Life after Cyfle

Well it's been a busy time since leaving Cyfle in July to work with Boomerang as a Camera Assistant on a Drama for S4C called 'Teulu'.  This was a great job, not only were the crew brilliant to work with but we got to spend a few weeks of the summer in sunny Aberaeron in West Wales to boot.

I then went on to work for Aden Productions as a researcher/camera assistant on a HD wildlife series for S4C called 'Bywyd'. This was amazing as we spent most of the time out in a hide looking for Otters, filming on infra red cameras through the night. When it wasn't otters I got the opportunity to use the 750 HD camera to film Dolphins for three days of a boat in West Wales, as well as helping Steve the series cameraman with the pole cam. I have also been doing some filming for the making of programme. 

I've had a quiet time over Christmas (I guess I'll have to get used to the freelance business!) so I've been busy trying to get my life in order and everything up to date, I've got a new iMac and Final Cut Studio to get my teeth into as well as try to get my own web site up and running!

In January and February I worked as a Camera Assistant with Huw Walters for JM Creative on the promo's for the 6 Nations Rugby, a promo for 'Codi Canu' and we are currently working on a Documentary for Indus  'On Show' on War Photographers. 

I have a drama lined up in March with Boomerang with Dylan Wyn Williams as DOP, I will be Camera Assisting and trying my hand at a bit of Focus Pulling so can't wait! 

After that who knows! :-(  

INDUS

I am currently at Indus in Cardiff which is really up and coming at the moment-the company growing enormously both in size and success. They have a real leaning for adventure documentaries such as Iolo's Wild Wales and bigger scale programmes involving trecking up Everest, the Amazon and Alaska as well as Bruce Parry success Tribe. This is great for me as I love action/adventure as well as natural history and underwater filmmaking.

Since being here I've been involved with development and ideas research, not so hands on with production and getting out filming (seeing as all the filming is abroad!) but its really useful to learn the development process and how to submit ideas to indies and the broadcasters like BBC and Channel four, they're even going to take some of my ideas forward in the commissioning round so I need to concentrate on developing and researching them a bit more thoroughly.

WORK IS PICKING UP!

Well I have been quite lucky (and kept stupidly busy) so far as I've been able to find extra work with BBC Wales doing extra camera work on 'Nature of Britain'. I'm really enjoying this as its giving me some excellent experience shooting for natural history as this is an area I really want to work in. As well as all the camera work (and driving!) and getting out into nature its a great learning curve to prepare for the scary freelance world when I finish the Cyfle training in July. As well as some well needed extra cash its really enjoyable so doesn't feel like work at all!

4 WEST MEDIA, LE JOG 2006

HERO - The Historic Endurance Rally Organisation, organise what is arguably one of the hardest classic car rallys in the world from Lands End to John O'Groats. I was 2nd Camera for the Rally for Motors TV using Sony Z1. Produced by 4West Media's Mark James, the BBC’s World Rally Championship reporter for eight years. Employed as a freelance camera op rather than a cyfle placement I really enjoyed this event, not only for the filming but because of all the wonderful classic cars that prove they can still endure the demands of the rally and for the sheer endurance of the crews.


Le Jog, described by one German magazine as “the hardest rally in the world”, is like no other motorsport event in the UK. The combination of nearly 1,500 miles of driving, the unpredictable December weather and a demanding series of tests and regularity sections means the crews can’t afford to relax over the event’s three days and two nights, yet Le Jog has never been filmed in its entirety – until now.
The 2006 Le Jog – the 12th running of the event – is now available as a DVD, which tells the stories behind those 1,500 exhausting miles. How, one by one, all but a handful of crews lost their grip on a coveted Le Jog gold medal, why one crew chose to drive over 400 miles to rejoin the rally after retiring and the many struggles to remain in the event when mechanical problems threatened to force a premature end.

To see a video clip go to:
http://www.4westmedia.co.uk/lejog_vid.html

SPORTS MEDIA SERVICES

Filming for Rygbi'r Byd a weekly programme on World Rugby. Since being at SMS I have had the opportunity to film training sessions with the Welsh Rugby team using DV CAM DSR 570 20-1 Canon J20A Lens and a Fuji 14-1 A14. It has been a good to learn sport camerawork to develop camera skills - by trying to focus continually on moving subjects and follow a fast moving ball, anticipating where it will go next (Filming the Welsh Team wasn't bad either!).

I have also been using Final Cut Pro to digitize and help cut items as well as filming some wildlife footage and cutting my own work.

While Cameraman Dai Williams was on holiday I got to fill in on his job for the week - filming the Welsh Training sessions at the Millenium Stadium, The Vale Hotel and at Sophia Gardens and also shot the press conferences and interviews with the players. I then had to work with the producer to edit a 3minute item using (Final Cut Pro) for the Rygbi'r Byd programme for S4C.

