NATURAL HIGH

“If we don’t always start from Nature we certainly come to her in our hour of need.” (Henry Miller, 1957)

Apparently being in nature changes our brains and increases our well-being.  The results of many studies into the effect nature has on us is well documented.  I mean it’s not rocket science is it?  However, whilst urban-dwelling people who seek out green spaces within their towns and cities seem intuitively to understand the personal health and well-being benefits which arises from their contact with ‘nature’, public health strategies are yet to maximise the untapped resource nature provides.

This month, I have decided to go outside once a week with a camera and stick and film bits of nature.  It’s the Gorgeous Media approach to encouraging everyone to get at least a bit connected with nature.  The results have been good so far:  Obviously, going out into green space has made me feel weller!  It’s also challenged me to look closer at where I live and try to capture the natural beauty of the simple green spaces around us.

I’ve been sharing my one minute “Outside” films on Facebook and have been getting positive feedback – as I just ask people to sit and watch these short, unedited, uncomplicated single shot vignettes for just a minute every few days.

It sounds twinkly I know.  However, there is also a technical benefit to this regular film exercise – I am forcing myself to use my camera to show the viewer what I see in the most interesting, visually stimulating way possible – so I am thinking quite creatively about shadow and light, choice of lenses and depth of field.  I am also being careful to keep everything simple, so I am not going for hugely complex, smart-arse shots, but trying to capture a moment.  I want to know what emotional response people have when they watch these films – I shall therefore post the first few on here for you.

Let me know.  And if you like them, find me on Facebook and give me a LIKE – I intend to post material up there regularly for the rest of the year.  Who knows?  I might even keep it going for twelve months 

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Lapdog Tray - Instructional Film

The lapdog tray is a craft product which is new to the market which has been developed by Ann Brown who lives in Quernmore near Lancaster.

This product has been flying out of the factory to customers all over the world.  It's been really interesting watching Ann and Ian take their product to market.  It's clearly an ongoing learning curve which they have had to respond to all the time.  It's all very exciting though!

So, I was really pleased when they approached me and asked me to film a short instructional film about the Lapdog Tray.  What is the Lapdog?  Well, it's quite simple really - it's  array with various grooves and cups around the outside of the tray which are designed to hold paintbrushes, pens, craft knives etc..  The tray is mounted on a cushion which is filled with beans (or polystyrene balls or whatever) so that if you're crafting, you can sit the tray on your lap and angle it to wherever you need it to be.  Simple and effective.

Ann asked me to film Melanie Heaton presenting the Lapdog Tray.  So last month we set off for Whalley with a car full of lights, reflectors, sound equipment for an on location shoot at Mytton Fold Hotel in Whalley

We filmed Melanie in rather a dark dining room, but I decided to make use of as much available light as possible by using the daylight behind her as a backlight. This gave us the most visually interesting backdrop too.  Melanie presented the tray to camera - she was really good to work with - she is experienced in presenting craft products on a craft television channel and so talked her way through the product with total ease.  She's also very systematic in the way she presents the product which makes sense to the viewer.

For our last part of the film, Melanie agreed to come out and film in the gardens.  Filming outside poses different challenges, namely sound - we were filming fairly close to the road, so I positioned Melanie so that her back was to the road so that she would shield the microphone from all of that external noise.  On location shooting is always challenging, especially when you are not familiar with the venue.  However, I think that over the years, we have developed the skill to adapt to given situations with speed and little fuss.

From our timing session, we produced a total of four films - one main film and three smaller ones which focused on different aspects of the product.  They will be used at craft shows, and for social media marketing (social media loves video apparently), so they will be streamed on Facebook and of course sit very tidily on the company website.  It's really good that one afternoon's film session can result in so many films and so much potential coverage.

As always, I travelled home knowing far more about the Lapdog Tray than I had gone down with.   I think it stands a really good chance of becoming a must-have craft accessory! Check out the product and discover more about the company at www.lapdogtray.co.uk

Find out more about Gorgeous Media at www.gorgeousmedia.co.uk

Unique Kidz and Co - Charity Ball Film

We have a long association with local charity, Unique Kidz and Co.  Now based in Morecambe, Unique Kidz and Co is an organisation which was set up by two women who felt that there was a gap in after school and holiday provision for their disabled children.  There was nothing, so they set something up themselves.  How amazing is that?  I read somewhere that having a child with a disability is the surest way to throw families into poverty - and I imagine that is largely because of the lack of provision like Unique Kidz.  How can you go out to work, if you cannot find people to look after your children after school?  It sort of stands to reason really.

