'Meandering over the pebbles' is going... documental!
A new name for a new chapter 🎉
Hey there - thanks for stopping by. I’m at the start of a whole new exciting era with my lovingly put together Substack, sharing the ups and downs of my life & work and geeking out about films I love, all with a happy, if slightly frazzled, smile 😄 Why not subscribe to get my new posts straight to your inbox - I’d love to have you aboard for the ride!
Hello friends,
Happy May Day 🌸 This is one of my favourite 'holiday' days in the calendar, with its mixture of pagan Spring celebration, good old English folk traditions (yes, we really did dance around a maypole in my primary school hall every year!) and honouring of labour rights on International Workers Day.
And this year, there's even more reason to celebrate as I am finally ready to unveil my much touted re-brand of my little corner of the internet.
From here on in, this publication will live under the brand new moniker of…
[drumrolls, please!]
Vicki Lesley is... Documental.
I've chosen this new name/branding to more closely align with my professional identity around, and ongoing passion for, documentary films - whilst at the same time gesturing towards the more personal thoughts and feelings I definitely want to carry on sharing here.
I hope you like it!
Hit reply to let me know what you think. Or if you’re in the app you can leave me a comment - I love to hear from you.
Here’s a quick reminder of all the good stuff you can continue to expect to receive.
Personal sharing behind the scenes…
I've loved inhabiting the space that 'Meandering over the pebbles' has represented for me - an unhurried journey to who knows quite where, with a spirit of curiosity and a nod to the pebbly beach just a few minutes walk from my front door.
And I won't be leaving it behind entirely as I'll be continuing on with my meandering personal updates (currently monthly meanders, round-up meanders and the odd bonus/special meander).
I'm still very much in in a liminal time of transition and 'becoming' on various fronts:
...stepping fully into life as the parent of a neurodivergent child;
...navigating the physical and emotional challenges of perimenopause;
...trying to rebuild financially after years of debt from the double whammy of independent filmmaking and childcare.
And I've not given up on my aim of building a new business around helping other people record and preserve their families' life stories either.
So all of these things will continue to feature in my writing.
Stories and research from my documentary life…
Making documentaries is what I've always done - from before I graduated and then on across the quarter of a century of working life that’s followed. And I've got so many stories from my TV researcher days and personal experiences and observations from my independent filmmaking journey to share.
Plus, as someone addicted to the thrill of research - who loves falling down rabbit holes and getting totally immersed in the subject matter of my films - having my own online space to curate is a true pleasure.
It's like a playground where I have the time and space to go deeper, chasing down tangents that can't be fitted within the constraints of a finished film or connecting with other fascinating people from the broader universe of a topic I'm exploring.
So I will be continuing to share more of my continued obsession with all things atomic, a legacy of the decade and more I spent making 'The Atom: A Love Affair'.
As well as starting to share material and research around the next short film I plan to make, which will combine big society-wide questions about energy supply, with a much more personal lens on hidden disability and chronic illness.
Celebrating & sharing the movies I love…
I’ll continue adding to my A-Z of favourite documentary films, but most excitingly will be the addition to proceedings of my live, online Film Club, coming very soon 🤩
I am SO excited about launching this new paid community which I'll be hosting as a warm and welcoming place for us to come together to discover and discuss often overlooked film gems, going deep into a particular subject across each season.
The first of these will be on atomic movies (of course!)
And looking to the future I have ideas for all sorts of other fascinating topics we could get into, including films about autism, architecture, siblings, the seaside, trains, bicycles, cooking.... and so many more. Your ideas for seasons are very welcome too!
I’ll be letting you know MUCH, MUCH more about how this is all going to work over the next few weeks. But for now just think of it as being like our own online version of the cafe-bar at your favourite neighbourhood indie or arthouse cinema or movie theater. I can’t wait to settle in there with you with some popcorn and maybe a cheeky half of a nice craft beer.
Right I shall leave things there for today.
Look out for a very meaty - and more than usually exposing - post from me coming over the weekend in which I’ll be revealing the true numbers behind my film - how much money I raised to make it, how much I spent… and how much it’s earned since it was released.
And the next monthly meander and round up posts will be coming shortly behind too. So a lot to enjoy as we roll on towards the hump point of the year.
I am so grateful to you for being here and can’t wait to see where it all goes next in my new ‘documental’ incarnation.
Sending love to you from my sunny Brighton hilltop,
Vicki xx
Watch my film on Netflix & Disney+ (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE
Vicki, I love how your new name and direction reflect your documentary roots and deeply personal storytelling. It feels like such an honest evolution, rooting, in your world while inviting us to journey alongside.
Excellent rebranding, fully in line with your purpose, persona, and evolving work. Very much look forward to reading. (I did a slight double take when I read the new name, thinking “I’ve just seen that somewhere.” Sure enough, I’ve just subscribed to a Substacker @documentally. But that newsletter is nothing like yours and would not interested in any Venn diagram.)