Stewart carved a career as a successful photographer in 1987. Lighting, visual effects and extreme camera techniques became his trademark. With considerable advertising campaign experience, he went on to design, direct, produce and edit TV Commercials, Documentaries and Corporate films. He is MD and Creative Director of Studio Scotland Ltd.
"I have always had a keen interest in archaeology, ancient civilisations and the mystery of life. The Daniel Project required years of research to fully understand what is a compelling subject and to that end it has been a privilege to be part of this and to meet and talk with so many interesting people in countries throughout the world."
Head of Production: Deborah Forrest
Making her entrance on film as a school girl in the 20th Century Fox classic "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie", Deborah has over 20 years experience in the media including researching, scripting, filming, directing, producing and editing documentary and factual programmes.
"With a background in research and an interest in ancient history, I first learned about this subject in the late '80s and became determined to thoroughly investigate, document and film it. I want to debunk the myths - whatever they are! However, working on The Daniel Project has had a profound affect on my life - which was quite unexpected..."
Sound Production: Keith Elman
Originally hailing from New York, Keith has been involved in professional imaging for over 20 years working closely with Stewart Menelaws. Initially cutting his teeth in photography he later moved into education, information and communication systems, network engineering, then audio engineering and sound production.
"Working on this project has been a personal challenge for me in several ways. For instance, I'm there monitoring and mixing audio for all these experts so I'm naturally keying in to every word, every sound, when all of a sudden I'm hit with a jaw-dropping statement that goes right through me. The thing is, with this project, it's hard not to take it personally."
The Making of - Interviews
Director of Photography: Stewart Menelaws
"I have always had a keen interest in archaeology, ancient civilisations and the mystery of life. The Daniel Project required years of research to fully understand what is a compelling subject and to that end it has been a privilege to be part of this and to meet and talk with so many interesting people in countries throughout the world."
To play the interview, click the play button.
Head of Production: Deborah Forrest
"With a background in research and an interest in ancient history, I first learned about this subject in the late '80s and became determined to thoroughly investigate, document and film it. I want to debunk the myths - whatever they are! However, working on The Daniel Project has had a profound affect on my life - which was quite unexpected..."
To play the interview, click the play button.
As film makers what is your aim for this production?
We believe that recorded eschatological events found within ancient biblical texts merit serious investigation primarily because of the impact they claim to present to the human race and its environment. If there is truth behind these claims, then the resultant concluding effect on every living creature on this earth will be significant, if not catastrophic. Our research into these claims, particularly historical prophecy fulfilment, offers the possibility, and perhaps even the likelihood, that such future events are inevitable.
The trend within the broadcast industry is to avoid this topic due to a lack of relevant knowledge, dealing with it in a less than rational approach ie sensationalist, just being afraid of the subject altogether or because it is seen as "religious" and therefore nonsensical. Studio Scotland has taken a bold challenge to present this subject the way it should have been presented, where previous attempts have fallen short. With all preconceived beliefs and arrogances put to one side, individuals should be given the opportunity to know the facts in a rational, easy to understand manner, making informed decisions about how they will deal with destiny should these future predictions become reality.
Behind the Scenes
Choosing from the menu on the right hand side you can view a series of images taken on the fly for a Behind-the-Scenes look of The Daniel Project production.
Production Notes
Head of Production: Deborah Forrest
Although my own upbringing was very new age/Buddhist/philosophical, my interest in Bible Prophecy was born in the late 80s when I was involved in researching for another film about the subject. I had since kept an eye on world events in the light of the prophecies and in the last 5 years, with an acceleration in natural and man-made disasters, the rise of Iran and Turkey as world powers and the increasing conflagration in the Middle East, I saw it was time to take a hard look at the subject - before it was too late! By that I mean, before all the prophecies had come to pass without us realising it was happening. I had to seriously ask myself if such a thing was really possible. The rest of the crew at Studio Scotland were equally enthusiastic and so we began to research and develop 'The Daniel Project'.
Our first challenge was how to present it. There were plenty of (often very poor) religious attempts to do so, and others which were not religious but which, in my opinion, were either extremely biased one way or the other or very badly researched. What was also clear to us was the need to be careful of a fictional treatment as ancient biblical texts, notably the books of Genesis, Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelation have certainly been inspirational to many films dealing with alien encounters and cosmic battles. Creative director Stewart Menelaws, while keen to touch on the world of science fiction, was adamant that we keep our imaginations restrained and allow what ever facts are available to tell the story. We required an expert, but not some flaky religious nut and not a celeb presenter who knew nothing about the subject. Bible expositor James Jacob Prasch’s name came up. As somebody who does have a religious background (though not in his early years) he has an investigative approach with a deep understanding of the subject. Whilst considered controversial to some, he is well able to argue his point and welcomes open debate with scholars and sceptics alike!
