Glaswegian artist Jacqueline Donachie brought her ‘Slow Down’ environmental art to Glasgow for lead up to the Commonwealth Games. Her idea is simple and has a beautiful effect: she has designed ‘chalk devices’ to be placed on the frame of a bike which dispense a fine line of chalk as you ride. The project has been from Huntly, Aberdeenshire to Melbourne. We were charged with covering 4 sets of cyclist’s coming from the North, South, West and East of the city, converging in George’s Square for a festival of cycling and art. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Glasgow’s weather soaked us all thoroughly and made life difficult for the chalk.
Our preparation had to be perfect for filming a live event that spans the city. We planned every route, deciding on particularly good spots with the artist. Several GoPro’s were in action, some on helmets, others on parts of the bike itself. If that wasn’t enough coverage, we also put out an extensive social media call for footage. This was quite an editing challenge, pouring through hours of footage on mixed media. The result was what Jackie wanted and was exhibited in several bike related venues throughout the Commonwealth Games.