Aiden Lee (left) and Dylan Jelly at Central Park , promoting the documentary on Stawell at Easter. Picture: KERRI KINGSTON
STAWELL - A video documenting the activities that take place in Stawell over the Easter holiday weekend has been released to the world.
Called 'Easter Experience in Stawell' and created by Dylan Jelly the 27 minute video shows viewers what there is to do and what is happening in Stawell and surrounding areas over Easter.
Some of the featured events include the Stawell Gift, StawellBiz family day, carnival and Gold Cup races.
Out of town the on screen talent Aiden Lee headed to Halls Gap to play some adventure golf and watch the Great Western Rodeo.
Mr Jelly is responsible for all of the editing and camera work, while Mr Lee took time out to interview people relevant to tourism and the history of Stawell.
The duo said they put at least 60 hours into the project over the Easter 2012 weekend alone.
"I had the idea for a while, thought it was a good way of giving back to the town," Mr Jelly said.
"When I was in Melbourne studying, a lot of people I would meet hadn't even heard of Stawell and didn't even know of the events that go on over the Easter weekend.
"I really wanted to try and put Stawell on the map.
"So I approached Aiden (Lee) because I thought he had the personality to do the on screen work."
Mr Lee said it would be difficult to calculate the amount of free time they spent working on the project.
"We really couldn't put a number on the amount of hours we spent in total over the last year researching, filming and putting together the doco," he said.
Mr Jelly said now was a good time to get it out there, in the lead up to Easter, to remind people of what is just around the corner and even on their doorstep.
"In the end we just wanted to get it finished, get it out there for people to see," Mr Jelly said.
Throughout the film locals are seen enjoying events such as the races, but both Dylan and Aiden said how startling it was how few locals were actually at the Stawell Gift.
"It seems there are more tourists than locals going to the event," Mr Jelly said.
"We just hope people aren't taking an event that is older than the AFL grand final for granted.
"The government funding and television coverage that is integral and most important to the event isn't guaranteed without the support from people through the gates."
Mr Lee said being involved in the film was a great experience.
"I had never done anything like it before, it was great to get out there and talk to people who have opinions," he said.
"There were a lot of different personalities throughout the town who were very helpful and really knowledgeable.
"We really want to thank Debbie Bach, Murray MacPherson and Gary Middleton for their time and information."
Mr Jelly said it was important to recognise the individual efforts from so many people every year, that when put together make Easter in Stawell what it is.
"Volunteers are the people that make the gift happen, we thought it was important to explain and express that through this form of story," he said.
'Easter Experience in Stawell' is available to anyone on Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQmVls9xHIo