I first heard about the Bustard Head Lighthouse from my sister, the Heritage Coordinator for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Her jobs revolves around researching the history of Australia’s lighthouses and had often told me odd little tales here and there when she happened across something interesting in her work. But after compiling the history of Bustard Head, she immediately came to me and told me how there was a movie in there somewhere. And she was right, there was about three. The horrors that have befallen the shores of Bustard Head just seemed never ending from its construction to its automation with deaths, kidnappings and freak accidents lining its history. But there was one story that truly stuck out to me, that of Nils Gibson and his family.
Luckily this came at the perfect time as my degree required me to pitch a concept to an industry panel in the hopes of being green-lit to move production in the following year.
After some extensive research, myself, Alexander Binz and Georgia Emery worked tirelessly to whip the concept into shape. We had the story but were unsure what to do with it. It was green-lit by the panel and we were set off into development over the summer of 2019/2020. Bringing on researcher, Justin Lee to join the effort. We knew the constraints of the project would require us to think out of the box as we entertained the idea of re-enactment documentary conventions.
After a few drafts, just as we were starting to pick in the pre-production, COVID19 struck. Although, its negative impacts were not felt all at once, it was instead a gradual process. First we were prohibited from travelling to the lighthouse, and so we had to artistically pushed ourselves to rework the concept into entirely in-studio re-enactments. We then were limited to a restricted number of crew on-set and so the plan was adjusted. Then we were told to put production on, a mere two weeks out from our shoot window which was then announced to an indefinite hold as the slate was cancelled as we enter the lockdown.
I decided that this would not be where the Bustard Head documentary would die. After discussion with the faculty, we agreed to return later in the year to re-pitch the idea as a 'wildcard' and try our luck again in the 2021 documentary slate. And that we did. We re-pitched with the new and improved concept, far removed from the stuffy traditional documentary we first pitched, as the restraints and limitations of the COVID19 restrictions allowed us to push ourselves artistically and let the project evolve in an unexpected way. Which as a creative was an incredibly invaluable experience. Leaning into the re-enactments but pushing it further by devolving into the realms of German Expressionism and Brechtian theatre.
We were selected again. Saying goodbye to Justin and Georgia, we were joined by Joshua Francillon. We were able to pull together an amazingly talent crew and put together a fantastic production. With only one COVID19 scare sending the state into a three day lockdown the week before our shoot window. The rest was history.
From the set of Bustard Head shot by Abbie Fisher.
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