MERLIN MARKETING & PR

I mainly spent my time at merlin making corporate videos editing (on Final Cut Pro) around 30 short items for the Excellence Wales project for the county councils. While on camera using a DV CAM DSR 450 I filmed conference with live feed to the on stage screen. I also spent some time assisting cameraman Trevor Burgess on a project for the Carbon Trust which was great as I had some experience effectively lighting for interviews and creating interesting effects projecting images and light onto the back walls with projector, light and filters.

ENFYS TELEVISION

I spent a week with Enfys working on the world championship of 'Party Poker'. This was a multi camera studio shoot in a closed set, 4 Sony BDP 570 cameras on Ped and one on a Jib as well as the other remote cameras, under the table Z1's and wide from above views. I got to have a go using the remote camera from the VT room, used the peds and the jib. Studio based work required a fairly large team of engineers (such as the vision mixers) working long hours but the shots were fairly simple and formatted.

BLUE EYE FX UNDERWATER FILMING, EGYPT

I have just got back from two weeks diving in the Red Sea which was amazing - the dive sites and the wildlife there were fantastic - so much coral and animal life on some of the worlds best dive sites. Some of the highlights include stingray, turtles, giant moray eels as well as hundreds of species of fish and coral. I didnt see any sharks though :-(

Wreck Dives, Night Dives, Drift, Navigation and deep dives are just someof the speciality dives I did.

As well as getting some diving practice in achieving my PADI Advanced Open Water Certificate I also did some training in underwater filming with Deborah Metcalfe of Blue Eye FX Productions using a PD100 in housing which I later edited into an underwater film of my own, diving on Ras Mohammed National Park on Anemone Reef.

The course was brilliant as it really gave me a taste for all the facters involved in underwater filming, not least the actual art of diving itself, being confident in the water and getting your byouancy spot on. I am hoping to go back in April to train with Debbie who will be training this years Rolex Schollars.

TELESGOP TELEVISION

I will have been at Telesgop Television in Swansea for about 3 months this Friday (26/1/07)when I finish :-( Its been great here as I have had the opportunity to go out with the crew shadowing cameraman Geraint Jones filming for 'Ffermio' and 'Bwletin Ffermio' each week and I have also been out filming on my own with the producer/director for Bwletin as well. This was great as I had the chance to shoot my own footage on Digi Beta for use within the weekly farming programme. I also went out with Richard Rees (Big Boss!) filming for 'Clefid Y Llwch' a Documentary about the Miners Disease Pneumochoniosis. This was great as I got to go to the Anatomy department at Cardiff University and see up close and personal diseased human lungs within a torso (as well as other pickled body parts and numerous dead bodies under sheets, donated to medical science. It was like something out of CSI! Maybe morbid, but so interesting!).

As well as the hands on filming experience I have been staying in the office to use the Avids when there has been no filming. This was great as I also love editing, so had a lot of time to get to grips with the systems, digitizing, doing audio cuts and helping to cut the bwletins, I also got to do some of my own editing and have been working on my own Film that I shot in Cameroon on the Bushmeat trade, focusing on the Gorilla and Chimpanzee orphans.

I will be sorry to leave Telesgop as I have really enjoyed my time here and feel like part of the family already, not to metion the opportunity to get some real experience and not just be an observer/assistant.

CAMERA TRAINING

This week Gyto and I made the journey up to North Wales for three days intensive camera training (Digital Betacam) with Richard Wyn Huws (DOP on Cwcw). For some the journey up was a lot more confortable than others (I spent 6 & 1/2 hours in Sunday transport chaos on buses trains and taxis compared to Gyto's relaxed drive from Pembrokeshire!)

This course was invaluable as we got some real one on one training with Rich and Paul (Cwcw's Focus Puller). It was a real learning curve - we both took turns in operating the camera and focus pulling learning the fundamentals of both disciplines. Trying out some really tricky shots such as quick focus pulls and camera moves, someone walking towards the camera, sitting down moving about as well as planning the camera moves for each shot. We used Tripod, Jib arm and Dolly (my favourite - it can be quite fun being pushed around the studio!) using the Dolly shows how you all have to get the move exactly right for the shot to work - and ensures the focus puller, operator, grip and artist all have to work as a team to get it right - if one aspect is out of place then the whole thing can go wrong!

On the third day Rich even let us loose on the Steadycam - which is a hell of a lot harder than it looks!!! like robocop, we each donned our body armour and prepared for the immense weight of the whole kit (It weighs about 5stone!) Trying to get the balance right, walk unaided and not fall over as well as trying not to think of the weight pulling down on your lower back was taxing enough, let alone getting the shot right! A bit more practice on this I think! Hats off to those Rugby cameramen running about the field for the entire game!