2022 has certainly been interesting, especially after the turbulence of the pandemic. Whilst last year saw video production bouncing back to a degree, for me it didn’t really get going until more recently. Although it’s been incredibly busy, there have been a few challenges to note:

The general cost of living has been creeping up, which is very well publicised, and this means increased overheads for freelancers and small businesses in addition to their personal bills. Although I don’t have business premises, considering rising costs such as business insurance, subscriptions, and equipment maintenance, even freelancers with relatively low overheads still face increases over time. The months ahead are understandably concerning for everyone.

The national mourning period in September also had a significant impact on businesses, particularly in the events sector, a key area for me. In what is usually one of my busiest months of the year I found myself with a big, unexpected gap in the middle. I’m sure most of the self-employed attempt to plan for every possible scenario, but I think this development caught a few of us off guard! Fortunately, October and November more than made up for it.

Lastly, the general unreliability of the railway in the Southeast has been an ongoing issue for me, and this was even before the strikes started. Southern Rail’s service has deteriorated over the years and getting stranded late at night is increasingly becoming the norm. Regardless of the reason for delay, we have a climate crisis to solve, and unreliable public transport does not help the cause at all, whichever side of the industrial disputes you’re on. When missing a job means a loss of income, unfortunately driving (and contributing to London’s pollution and congestion) becomes my only viable option, even if I’m not lugging lots of kit! It’s certainly not ideal, but this will soon become a necessity if things don’t improve soon. I’m just lucky that I have a choice.

Despite these challenges however, 2022 has been an incredible year! Here are my highlights from the past 12 months…

A combination of shooting and editing techniques were used throughout this series…

Training videos for George ASDA

After a quiet winter I was incredibly fortunate to secure a job creating a series of internal training videos for George. With 2 hours of scripts and a relatively quick turnaround, there was no better challenge to really get the year going!

The client brief was fairly open and allowed for some creativity on how the information was presented, so we used a variety of shooting and editing techniques to keep viewers engaged throughout their training session. This included capturing single and dual camera demonstrations, walk and talk piece to cameras, multicam Q&As, voice over led sections with animated graphics and using roaming gimbals throughout their flagship store in Hull to show best practices. I certainly picked up a lot of lingo around visual merchandising!

Demonstrating new products to staff in stores

Shooting for Calvin Klein & Tommy Hilfiger

Another set of internal training videos came my way, also in retail, but this time it was for Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, through London agency Nodachi.

We had a lot of content to cover at a high standard which resulted in a larger crew to match, consisting of a director, 2 camera operators, a sound recordist and dedicated autocue operator. It was certainly insightful shooting in their dedicated showroom spaces in West London, which were as well-presented and spacious as any of their stores.

And events really bounced back

One of the best things about this year was reuniting with old clients, some of whom I hadn’t seen since pre-pandemic. From interviewing senior leaders at healthcare summits with HSJ to capturing testimonials at diversity and inclusion events with an ever-growing Aspiring Solicitors, live events were certainly back and here to stay.

However, it also became clear that hybrid events weren’t disappearing anytime soon, and this meant that pre-recorded and livestreamed content was still very much in demand. I was able to get more involved in the live side of things, from shooting single camera livestreams for Avensys to operating RF (broadcast style) cameras and Easyrigs on multicam livestreams with Creative Technology.

Other developments

The Last Time You Saw Me in latter stages of post-production

The indie feature film I shot in the pandemic is still not finished, but on course to be wrapped up in 2023. Editing a feature with a depleted budget has been a major challenge for Entity Film Co, but it’s looking hopeful for a final cut in 2023. Good news from our lead actress Chelsea though, who recently starred as Sophie Chambers (quite a major character) in the Death in Paradise Christmas Special, which will hopefully work to our films’ advantage in the long run. Watch this space.

Transitioning from Adobe Premiere to Da Vinci Resolve as NLE of choice

My commitment to switching is still strong as Adobe continue to release extremely buggy software and Black Magic Design continue to improve functionality in Resolve. The problem with transitioning has been finding the time to learn it around client work and becoming familiar with some of the new workflows to do tasks quickly. It’s very easy when you have the pressure of deadlines to resort to software you know inside out, but in the long run this only delays the jump. I’m hoping that by the end of 2023 I will have the confidence to switch permanently, with the occasional jump back into Premiere for updating old projects or collaborating with other editors on larger projects, many of whom will still be using it.

Work experience students in 2022: 1

Let’s try and beat the record in 2023! If you’re a student, graduate or career changer and want to get some experience in filming and/or video editing do get in touch.

And of course, there were lots of other exciting projects too…

A perfect day, with stunning photography by Matthew Scott Photography

Outside of work

Life outside of work was just as busy and exciting, especially as in October I got married! The new Mrs Prior and I had an amazing day surrounded by our nearest and dearest with incredible food and perfect autumnal weather to match. We couldn’t have asked for anything else.

A few months earlier, we also completed the Race for Life 10K in Crawley, raising £435 for Cancer Research. It was a tough run on a very hot day, but an incredible experience and we’ll most definitely be doing it again next year!

Lastly, I made progress with my scuba diving this year, completing the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course and 3 logged dives. This included my first without an instructor, which very much felt like the first time I drove a car after passing my test! I intend to complete my Advanced Open Water course in 2023 which will allow me to descend to 30 metres.

So, here’s to the next 12 months…

Since last year’s round up we seemed to have hopped from one crisis into another. The economic outlook is bleak, inflation is raging and the situation in Ukraine is heart-breaking. Things don’t exactly look peachy going into the new year, but as a millennial who is no stranger to economic uncertainty, I and my ever-growing network of freelancers will face these challenges head on. If we do end up going into a recession, our flexibility to adapt to different organisations’ needs could be attractive to organisations who continue to need high quality video content but can’t justify hiring full time staff. I’m sure the resilience many of us will have developed throughout the pandemic years will continue to see us through, no matter what’s in store.

Whatever is around the corner though, all that’s left to say now is happy new year!

Looking back over 2022

Training videos for George ASDA

Shooting for Calvin Klein & Tommy Hilfiger

And events really bounced back

Other developments

Outside of work

So, here’s to the next 12 months…

Other posts you may be interested in:

Looking back over 2022

Training videos for George ASDA

Shooting for Calvin Klein & Tommy Hilfiger

And events really bounced back

Other developments

Outside of work

So, here’s to the next 12 months…

Other posts you may be interested in:

Why I left Adobe Premiere for DaVinci Resolve

What Should You Include in a Video Brief?