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The journey of an aspiring filmmaker

#OWIV100 Live Episode

100 Podcast Episodes

From humble beginnings, Our Week in Video podcast has grown from an exchange between two established wedding videographers to an internationally acknowledged resource for filmmakers and hobbyists alike.

In a celebration of reaching a landmark achievement of 100 episodes, Our Week in Video episode #100 brought together a live recorded episode featuring presentations from several different areas of film making to tell their perspective of their experiences.

Behind the Scenes
in Video Production

The event was hosted by Our week in Video Presenters Ben Bruton-Cox (The Wedding Cut) and Richard Shelton (Aurora Wedding Films) in the Beautiful Barnsley House Hotel and Spa.

 

The day began as the attendees made their way in on a pleasant Monday Morning, with a steadily growing number of folk trying to figure out how the coffee machine actually worked. As some of the guests had met at previous events, attendees exchanged stories and experiences and as the guests all made the way into the screening room, everyone was already feeling well acquainted with each other.

Host Intro

Daniel Armitage
How to shoot destination weddings

The first guest speaker was Daniel Armitage of Shoot Me Now Films.

His presentation discussed his process when considering clients to produce a film for, tips for arranging travel/accommodation and how to cost for the whole duration of the project. He also covered how he markets his business, how to advertise and who to approach when contacting destination venue wedding planners.

He demonstrated some of his work including a 7 minute feature. What was immediately apparent in his films is that it is predominantly simplistic in approach, beautifully crafted and demonstrate that it is not always necessary to use sweeping movements or modern techniques to convey a great story. In destination film making, traveling light is essential therefore minimal equipment significantly reduces costs and makes travel much easier.

Daniel candidly expressed that client relations are a fundamental factor in his decision making and that if a clients requests do not fit with his working style then it is far better to refer to another film maker than to produce work that goes against his usual output. He also explained his view that in the creative editing process, the result is more important than the workflow or procedures to put the piece together.

Although destination weddings are not something everyone would be in the market to be producing, the points raised are applicable to all aspects of film making. Principally, story and client satisfaction are key.

Douglas Ray
I can make you a Filmmaker

Douglas Ray’s presentation covered aspects of indie film making. He began by clearing up some misconceptions of the lifestyle of a film director. He introduced his history and showed us his short film “Get off My Land”

A dark, 3 hander featuring a couple who inadvertently find themselves on a farmer’s land. Thus ensues an uneasy exchange between the farmer and the male protagonist.

Douglas’s sense of humour was evident throughout his presentation, but his underlying message with regard to film-making resonates strongly. His two key principles

  1. DO IT
  2. BE NICE

A trailer for his latest film “Swansong” was presented and Douglas explained the process in directing the crew, how to cast a piece and that with the correct approach, you may be successful in casting a known professional. This is achieved with an honest correspondence to the actor’s agent explaining the aims of the project and why that person would be suitable for a particular role.

Douglas’ films demonstrate again that a well thought out process and pre planning can play dividends to a great story.  A great presentation offering insight into what can seem to be an unapproachable avenue to get started.

Warner Vision
HFR (Slow motion) workshop

During the lunch break (and a fine spread) Warner Vision shared their camera set up and a series of props so the attendees could use them in front of the camera. The actions were recorded at 240 frames per second and played back in real time.

The results were impressive

The props used demonstrated that when used appropriately, high frame rates can capture amazing details the naked eye can’t see. The scope of slow-motion is infinite evidently. Although there may very well be a temptation to use this too often, which could be seen as a gimmick, if used in the right context, this could really add significant production value to a project.

 

Stuart and Alina Caroll
Effective use of a Drone

Wedding videographers and arial cinematic tutors Stuart and Alina Carroll introduced the concept of using drone to help tell a story. They  explained in great detail that their use of arial cinematics add value and purpose to a film.

Stuart and Alina showed a short film of a car making its entrance to a impressive venue, then deconstructed this scene including elements of the “behind the scenes” of this piece. In a very light hearted and truthful presentation they outline what they learned as events that day did not go entirely go to plan.