Secondly, we didn’t want it to be a Big Preach. If Jacob was the expert, we required balance. We realised we were taking the viewer on a journey into places they may never had been before and although a number of famous faces had told us they were interested in being involved, we wanted a more unusual talent. Enter 'Captain Magenta' (Jeremy Hitchen), an experienced ‘voice-over man’ who had worked for us on other jobs. In contrast to Jacob, he was sacrilegious with a ready supply of off-colour jokes. Accustomed to being in front of the camera as well as behind the scenes, Jeremy was thrilled to be invited to investigate the claims that the Bible prophecies may have substance. He was very cynical, with lots of questions but also very excited to be involved.
We decided to let Jacob and Jeremy get on with it – more or less!
Jeremy had no information on the subject, other than a dossier outlining some of the main prophecies with dates and a little background material. Rather than take him with us to film Jacob, we decided to let him watch the footage – just like other viewers, and to make up his own mind and to form his own questions.
Finally, we invited Jacob to fly over to Scotland to meet with Jeremy so that he could ask his questions directly. The resulting twenty-six minute discussion can be seen on the bonus DVD where Jacob and Jeremy discuss the ‘way of escape’. This interview is best viewed after watching The Daniel Project.
But what about the in-between bit – the filming and the interviews? Finding a common window to film Jacob in Israel was very challenging to say the least but we were finally able to agree a date. This is where the production team really started to kick in. We had to arrange interviews with leading experts who could comment authoritatively on whether or not these things really have come to pass, are happening now or the likelihood of them coming to pass in the future…
Taking a full crew and kit to the Middle East requires a good deal of planning and this did not stop once we arrived in Israel as geo-political tensions affected our interview schedule. We had a wonderful fixer who gave generously of his time enabling access to restricted locations and we were accompanied by Dr Siam Bhayro, lecturer in Early Jewish Studies, who kept us entertained with historical accounts and numerous pictures of his beloved Egyptian hunting dog!
Finally, as Turkish and Iranian sabre-rattling increased, a global recession galloped and the ID debate accelerated, we completed our final interviews with further experts in Europe.
Director's Notes
Main Camera & Format: Sony PDW-700 XDCAMHD 422@50mbt 1920X1080p 25fps
Director of Photography: Stu Menelaws
Film or HD Video?
I began my career as a stills photographer in 1987 and with a background in large format film I was always disappointed with the image quality of standard definition 2/3" video cameras. Back in 2004, the day we decided to produce "The Daniel Project" as a documentary for both TV and the large screen, budget restraints would not allow for film, so our sights were set on a high definition digital solution. Camera systems from RED & Silicon Imaging were in their infancy, Sony & Panasonic were developing XDCAMHD & P2 technologies respectfully and NLE Software and computer systems were trying to keep up with it all. While it was an exciting time for imaging technology it was also a frustrating and somewhat confusing time for any busy production company trying to figure out what format to choose for a long term project.
In 2006 our studio was overhauled and high definition technologies were installed. After three years working with a number of systems we finally decided to go with Sony's XDCAM HD format. At the beginning the only camera units available were the PDW-F330/350 models, and while the image at 1440x1080p 420 colour space was good for its time, I was not keen on the ½" chip-set. Using its laser disc based system, there was certainly no disputing the production value of the optical disc compared to the expense of P2 solid state media. Alas, the documentary was held up for various reasons but it did mean that the all new Sony PDW-700 XDCAMHD 422 camera model was released. This was the camera many had been waiting for and I knew it would handle just about anything we would throw at it. For those readers interested, you can read a number of reviews I have written regarding The PDW-F350 & PDW-700 Camera models, the XDCAMHD 422 codec and as an ICE (Independent Certified Expert) for Sony Europe. There are also a number of interviews with "The Producer" magazine discussing the use of XDCAM HD on various projects. The links are at the foot of this page.
Filming – What were the challenges?
The most challenging environment for this film was the tight shooting schedule in Israel. The XDCAMHD 422 disc based system was a joy to work with, allowing forty five minutes of 422 1920X1080p high quality HD data to be recorded onto a virtually indestructible inexpensive disc. The camera was subjected to extreme humidity in the underground caves of Hezekiah's tunnel in Jerusalem; condensation was dripping off both the equipment and crew in the pitch black tunnels which we lit with V-Lock battery powered 8"x8" LED lighting panels. After filming underground we hurriedly had to make our way to the surface into the baking sun for an interview close to the Western Wall and there was absolutely no issue with camera condensation, this for me was such a break-through. The last time I was in the Middle East we were plagued with condensation and clogging video heads, now with the PDW-700 it made life so much easier and predictable. Working to a very quick schedule out in the Negev desert, we were continuously in and out of large poly tents where both Keith (AC / Soundman) and I were sweating profusely, yet once again the camera system coped without any fuss.