Anyway, Jane and Denise from Unique Kidz engaged Gorgeous Media to produce a film about their charity in 2012.  I produced it for their Charity Ball but also as a piece which they could take around with them to present to potential funders and of course stream on their website.  I spent a few weeks that summer filming the children and staff who were busy playing on their holiday scheme.  It was great fun - I went on trips, I filmed their Glee Club, I filmed them swimming, playing, picnicking and partying! I went over there little and often to capture as large a range of activities as possible in a short time.  The focus is child-centred and so there was always something to film.  I also interviewed some of the children, some of the parents and Jane and Denise.  We produced a very special film that summer and told a very important story.  I watched that first film a few weeks ago whilst I was producing their latest Charity Ball film, and it still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck!

In 2013, Jane and Denise invited me to their annual ball as their guest.  Now, when you have a normal run-of-the-mill job, you rarely get thanked or recognised, even when you do amazing work... that's why I love working as Gorgeous Media! I felt that the invite was a great honour and to be honest I couldn't quite get my head around, "what? they've invited me? Me?".  I have to say, I loved every drop of the evening (and every drop of wine that flowed during the evening too!).  I think that that recognition and thanks probably ranks really highly in my memory bank of good things that happen.  See how far kindness can go?

I've filmed many times for Unique Kidz since.  Our ideas and films have got a bit wackier every now and again, and they are fun to produce.  What I do see when I look at the films is a growth in confidence of who Unique Kidz is and where it's going.  Filming for them has been a privilege - I want to do the right thing for them and I feel the responsibility of telling their story in a sensitive, respectful way too.  This year, Unique Kidz and Co's Charity Ball was at Garstang Golf Club.  It's been an exciting year for them - they have moved into their new premises on Woodhill Lane in Morecambe.  It's always lovely to go back - I now see children that I first met three years ago, so you can imagine how they have grown and changed.  I do hope that my association with Unique Kidz and Co continues - I'd love to be around filming when they become and National Charity and when they extend their provision for young people over the age of 18.

Film is brilliant, you see:  I am not just making films about things which come and go.  With Unique Kidz, we now have a body of work which chronicles the development of a local charity over time.  Every film we produce for them, whether it be a big documentary or a 3 minute montage to celebrate Autism Awareness Day, everything forms part of a collection of films which tells a bigger story.  Now that's just special :)

Janine Bebbington Photography

Okay, so there's nothing like a bit of shameless self-promotion! I have been practising photographing dogs for about a year now. I feel very drawn to snapping dogs. A few years ago I started following a world renowned dog photographer. He is Andy Biggar and I just loved his work. I liked his photographs because they looked like old masters' paintings of dogs. Now by that, I don't mean that he uses any of those terrible overblown Photoshop effects, I just mean he makes use of light which makes the dogs 'pop' out of the shot - his shots are technically brilliant but look simple. Great photos however don;t just need great like - they also need good composition and of course then need to rely on the one thing which is really difficult to control - yep, you got it - the dog!

Now then, to practise, I asked my local animal rescue centre, Animal Care in Lancaster, if I could go up there and snap some of their dogs. I read somewhere that dogs with bosting photos on the rescue centre website stand more chance of being adopted. I suppose that it stands to reason really (apparently the same is true with dating websites!). So, since the New Year, I have been up there with my friend Anne and snapped two dogs every week. We've enjoyed ourselves - we like the challenge of working out the dog and understanding what makes them tick - once we know what motivates them, we stand a much greater chance of getting really good pictures.

Over the year, I've learned loads. Every week is different, because every dog is different - not just in size or breed, but also in temperament. My top tip for a good photograph would be to find the level of the dog. If this means crawling about the ground, so be it! Action photos are quite terrifying really - especially when you look down your lens and see the dog hurtling towards you at twenty five miles an hour. Last week a dog actually bashed into my camera and my camera bashed into my face and I lost both my contact lenses - spent the rest of the session snapping fairly impaired visually!

So, I have been snapping Animal Care dogs. But I also have a very good subject to practise on - my charming Welsh Springer Spaniel, Prudence. Prudence is a different kettle of fish because she is used to being a photographer's dog so she does pretty much as she is asked! She does get a bit bored though after a while, so that's another thing I have learned with my dog photography practice - you have to use the dog's energy to get the best shots: There is no point in starting the session by asking the dog to sit still - of course you get all of the high energy, active shots out of the way first. I am planning on offering dog photography sessions around Lancaster and Morecambe. Please do have a look at my website at www.janinebebbington.com or give us a like on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jbdogphotography

Train Together - Functional Fitness Fun

Last month I produced a smashing film for the lovely people at Train Together - Functional Fitness in Lancaster. Train Together is a gym based in Harper's Mill on the White Cross Business Park in Lancaster. The film I produced was to promote the series of courses on offer to potential gym instructors and personal trainers. They offer lots of different levels of accredited courses and it was interesting to film some of what they cover.

One Saturday morning I went on and filmed some of the practical things they do on the courses. The gym is well resourced and was busy with people working out when I was there. A few years ago I broke my ankle, and as part of my recovery, I joined a gym and went religiously every morning to use the bikes to strengthen my legs. Going each morning at 7:00am was a bit terrifying though - I think it was because I was there with fundamentalist gym members who were just into working out as hard and fast as they could before they went off to work. Nobody spoke to one another... crikey, nobody even smiled.