Introducing the audience to the Drone Film Guide, Stuart and Alina’s YouTube channel, they articulately dispel the myth that the Drone is a trend or gimmick in modern film making and that for decades arial scenes have been included in story telling (albeit using different technology).

By showing a few clips from their YouTube channel, they introduce a range of themes including how to utilise the sun as an asset to enhance the imagery, the best way to use arial footage to drive narrative (and how best not to crash into a tree)

The couple presented effortlessly. With a relaxed tone and humour throughout, what was evident throughout their talk was their interplay between eachother. A seamless interaction between one speaker and the other really showed how their business’s success can be attributed to not only the quality of work they produce but also their mutual understanding and teamwork. A thought provoking, engaging and informative duo indeed.

Joe Allam
Turning Social Video into Commercial Success

Joe Allam introduced himself through a brief discussion of his professional background. As a photographer and previous employee of several industry leading companies, Joe’s history is impressive on its own. Yet he explained how became disillusioned with being an employee. So he set about working on his own projects on his own terms.

Joe continued by showing one of his early works, a well edited travel video of a trip to Paris.

A great little montage piece. The only problem was “nobody watched it” Joe then made a few more videos until his popularity rocketed with his video on setting up his desk and imac. A Desk!.

Joe is now a marketable online “influencer” “Content Creator”. In a slickly delivered presentation Joe explained the factors which have contributed to him becoming a YouTube success story.

With the correctly applied SEO, a clear message an and emphasis on personal relate-ability Joe effectively shows that a Vlog can become a commercial enterprise. It is about the journey, the long term story that an audience can believe, trust and engage with. Joe’s knowledge and understanding of YouTube’s algorithms was evident as he explained how timing of release of material can contribute to the success and hit rate..

An inspiring presentation that shows that with considered content and a watchable personality, it is possible for anyone with a camera and a little creative spirit can become a popular resource for an audience over time.

Gione Da Silva
Colour Grading – How to get “That” look

Gione Da Silva of  Gione da Silva Images began his presentation by discussing the theory behind colour in films. By referencing examples of colour palettes of some Hollywood blockbusters, Gione discussed the science of colours and how they can enhance mood or ambience in a film. The overall “look” of a film can be used to indicate a tone to a story.

Gione showed an emotional and personal video of his own son who has colour blindness. Given a new set of specially designed tinted glasses, Gione’s son was shown his own back garden with new his new glasses on. The excitement of this new world of colour as he looks at clouds, trees and general household items in tones and hues he had never seen. This was a truly moving short film and went some length to show the power of colour. The expressions on the boy’s face were genuinely heartwarming.

Gione explained that his exploration of colour correction and grading was largely based on inspiration from photographers. He described how he noticed that output in a photographers’ final output differed significantly from the events themselves. He set about adopting the same principles in his video production.

As ever, the topic and nature of the science of colour grading meant that the presentation were only explored in a small degree of detail. As the day drew to a close, Gione did go over some of the techniques he uses to export colour adjustments from Lightooom and into his NLE.

Unfortunately, time was at and end so the bulk of the presentation only skimmed the surface of the topic.

Final Thoughts

The speakers at the event covered a variety of topics. Whilst some of the principles were not directly applicable to my current film-making aspirations, the general message or theory behind the presentations were strikingly relevant.

Above all, the underlying points I will take away from the day are that  should continue to work on projects that interest me. Progression in film-making will not happen without any work on my part to develop my skills. I have considered making a vlog before but admittedly was put of starting through fear of not creating content of high enough quality. I should put my fears aside and get cracking.

Our Week in Video

The podcast has been a regular source in information in my desire to become better at film making. By listening to their experiences on a regular basis I have gained greater insight in video production. Many of the topics discussed allow me to consider how this would be relevant in my own work. Whilst I am a way off being confident in my abilities to make films of Aurora Wedding Films and The Wedding Cut’s quality, I feel that in continuing to follow their great example and with hard work alongside,  I will eventually, get somewhere close.

100 episodes is remarkable achievement, so congratulations to Our Week in Video, thanks for your encouragement.

Here’s to 100 more.

(Shoot Edit Repeat)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 Comment

  1. Ben March 18, 2018

    Awesome stuff Mike

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