If you happened to catch a glimpse of a medieval village in the South Cambridgeshire countryside, you may not have believed your eyes.
But rest assured that it was not an illusion, as each day extras have been descending on a warehouse in Gransden Road, Caxton, which has been transformed into a Middle Ages settlement for a new fantasy series which is broadcast on the internet.
Indie director Kate Madison is filming series one of six-part adventure Ren – featuring Huntingdonshire actors and costumed extras – at the site.
After a call for extras to bring the bustling set to life, I decided to bolster their numbers, taking on the role of a villager.
I arrived last Monday morning (September 29) to find a series of boards – with medieval-style buildings mocked up on the other side – in a car park off a rural road.
I tried to stay quiet as I heard filming in action and peeked through the gaps to see the cast in full swing.
It was soon time to lace myself into a moss green dress (which I was rather pleased with), before it was slightly ruined by the addition of a brown apron ... and a snood.
I then posed for pictures with some of the other villagers while buying some potatoes and considering the purchase of a spoon at one of the stalls.
Sadly, though, I won’t be in the final cut as I my little cameo was not being filmed.
You never know, though. Maybe my role as ‘villager’ will be the start of something big.
The story follows young Ren, played by up-and-coming actress Sophie Skelton, who has a strange encounter in the woods where she is marked by an ancient spirit.
Persecuted by the ruling Kah’Nath and exiled from her village, she sets out with a mercenary rogue called Hunter, played by Duran Fulton Brown, to discover the truth about the Kah’Nath and the nature of the mark.
The web series is set for release early next year on YouTube channel Mythica Entertainment.
The team ran a crowdfunding campaign to produce it, with fans contributing more than £35,000 towards the project.
It follows Ms Madison’s successful Lord of the Rings prequel Born of Hope, which attracted more than 28 million online views.
She has called upon skilled volunteers – both cast and crew – to bring her vision to reality.
She said: “Like many people, almost everything I watch is online now.
“But my favourite genre, fantasy, is under-represented in the low-budget indie world because of the cost involved in bringing a fantasy world to life.”
More than 150 people from all around the world have taken part in the production in a variety of roles, including Ms Madison’s partner Christopher Dane.
She said: “I’m a born collaborator, and one of the good things about helping out on other people’s projects is that I have built up a good contact list of people willing to return the favour.
“I love the creativity and imagination that goes into fantasy films and games. It’s a chance to create a whole new world from scratch.
“To get rid of the things I don’t like from the modern world and escape to a place where a girl with a bow and arrow and a dagger and strange mark on her face can become a hero.”
INFORMATION: For more, visit www.rentheseries.com.
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