Showreel 2012
This is a selection of the things I have worked on throughout 2011/2012 - work that I directed, shot and edited. Everything in here is work I am proud of and enjoy, and hopefully there’s something in there that you will enjoy too.
Frankie Pidgeon | Gold
project mentor
Working with members of ELFM’s Next Generation project we had ten hours over five days in which to conceive, shoot and edit a music video for local artist Frankie Pidgeon. I ran the project with Ed Heaton and mentored in all areas of production from script development and storyboarding, to directing, camera work, editing and special effects.
The Finnlys | Cos Your Love (Ain’t Good Enough)
director | camera | editor | effects
After we had so much fun making For Love Nor Money, The Finnlys and manager Ed Heaton invited me back to help create another video for them. The initial plan of them playing on a 60s chat show, with some sort of romantic entanglement, came from Ed, and we then worked on the idea until we had a lovely story. Then we had a day and a half shooting (some in a basement, some at the lovely Prime Studios) and a week or so of editing, After Effect work and grading until.. voila!
The Artists | Here Comes The Storm
director | camera | editor
One of 3 videos made with ELFM Associate Bands over the course of 4 hectic weeks - two to film and two to edit. Okay, so the final edit took a bit longer, but outside of that it was a pretty mad ol’ time! A simple idea from ELFM-er Ed Heaton taken to its logical extremes of bass amp/mud, park/drum kit, and band/rugby club function room!
Seas-Of-Green | Idols
director | camera | editor
One of 3 videos made with ELFM Associate Bands over the course of 4 hectic weeks - two to film and two to edit. I don’t remember who out of the band, myself, Ed or some sort of spaceman came up with the idea but we just knew we wanted to build a tinfoil spaceship.. so we did! The boys were game and we had one heck of a day in a tiny dining room and a not-much-bigger garden
Frankie Pidgeon | Stars
director | camera | editor
One of 3 videos made with ELFM Associate Bands over the course of 4 hectic weeks - two to film and two to edit. Shot in one evening at Eiger Studios and in Ed Heaton’s Soundmill studio (as Frankie recorded the song) a super simple idea based on a video Frankie liked by Benjamin Francis Leftwich. We just had a nice time cutting out stars and playing with blu-tack really!
Breaking The Illusion
director | editor
A piece made with leeds hip-hop band Breaking The Illusion for the Our City Our Music project. The brief was to film something in one unique location in Leeds so that, in the future, people would be able to hire out portable video players and watch the piece on location. Millennium Square is about as iconic as places come in Leeds and although we may have only had 2 hours to film it in we got some pretty great weather for it.
This piece was DOPd by Ben Davis
The Prodigy Video Competition | Run With The Wolves
co-director | editor
My good friend Ben Davis and I filmed this video for an online music video competition run by The Prodigy and DailyMotion. Although we didn’t ultimately win it was a great shoot and we’re both really proud with the end result.
The Story Seller
project mentor
I worked as a mentor across all areas of production from writing and directing, to camera work, sound design and editing with members of ELFM’s Next Generation, assisting them in creating a short film made with First Light money.
Anything Could Happen
project mentor | director
Prior to this film there existed a musical-radio-drama called Anything Could Happen that had been written, rehearsed, and recorded in four days but members of ELFM’s Next Generation project. A year later I was asked to make a film adaptation, using some of the same performers and some new members. Working as a producer and director (with a crew of two; Ben Davis and Ed Heaton on camera and sound) and assisted further exclusively by teenagers completely new to the film making process we had just two days in which to shoot a 40 minute musical! Eventually, and the edit took a very, very long time, we got down to 30 minutes and a cut that we were happy with that was screened in an old disused chapel in East Leeds.
The finished film is far from perfect, we encountered problem after problem during our tiny shoot, and worked far harder than we ever anticipated.. but ultimately we finished it! A 30 minute, no-budget, completely original musical from a crew of 3 and a dozen young people. It was an absolutely breathtaking, shattering and entirely wonderful experience.
