Biodiversity Park

A mini series of six videos made of the newly relaunched biodiversity park in the local area of Bas en Basset on the River Loire.

43 Media were asked by the Communauté de Communes Marches du Velay Rochebaron to create a series of films to celebrate the launch of the Parc de la Biodiversité. 

A case study of civic rejuvenation

In the upper reaches of the famous Loire river, in the department named after that very feature The Haute-Loire (43) or The High Loire; is an area of ancient mining and quarrying long since abandoned. Near the thriving town of Bas en Basset now lies a series of quarry lakes that have recently seen a large investment and change into an area of leisure and important natural bio diversity. The civic organisation responsible for all the works contacted 43 Media with a desire to make a series of five documentary films chronicling the new uses as well as the historical significance of the land. Working closely with all the stakeholders in the project, we started shaping the narratives, planning and scheduling what would prove to be a six month project.

With the five scripts in place we set about the shooting schedule dodging the early Spring showers and worked on late into the Summer gathering all the footage we would need.

Armed with over a terabyte of rushes, we set about the task of editing the documentaries, working with the client to ensure we were fulfilling the brief at every stage.  Music choices as well as final edits and audio mixing were then undertaken in our edit studio here at 43 Media before final colour-grading and exporting all the finished programmes.  As usual we went a little further and cut the client a teaser video so they could send this around to all the tourist offices and other interested parties. We held a premiere evening of all six episodes at the cinema in Bas en Basset attended by all the stakeholders and dignitaries associated with the project.

It was a richly rewarding and often very touching project, which provided the Communauté de Communes with a wealth of material to promote the launch of the Parc de la Biodiversité in local cinemas, through the Tourist Office, and on their various websites and social media platforms.

Episode 1

Il était une fois… L’agriculture à Basset

The first episode of the series:
A testimony from local people on the agricultural history of Basset, at the edge of the Loire river.

Episode 2

Il était une fois… L’exploitation des gravières

Episode 2 is a collection of testimonies on the industrial exploitation of the Garenne gravel pits, the origin of these man-made lakes.

Episode 3

Il était une fois… Les caprices de la Loire

Episode 3 reveals the force of nature that is the Loire River and the dramatic floods that have shaped the lives of the people of Bas-en-Basset.

Episode 4

Il était une fois… Pêche d’hier et d’aujourd’hui

Episode 4 gives us an insight into the life of the fishing associations surrounding the Bas lakes and the River Loire.

Episode 5

Il était une fois… Une biodiversité exceptionnelle

Episode 5  – the closing film in the series looks at the exceptional biodiversity which has returned to this beautiful conservation area, and the value it brings to the families who live in Bas en Basset on the River Loire.