Meet the maker of ELCAP’s latest film

Meet the maker of ELCAP’s latest film

In less than six months, ELCAP has launched three new films, all of which are available on the charity’s YouTube channel.

ELCAP’s latest film, Enabling Independence, was produced by Mark Burn, a final year Film and Media student at Queen Margaret University (QMU).  The film was launched at an online premiere on 16 June 2021.

ELCAP caught up with Mark to hear about his thoughts on social care, his experience of making the film, and the importance of relationships in enabling independence.

“The opportunity to work with ELCAP arose via Walid Salhab, a Media Practice Lecturer at QMU.  Walid was supervising my video dissertation and he knew about ELCAP from his previous links with the organisation.”

Mark, originally from Ellon in Aberdeenshire, had an appetite to show social care in a different light.

“Social care sometimes isn’t shown in the right light or in the ways it should be shown.  That’s something I’m quite interested in and quite passionate about.”

Prior to his engagement with ELCAP, Mark’s knowledge of social care was at arm’s length.

“My knowledge was just what I knew from my girlfriend.  She has worked in multiple care homes.  People who receive support have hidden stories.  They are so interesting and have so much to tell.”

Reflecting on his experience of his work with ELCAP, Mark said:

“I keep saying it was work, but it wasn’t.  It was really interesting and fun.  It was great to meet the people in the film and see the way they interact with each other.  It was really great to work with all these individuals.  Sam was amazing, Lee – everyone was fantastic.”

Did anything about his experience surprise Mark?

“I was surprised by how quickly my own nervousness settled.  It was just me watching and interacting with the Support Practitioners and the individuals they work with.

I was also surprised by how great everyone was to work with, although not in the sense that I was expecting anyone to be horrible.  It was just so interesting to see the work being done, while I was pleased by how well the film turned out.”

Mark explained what he wanted his film to achieve.

“I guess that’s captured in the title, Enabling Independence.  I wanted to showcase that even though people may need support, they have their individual ambitions and are enabled to be who they want to be.

I visited three different homes and saw three different scenarios where that approach works.  That’s what I was trying to capture in the edit.”

Mark considered the role of relationships in enabling independence.

“It’s not like ELCAP staff come in and work, at least not in the traditional sense.  There is a sense of friendship and people really do care for each other.

It was really easy to capture that in the film, because that’s what it was like.  I just walked around with a camera, just capturing how it is.  It was really great to see and great to have that shine through in the edit – because it was already there.”

Reflecting on the importance of enabling independence, Mark concluded:

“Everyone has their own life to live.  Regardless of the hand you’ve been dealt, it’s still your life and you have to live it to the best of your ability.  ELCAP helps people do that.”