Toolbank 2015

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Another year, another record breaking Toolbank ‘Real Deals for You’ campaign: The Christmas Collection.

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This year’s design included present boxes wrapped in shiny foil, which I built as 3D models in Cinema 4D.

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Then creating various coloured versions as looping quicktime files, converting them into particle effects in Motion and making them fly towards camera. Also I built custom box transitions in Motion with full rigging into Final Cut Pro X. This meant I could change the direction and colour of the box wipe transition using just a simple pull down inside FCPX.

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After three days of workshop filming back in April, I started putting the main campaign video together, which at over 30 minutes long is versioned in two currencies – Sterling and Euros.

We also filmed over 60 Social Media product demos which are presented ‘to camera’ by Andy or Nigel from Toolbank. These get embedding in the product pages on the Real Deals website

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Then, in August I filmed the TV commercial at Prime Studios in Leeds. This time filmed as a chromakey.

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Using my new JVC LS300 I fed an SDI picture to my 23 inch location monitor, and also streamed a Wi-Fi video feed to a laptop for timecode logging. Our great pal Vic McCullagh was on hand to light the set and provide his unique perspective on proceedings.

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Love that guy!

5 Star Service

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A regular client that I can’t blog about very often, is ACC – The Aged Care Channel. The work that I do for them is often confidential, and protected by their copyright. Occasionally however, they post short public excerpts of their training films, like this example on providing a 5 Star Service:

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Back in May I filmed for four days in and around Aylesbury, with the lovely team from ACC. I supply my camera kit, lighting and additional sound kit. We work with a variety of freelance directors, Tony on sound and the production team from ACC HQ. Once we wrapped I returned home and started editing the film for both the UK and Australia, where the two versions have slight regional difference regarding terminology and care guidelines.

I delivered the 20 minute edit as a ProRes master and ACC UK play it into their live monthly programme, which is simulcast to their subscriber around the world via their own dedicated delivery system.

I Shoot – You Score

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Another regular client – UMPF PR asked me to make a quick awards submission video for them:

Filmed in their soon-to-be new office in The Calls in Leeds, Amy did a great job in front of the camera (not the first time I’ve filmed her), then with the addition of a few graphics and sound effects we were done.

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Beacon Medaes manufacture medical gas outlets and distribution systems. They were keen to to show how much simpler the installation and maintenance of their systems is compared to others.

I used my own voice in the initial edits purely as a guide, but the client decide to keep my voice in the final version.

Astra-nomical

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Today was my second day of filming Astra Zeneca in Manchester with VisMedia:

The previous shoot was in October:

The material I shoot is always under NDA, but it’s nice to see that occasionally some of it makes it into the wild.

Make some noise!

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Again Pulsar Instruments asked me to their Filey HQ to film their latest industry leading product.

Although it’s a long drive out there, the scenery is really great and it’s nice to get to the seaside once in a while, even if the seagulls noise sometimes stops the filming.

After an initial meeting to discuss the brief, the filming went without a hitch. The edit brought the whole project together and the archive sequence at the beginning helped to set the overall tone.

Lend Me Your Ears

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Caisley Eartags asked me to produce a video for the upcoming changes to Aberdeen Angus livestock eartagging and DNA sampling regulations. We used three different calves for the filming as we weren’t sure how they’d react to the tagging and the people standing around them. I made a widescreen and 4:3 version for use in a photo frame at exhibitions.

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Man-a-Live

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Ace Dance and Music from Birmingham asked me to film a promo for their current touring show – Mana. A word used in 24 languages. The show was being performed in the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds which is an amazing venue with a great lighting rig.

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I directed and shot the promo in the morning with assistance of Tom, and we stayed through to the evening performance to capture the 2 x 30 minute performances as well. During the morning I used the FS100 with my 11-16mm and 35mm lenses, which worked well in the sometimes very low light, used for this style of performance.
I shot several sequences in overcrank on the FS100 for a slow-motion effect which the dancers then watched on playback between takes.

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I’ve edited another version of the Promo with plenty of added VFX as a bit of fun:

Deputy PM in Prescot

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I was asked to film another VIP visit at the Glen Dimplex factory in Prescot.
This time I took my new assistant Tom who operated the second camera.

We had time at the end of the tour to film to shoot a short two header interview:

It’s all Greek to me

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We’re just back from 8 days in beautiful Athens, making another series of films for the University of Kent:

I also used the footage in several other films for IHC: an NGO based near Athens.

Our local fixer Alex was a huge help on this shoot and seemed constantly amazed by Howard’s knowledge of Greek culture and places.

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