A Big Change...
Have you ever wondered what Long Itchington looked like over 100 years ago and how it compared to the landscape we see today? In this video you will see exactly that. Transition into the past and watch as decades worth of change to the local scenery instantly reveals itself on video. Observe the progression of life in the local area and examine the difference between eras. In the following, I will explain how I was able to produce this video and why it was a considerable challenge.
Filming The Video
In the field of video production challenges always present themselves. Every project comes with obstacles which must be overcome to realise the final video and this project was no exception. Throughout the production I was presented with several scenarios with problems that had to be addressed to achieve the effect I was looking for. Predictably the main issue I experienced concerned how and where I placed the camera to match the view point of the original images. In almost every instance it was a challenge to match the perspective and originally I had planned to capture and include more examples from around the village but unfortunately these would not all materialise. There were many scenarios where it was impossible to acquire the correct footage because of what I found to be from one of two reasons: The first being considerable change in the environment. There were times were I couldn't film in certain areas quite simply because of the growth in vegetation. The second hurdle was a little more unexpected. Matching the footage of a 21st century camera to that of one from the previous century was a real battle. Since the majority of the original photos were taken at a different time and therefore with a different camera, there is a noticeable difference of perspective between them. The method I used to account for this was using a variable zoom lens, providing me with more control of the perspective. This wasn't an easy task at the beginning however after numerous failed attempts to find the exact spot in which the source material was taken, the results started to improve.
Past Or Present?
Now that you have watched the video, it's time to ask yourself the question; which era do you prefer? It's very interesting to see how things have changed and what progression has looked for Long Itchington in the last 100 years. For better or for worse, that is for you to decide.
Credits
All comparison Images in this video are sourced from the Warwickshire County Record Office
Image References:
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PH, 226/163, img: 226 PH, 350/1006, img: 209 PH(N), 888/251, img: 6644 PH(N), 888/258, img: 6647 PH(N), 888/249, img: 6642 PH, 600/521/16, img: 9595 PH, 350/1007, img: 210 PH, 367/128/84, img: 8315 PH, 350/1012, img: 212 PH, 600/521/7, img: 9594 PH, 402/21, img: 9599 A, 4805, img: 8020