Cinematography Skillls

I am an extremely versatile cameraman, equally at home in remote locations or in the studio, filming everything from long lens to macro, highspeed to character based observational documentary. I aim to be a stroyteller with a camera, creating a mood and emotion within each sequence that works with the narrative of the film.

KEY SKILLS

LONG LENS: I have a huge wealth of experience filming ‘blue chip’ behavioural sequences (Planet Earth, Life & Frozen Planet for BBC1 and Ganges, Madagascar and multiple Natural World films for BBC2). My background as a biologist, and years spent in the field, have given me an in-depth understanding of fieldcraft, stalking a subject, and how to best locate hides and tree platforms to deliver sequences of rare and sensitive behaviours. I pay particular attention to the quality and direction of light, and to telling the story of the event, so my sequences deliver on an very high aesthetic and narrative level.

MACRO: I spent 6 years training at Oxford Scientific Films, a production company with a justified reputation for world-class macro work, and I have a thorough grounding in all aspects of macro photography. In 2010 I completed work on a 60min film about Honeypot Ants for BBC2’s Natural World series. This film features a very high proportion of highly specialised macro work. The film combined complex set work with wild ant behaviour. I developed a high-precision motorised focus rack to allow finely tuned tracking shots within the ant colony and smooth focus pulls. I have a selection of ultra high quality Zeiss Luminar macro lenses, a LitePanels Minilite LED kit, and various fibre light equipment which are ideal for macro filming.

TIMELAPSE & HIGHSPEED: My time at OSF also gave me a thorough understanding of timelapse and highspeed cinematography techniques. I initially trained using various film cameras – Locam and Hadland cameras for highspeed work, and Bolex and Mitchell 35mm cameras for timelapses.

I have built and run many long-term indoor plant behaviour timelapse set ups, often with motion control elements to the shot – while filming The Forbidden Fruit for BBC2’s Natural World strand I often had 10 or so different studio sets running at any one time filming everything from orchid flowers opening to strangler figs germinating.

I have 2 Nikon DSLR timelapse kits and a motorised head for panning timelapses. I also have a wide range of experience with the Phantom V640 highspeed camera rig.

INFRA-RED & LOWLIGHT: I have a great deal of experience of IR filming, initially with Ikegami cameras, and more recently with Canon 5D’s, which I have had converted to allow maximum sensitivity for IR filming.

I have a complete IR lighting rig consisting of two Derwent Super LED lights with inverters of running off 12v DC sources.

CAMERA TRAP & REMOTE CAMERA RIGS: I have set up remote underground camera systems to film meerkats in the Kalahari and wild badger sets in the UK – filming the first ever footage of newborn badgers in the wild.

I have a Trailmaster camera trap kit with two passive, and one active, IR sensors that can be used to fire up infra-red lights and operate a camera. I have used it to film unique footage of Himalayan Black Bears in India and Brown Bears in suburban Anchorage.

PRESENTER LED & OBSERVATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SYNC FILMING: I have shot many observational documentary sequences, typically with characters who are not used to being in front of the camera, and often in tense or high pressure situations (Moose on the Loose, Bear Man, Deep Jungle, The Wild Ladies of Viramba, Lemur Blues). I have a good ear for listening to what the contributors are saying and reacting with the camera to deliver full sequences to a very high aesthetic standard.