Film & Photography for Roo Abrook's The Dress of Great Expectations
A film record of Roo Abrook's Miss Havisham exhibition at Cumberland House Museum
The Dress of Great Expectations
Roo Abrook's The Dress of Great Expectations reimagines Dickens' Miss Havisham not as a Victorian curiosity but as a vessel for unheard voices - her wedding dress sculpted from the pages of Great Expectations, her butterflies releasing the recorded voices of women facing homelessness and people in substance recovery. The work draws together collaborating artists across digital interaction, visual art, florals, and poetry, all held within the historic rooms of Cumberland House Museum.
Roo brought us in to document the project across its full arc. We filmed during six individual visits including: the install at Cumberland House, and the opening on Charles Dickens' birthday weekend and a return visit to interview key people involved in the project. Coverage extended to the wider collaboration around Roo, capturing the work as it took shape and as visitors first encountered it.
The brief called for:
- One two-minute landscape film, covering introduction, making-of, opening, and impact - the primary Arts Council deliverable
- One behind-the-scenes reel from the build and install
- One short-form reel in a trending format, designed for wider reach
- A curated photo carousel for social and press
Pre-Production
- Initial brief and scoping with Roo against the Arts Council deliverable spec
- Recces of Cumberland House Museum to plan coverage across build, install, and opening day
- Shot list and edit treatment for the two-minute film and both reels
- Coordination with Roo's collaborators on access during build and install
- Sensitivity planning around the recorded voices of women facing homelessness and people in substance recovery
Production
- Install documentation at Cumberland House — dress, butterflies, florals, lighting
- Opening weekend coverage on Charles Dickens' birthday
- Interviews capturing the impact of the work in Roo's words and those of her collaborators
- Stills throughout the build and opening for the social carousel
- B-roll across the digital, floral, and visual-art contributions
- Same day photo edits across four visits
Post-Production
- Two-minute landscape edit cut to brief — introduction, making-of, event, impact — for Arts Council submission
- Behind-the-scenes reel built around the making of the dress and the install
- Short-form reel cut to a trending format for reach
- Stills selection, colour grade, and sequencing for the social carousel
- Audio mix balancing recorded voices, score, and location sound
- Final QC against the Arts Council technical spec and delivery
Equipment Used
Filming Locations
"Mike brought so much to the project. He has exceptional storytelling and documentation skills, and consistently brings innovation and creativity to his work, creating beautiful and sensitive films. He is always professional and has a natural ability to put everyone he films at ease, helping people feel comfortable and bringing out the very best in them on camera."
Roo Abrook
Artist
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