The PDW-700 has a very sharp image with its 2.2million Power HAD sensors and requires very careful focusing. It is that sharp image that I was looking for when filming in Israel, particularly with the wide panoramic vista shots from the Mount of Olives overlooking the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. While this iconic scene is a job for a 35mm film camera or to that end a DSLR camera, the PDW-700 did a great job for a video camera. Having positioned ourselves very early in the morning we waited for the sun to rise, with a latitude of 11 stops using Hypergamma in the menu settings the 700 captured a beautiful range of very sharp images where you can see excellent detail in the cluttered old city buildings, the glowing street lamps and the shafts of sunlight. HD monitoring out in the field was usually done with a Sony LMD 9050 HD monitor.
Audio & Lighting
With the camera able to record 24bit audio over 4 channels, as you would expect, the quality is very good indeed and Keith used a range of audio link options, including a realtively new high frequency WiFi line level system to camera, depending where we were filming and how much time we had to shoot.
Lighting is one of those areas that is very important to me, lighting tells a story, it can change a scene in an instant and yet we often do not get the time to control our environment or wait around long enough for a particular cloud formation or shafts of sunlight to paint that perfect picture. In many of our locations, electrical power and time was an issue so we brought along a number of LED lighting panels powered by the same batteries as our camera and field monitor which helped with transportation / location issues. Where these portable lightweight units really came into their own was out in the field, particularly in difficult environments such as the underground cave system in Jerusalem or where one of our interviews meant we had to follow a rabbi throughout various rooms where there was no time or the facilities to set up studio lighting.
Editing
The project was finally cut on Final Cut Studio utilising the XDCAMHD 422 codec. Editing took a good number of months as we discussed how the project should be constructed. Given the breadth, the depth and the nature of the subject matter it would be easy to fall into the trap of sensationalism, so a great deal of time was spent thinking about how to present what is a very complex subject. When it came to the actual "look" of the film, XDCAM HD422 is also great for grading, and to that end I choose to reduce the colour and introduce various tints to help merge standard definition archive footage. While the film was shot in full frame 16:9 1920x1080p, which is the format that every broadcaster to date has shown it, I actually designed the film to fit a wide screen format which is available in Standard Definition on the Special Edition DVD set on this website. Although not available on Blue Ray at this present time it will become available in HD widescreen on I -Tunes.
The Challenges of Eschatology - Research
Biblical Eschatology (the theological study of apocalyptic or end times texts) is a subject that requires years of research to fully understand what is a very complex topic. Certainly the overall message is actually quite straight forward, unfortunately the way that message is often presented sounds somewhat unbelievable or at the other end of the spectrum most definitely misleading.
For the genuine documentary film maker, before you ask any questions, you not only have to understand the subject matter in question, you have to fully understand the question you are asking, and how that relates to the bigger picture. Only then will you understand the replies, which in the case of Eschatology can be complex indeed.
To say that you require a good understanding of Biblical texts goes without saying, however there is also a need to investigate ancient archeology, historical records, customs and traditions to help you break down passages that claim to predict future events. On one side of the argument there are those that claim that these ancient texts were written after the fact or have been fulfilled in ancient history, while on the other side there are those who are quick to present just about any passage of text to support the latest news flash.
Of course, it is also easy to see why many individuals have interpreted many of these ancient texts as alien visitations from other worlds or visions of UFOs and mystical beings that are portrayed in popular science fiction films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Cocoon, Star Trek andX-Files. Certainly the infatuation with pop culture appears never ending and begs the question, what draws mankind to these stories that are told over and over?
The Daniel Project is an investigative look into what is without doubt one of the most controversial and challenging topics that has ever been recorded and while I personally have absolutely no time for unsupported claims, this subject matter certainly cannot be dismissed lightly. Someone may say, well what does it matter? what will be will be? …if only it were that simple, if Biblical eschatology is true… then every living individual has a personal decision to make… our hope is, that The Daniel Project will present this topic in a clear logical format that will help individuals make that informed decision.
End Note
Of course there is so much more to film making and this is just an overview. All the technical stuff aside, content is king and this particular documentary deals with a lot of challenging issues that will affect individuals in so many different ways. While there is an element of entertainment to the film, there has been a restrained use of dramatic archive / news footage, it was important to get a proper balance. The films subject matter is in its own right thought provoking and we hope that the finished result, while in no way perfect, helps to bring clarity to what is actually an astonishing topic.
For those interested here is a short list of equipment used on the Daniel Project and links to various technical reviews and magazine interviews.
