Flow + Cadence

360 degree artists' film exploring the aquatic environment of the tidal reaches of the River Plym and its estuary, a historic waterway to the east of the port city of Plymouth on the southwest coast of Britain, designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its unique flora and fauna.

Parker and Moore filmed from kayaks to capture unique 'all-round' views of the river and its estuary, and made audio field recordings. The film depicts their journey by water as they explore the river, its estuary and marine lake, and the river's mouth at the Mount Batten peninsula. They cruise past a huge fuel tanker moored at Cattedown wharves, a Spanish galléon and a Border Force craft at Sutton Harbour, pass under the Laira Bridge and along the upper Plym estuary to the saltmash of the Saltram National Trust Estate. Paddling under the main railway line to Cornwall as it crosses the river at the top of the estuary, they venture north beyond Marsh Mills through the woods towards the weir at Plymbridge, with an excursion up the Tory Brook, which once took sailing ships to the heart of nearby Plympton.

Flow + Cadence features music by Ben Payne, who created original compositions for the film, with postproduction by Luke Christison.

An initial screening of Flow + Cadence, was part of Parker and Moore's public engagement activities, entitled Kayaking and Creativity, for the Being Human Festival of UK humanities research, with a workshop on 9 November, hosted by the Mount Batten Watersports and Activities Centre, and a public screening on 12 November 2023 in the 360 degree 15-metre immersive dome at the Market Hall, Devonport, Plymouth. The film was presented to an audience of over 70 people, with event booking via Real Ideas; the screening was 'sold out' and half the audience watched the film twice (on request). Flow + Cadence was accompanied by two direct animation films by Parker and Moore, Flow 360 and Cadence 360, remasters from the single screen originals, and film poems, which we animated around the dome – these were created by the workshop participants.

The screening was to test audience response to the experience of the works in the dome and inform Parker and Moore's further development and refinement of the 360 work; this will be released in 2025 (working title, River Visions).

The copy of the Flow + Cadence 360 experiment deposited in Pearl is an equirectangular version: a 2:1 single screen render of that is non-navigable.

Flow + Cadence is embargoed for 3 years as it is a developmental stage of the River Visions project.

The research and production of the 13-minute 360 video with ambisonic sound design, Flow + Cadence, was funded through a Start Something: Women in Immersive Tech Award to Dr Kayla Parker from Real Ideas (2023).

TASTER
Watch 90 second video compilation of Flow + Cadence on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/990631424

EXHIBITION
River Visions: presentation events for The Bridge Arts and Cultural programme, with an artists' talk and introduction by Parker and Moore. The event featured a screening of Flow + Cadence [experiment2], the two film poems, Flow 360 and Cadence 360, and initial 360 scenes filmed for Parker and Moore's project Roots of Empire; Immersive Vision Theatre (IVT), Plymouth (5.50pm and 7.00pm, 14 October 2024).