Train Together however was completely different! Don't get me wrong, everyone was very committed to working through their programmes, but it seemed like a very friendly, supportive atmosphere. I even went home one day rather inspired and did interval training for a whole week!

Train Together were great to work with - they like Gorgeous Media too! This is what they had to say about us :) "Gorgeous Media were brilliant to work with! Janine was very professional, friendly and took the time to get to know our business which was reflected in the video she created. We are extremely happy with the service we received and would recommend Gorgeous Media to anybody! Thank you!" Shweet!

 

The SlideShot Camera Slider System

Towards the end of 2014, we were contacted by Graham Moffatt from SlideShot in Preston who invited us to road test his camera slider. At Gorgeous Media we already use camera sliders - they look fairly unimpressive - essentially just a rail along which you can run your camera. However, the results always amaze me. A slider enables you to keep that camera moving which is a technique used all the time in film and drama these days.

 Graham's slider incorporates the design technology of Franke Bearings - a German company which produces precision bearings. Now then, I am no engineer - I don't pretend to understand bearings. However, I do know a smooth camera slider system when I get my hands on one, and this system is something else! Prior to using the SlideShot, I had worked with a 50cm and 1 metre camera glider. However, I found that they both had limitations due mainly to their stickiness. I film a lot of events, documentaries and weddings where I have to move quickly and think on my feet: The sliders I was used to working with often stick mid slide which means that you have to do three or four or five takes to get the shot you want. I had developed my own technique and worked out that with just the right amount of pressure/resistance, I could achieve a good slide. However, it's never certain with these gliders - they also tend to be a bit rickety and I always have to go on location with them with a screwdriver and allen key in my pocket (which can be dangerous if you bend in the wrong direction!).

Anyway, with the SlideShot, I didn't come across these problems at all. This is a really solid, sturdy piece of kit - don't let the narrowness of the rail deceive - it is really solid. The bearings just slide they never stick. I think that the bearings work in a different way because they just seem to fit the rail really snuggly - hence there is no wobble-room whatsoever. The benefits of this SlideShot's slide-y-ness are manifold. I found that within no time I was able to concentrate on sliding and panning at the same time - it gives me the confidence to try more complex shots which I wouldn't do with my old system because all my effort go into stopping the jitter. This ease of movement means that I can nail a slide shot in as few as 2 takes (I always do 2 takes as standard anyway). This gives me more time on set to get more quality shots. Time is all important in this game, and the SlideShot is definitely king!

This is a product still under development - Graham is developing new legs and is interested to develop his product to suit the camera operator - that's brilliant. Seriously though, I'd recommend this product to filmmakers everywhere. If you've already got a slider system, get this one and make the other one your first reserve. If you've never had a slider system before, treat yourself - it'll be worth it. Maybe I am a nerd: I make no apology for that - I just couldn't believe it when I had my first go with the SlideShot - you just have to tilt the rail and the carriage slides...beautifully - to a film-maker it really is poetry in motion. Below is a film I make on Morecambe Stone Jetty - it probably took half an hour to film with no more than 2 shots per take. Have a look at the SlideShot site - http://www.slideshot.co.uk

Saved - Music Video

Now then.  Here we are.  2015 already.  Who'd have thought.  How can the Millennium be 15 years ago?  I thought I'd just update you about a few things we were  doing towards the end of last year.  Firstly, our music video.  We produced the film, "Saved" for local artist Dean Buckingham who is signed with Swedish Record Production Company, Sweden Got Soul.

Dean had already had a video produced for this song but just couldn't get on with it, so he was on a mission to find a company who could come up with a simple concept to put a face to the song.  We had several production meetings beforehand to come up with a format that Dean felt most comfortable with.  And the result is what you see below.  We decided that we would work between two locations - the studio and the Quay/Millennium Bridge in Lancaster.  We wanted to film the exterior shots at night.  However night shooting obviously is a challenge to make the shot look dark even though it is lit... and also how to light it at all.  Our solution was to buy three very powerful torches and create a three point lighting set up.  It was all very Heath Robinson, but it works a treat.  Our key and fill lights were covered with grease proof paper to diffuse the light.

Now then, the song is slow and smoochy.  We knew that we needed a visual style which complimented the style of the song and our solution was to slow down the footage of the night shots. This is an interesting technique and takes quite a bit of practise on the part of the performer - Dean had to sing the song at double speed so that we could then slow it back down so that when it played in real time it appeared to be slow motion.  This posed a challenge for Dean as the song is fairly loaded with words anyway!

The strength of Gorgeous Media is our ability to respond to a range of briefs - be it documentary, music video, animation, wedding film.  That's what keeps us fresh, gives us creative energy and it's much, much more fun than just being a one trick pony.