was much improved with shots being well thought out. The use of facial close ups added drama to the film and it was good to see actors using expression to deliver emotion to the audience. Areal photography enhanced the film greatly. The monster was like something from 1960s Dr Who, and might have been a bit scary if you were wee. A great B movie monster. I hope you are all encouraged by this film and that you continue to progress in your endeavours. I look forward to the next film.
Member of the Cast
Member of the Cast
Member of the Cast
My favourite film yet!
YouTube Comment
Member of Crew's Family
Member of the Cast
Just finished watching. Well done everyone.
YouTube Comment
Member of Crew's Family
Member of Crew's Family
Holy macaroni, I can't believe you walked into that water. Eek. Made me rush for my hot water bottle.
Member of Crew's Family
Member of Crew's Family
Member of Crew's Family
You can really tell the fun you guys had while making it! Loved it, well done!
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