Making The Daniel Project
As film makers what was the 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, i.e. 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 arrogance 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.
This was not an easy task back in the early part of 2000 as many rules and regulation that governed broadcast production would require the documentary to meet strict guidelines if it were to be aired on terrestrial television.
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.”
Head of Production: Deborah Forrest-Menelaws
“With a background in research and an interest in ancient history as well as working in the media for years, I first learned about this subject in the late '80s and eventually made one of the first professional videos on this subject which was the basis for The Daniel Project. I was determined to thoroughly investigate, document and film it for TV this time. I want to debunk the myths - whatever they are!”
Production Notes
Deborah Forrest-Menelaws:
My interest in eschatology (the study of the end things) and particularly Bible Prophecy was born in the late 80s when I was involved in researching and producing another film about the subject called Cup of Trembling - countdown to Armageddon. It is part of my job to track world events in the light of the acceleration in natural and man-made disasters, the rise of world tension and increasing conflagration in the Middle East, I saw it was time to take a harder look at the subject and so in 2002 we began to research and develop 'The Daniel Project'.
Our first challenge was how to present it. There were plenty of religious attempts to do so, and others which were not religious but which, in my opinion, were badly researched. Creative director Stewart Menelaws, whilst keen to touch on the world of science fiction, was adamant that we keep our imaginations restrained and allow whatever facts are available to tell the story.
Secondly, we didn’t want it to be a Big Preach so 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. 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.
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, 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.
After filming of the documentary was completed, Jeremy was given an opportunity to ask questions about what he had learned and what he now understood of The Bible. The resulting twenty-six minute discussion can be seen on a bonus section of the DVD. This section was not aired on television but was made available by Studio Scotland in a bid to help viewers who have questions.
Finding a common time frame to film in Israel was very challenging to say the least but we were finally able to agree times and dates with our experts. 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 Professor Siam Bhayro, lecturer in Early Jewish Studies. Finally, as a global recession galloped and the ID debate accelerated, we completed our final interviews with further experts in Europe.
Director's Notes
Stewart Menelaws:
Film or HD Video?
In 2006 our studio was overhauled and high definition technologies were installed, however it took a number of years for high definition technologies to become standardised, which was an expensive challenge for every production company at that time. This meant the documentary was held up until the arrival of the all new Sony PDW-700 XDCAMHD 422 camera system. This was the camera many had been waiting for and I knew it would handle just about anything we would throw at it considering we would be working in extreme environments for camera equipment.
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. 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.
Audio & Lighting
With the camera able to record 24bit audio over 4 channels, as you would expect, the quality is very good indeed and our sound engineer Keith, used a range of audio link options, including a relatively new high frequency WiFi line level system to camera.
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 and location issues.
Editing
The project was 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.
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.
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
For further information regarding The Daniel Project’s purpose, content, filming and distribution along with answers to erroneous misinformation that has arisen over the years since its release in 2010 - click here.