High end promos such as this require a different approach to kit, rather than a solo camera operator at a conference , for example. The emphasis is on quality, so the DOP will be solely focused on capturing the best visuals possible, without having to worry about sound. However, due to the nature of filming in schools, schedules can be extremely tight, so there must be a good balance of quality and portability…

If you’ve ever wondered what life’s really like for those working in video production day-to-day then in this series of posts, I’ll be sharing what goes on behind the scenes from my perspective as a cameraman. I’ll show my thought process, the type of challenges that arise and how they’re overcome, with the end goal of meeting our client’s brief and delivering the highest quality product possible.

Prep for a 1-day conference generally starts the day before the event. The 2 main considerations are the kit list and travel plans...

There has been a lot of disruption in the creative industries throughout 2023 and I appreciate that many of my freelance colleagues, particularly those who work in film and TV, have been out of work for a good part of the year. Considering all this uncertainty, I’m extremely grateful to have been in work at all and am fortunate to have enjoyed some interesting projects at that!

With that in mind, here are some of my favourite projects from the last 12 months…

It has been just over a decade since I landed my first freelance video job (some might say that this makes me a veteran!). Whilst it’s been a turbulent journey so far, it’s also - fortunately - been a rewarding one at that. In this post I share some of the things I’ve learned during this time…

A few weeks ago, my patience with Adobe finally ran out. I decided it was time to jump ship for DaVinci Resolve. This is why I made the switch…

2022 has very much been the post-pandemic ‘bounce back’ year for me and for many of my peers too. It was so good to reunite with old clients, but I was also fortunate to work with some incredible new ones as well. Despite experiencing some challenges and a grim economic outlook for us all as we go into 2023, there has been much to celebrate and build on as the freelancing journey continues.

Here are some of my personal highlights from the past 12 months…

Any reputable freelancer or production company should be asking you the following questions before providing you with a quote for your video. Have you checked everything off this list?

When creating a video maintaining good pace is, in my opinion, probably the most important goal for an editor, besides meeting a deadline! A major part of this is the style in which we edit our sequences. So, in this post I’ll be showing you 5 creative ways to edit footage in order to help keep an audience’s interest. Each of these techniques balances the modern with the tasteful, and for the most part, doesn’t take much time to implement.

Could any of your projects benefit from the following approaches?

Videos featuring interviews or ‘talking heads’ are very popular in the corporate sector, both for internal and external use. However, one problem that can occur with this format is that they can sometimes be viewed as a bit dull. If you’re going to invest in video, it works both in your favour and mine that the target audience finds them interesting!

So, how can video production techniques be used to make them less stuffy and help them stand out from the competition?

Last year, in the midst of the pandemic and as we approached our third national lockdown in the UK, it felt inappropriate to do my usual roundup of the year. Truth be told, I’d had a difficult few months (along with everyone else) but it paled in comparison to the vast majority of the population. As we now sign off for 2021 (wondering where the time went) and learn to live with covid, I think it’s time to start talking about our achievements again.

Scrolling through LinkedIn I often see posts about exciting video shoots that have just wrapped. Now we all love a good behind the scenes pic, but no one ever seems to talk about the other side of the production process: editing! While it may not be as visually appealing or glamourous to some, it’s actually an incredibly important part of making a successful video..

The video production industry and the creative sector as a whole have taken a beating during the Covid-19 pandemic. As we all recover from the economic inactivity of lockdown and face the ‘new normal’, it could be easy to think that professional video production would need to stop for the foreseeable future. This may be true for certain types of production, but it doesn't apply to all. For sectors that are recovering, there is still a demand for video content that needs to be met, providing that safety takes priority.

Does the prospect of speaking on camera make you feel a bit queasy?

Do the lights and mics make you instantly freeze up?

Are you worried that you'll say something wrong?

If any of your answers to the above is yes, then have no fear!

2019 was a big year for me for several reasons. Firstly, I hit the big 3-0, which actually wasn’t as scary as everybody had made it out to be. I also somehow, miraculously, managed to get on the property ladder! If you’d said that to me 5 years ago, I would have laughed.

When you hit milestones in your life such as these, it does make you self-evaluate, both in a professional and personal sense. Fortunately in both cases, things are going well!

The white screen ‘studio’ look is a tried and tested style used in many corporate and talking head videos. There’s a reason why so many people use it - when done properly it looks professional and high end. However, just shooting in an infinity cove or against a white backdrop isn’t enough to give it the ‘look’. Yes, you’re going to need a decent camera, but the secret to making it look professional is to create an effective lighting setup that ensures your subject jumps out to the viewer.

For the self employed 'when it rains, it pours', but sooner or later we will all face a drought. How might someone considering going freelance deal with the prospect of facing indefinite periods without work? Is there a trick to surviving down time or are all the professionals constantly living in fear?

Choosing a video production professional to hire can be just as difficult as picking any other service or tradesperson. You may have done a Google search and found dozens of people to choose from and it could all seem a bit overwhelming. I know that feeling; where on earth do you start? Well, there may be a wealth of talent out there but if you go with the wrong person or company it could end up being an expensive mistake. So, assuming that you'd prefer to use a freelancer over an agency, I've listed here a few key qualities that you should look for when choosing your videographer..

As of last month I have officially been freelancing in video production for 5 years. It's quite incredible to be honest and I can't believe how quickly the years have gone. So much has happened in this time and it has been a rollercoaster of a journey.

When you’re starting out in video production and are introducing some lighting into your productions it can often be difficult to know where to begin. Well, one good place to start is to get to grips with a basic concept; understanding the difference between hard and soft light. But more importantly, understanding what you can do with both types of sources and why you might choose one over the other (or use both) will help you to raise the production value of your shoots substantially.

It's no secret, London is the centre of pretty much everything in this country. It's not just the film, television and video production industries, but many other lines of work too..