The Last Slate - 'Living The Dream' 23/07/17

Farewell Savannah and an enormous thank you to my incredibly hard working, talented and passionate crew. I hope we all meet again on series two.

Demob Happy - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Penultimate day of filming and we're all looking very cheery. On the dolly, Director of Photography Tim Palmer at camera with B Camera focus puller Alan Newcomb. Under the flag, camera operator John C. Lehman with director Philippa Langdale.

Tough Spots - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Spread those legs wider John! Dolly grip Chris Koch was definitely trying to stitch you up here. Another ignominious camera position for camera operator John C. Lehman as he finds himself in the only place he really doesn't want to be. Finally, gaffer Steven Thompson dives in to find the centre of the beam.

League of Nations - 'LTD' 23/07/17

It's always like that with flags and nets. Once you get going there's no stopping. The camo net stretched over a 4x4 frame was a good starting point.

Tango Head - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Good use of the Tango Head when there is not enough room to spread the tripod legs sufficiently to get the top plate level.

Transporting the Crane - 'LTD' 23/07/17

One way to get the crane from A to B. Saves having to pack it up and rebuild it. Teamsters don't only drive the big trucks!

Green Screen Poor Man's Process - 'LTD' 23/07/17

A few lighting gags here.

Burying a Mini - 'LTD' 23/07/17

For the the old favourite driving over the camera gag.

Alexa Mini on Dashboard - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Quick 'get you out of trouble' rig if you have to get a bit more onto the eye line of the person driving and wish to avoid car mounts. Camera operator John C. Lehman operates the shot with ease.

The Lorax - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Christened the Lorax after the Dr. Seuss character, this is a prototype LED designed and built by gaffer Steve Thompson. This version is only daylight but a bi-colour model is in the works. It is  fully dimmable and at its brightest the ouput is easily equivalent to a Maxi Brute's, yet being LED, the Lorax will run comfortably off a domestic household supply. A miracle lamp!

Top Shot - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Our remote head developed a fault so we were unable to use the jib arm. Dolly grip Chris Koch improvised with this impressive Ubangi rig off the Chapman Hustler dolly running laterally on two pieces of speed rail.

Smoke at Night - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Blessed with calm conditions for a night shoot, the special effects smoke brought out the shafts of light in all their glory. Special effects wizard, Raymond Talley hid a good quarter mile of perforated smoke tubes around the set. The live oaks dripping with Spanish moss produced a wonderfully gothic gobo effect - clearly of no interest to anyone in video village.

Flying Silks - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Key Grip Dave Spencer had an innovative way of rigging large silks in the tree canopy. Use a crossbow to fire the shotbags and line over the high branches and then haul up the rags. A matter of minutes.

 

Umbrella Ball - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Gaffer Steve Thompson's 4kw tungsten umbrella ball with the interior fabric painted daylight blue.

Visitor - 'LTD' 23/07/17

Even the cicadas want to look at the monitors these days. She's beautifully lit, if I don't say so myself.

Tight Fit - 'LTD' 21/06/17

Director Saul Metzstein looking a little dubious about the crane's ability to extricate itself from its contorted starting point. The bucket had millimetres of clearance as it exited the doorway. Of course the shot worked a treat as you can see with the end frame of standby props cleaning the sunroof. You wouldn't do this to your Previa would you?

'LED' Light Mats - 'LTD' 21/06/17

The supersized yank tank picture car makes it a breeze to hide the Litegear LiteMats. They even work in a golf buggy. Focus puller Richard H Lacy on the left and camera operator John C Lehman behind camera.

'Setting up for Night' - 'LTD' 08/06/17

A simple night light setup. 10K at the end of the dock. One of gaffer Steve Thompson's versatile umbrella balls on a Blackbird stand to the right. Who needs cherry pickers and balloons?

'Esther Williams Routine' - 'LTD' 08/06/17

'Sunset Control' - 'LTD' 08/06/17

'Which is Which' - 'LTD' 08/06/17

Lovely old LTM 6K on the left. The fresnel is almost as large as the 18K's on the right. These 6's are as rare as hen's teeth apparently. This was the only one in the southern USA and came from Texas. The Blackbird 220 lighting stands handle the weight and any terrain effortlessly.

'Babs' - Coming Soon 30/04/17

Big Flag and Bounce - 'Living The Dream' 28/04/17

The grips are ready for anything here. For an unscheduled improvised dialogue scene in a car, my impoverished notion of rigging a 12x12 on stands either side of the car to cut reflections was pooh-poohed by key grip Dave Spencer. "Look what I've got instead", he says and in comes the 'fly swatter'. It delivered a fantastic bounce for a scene at the end of the day too.

Prism on Jib Arm - 'Living The Dream' 27/04/17

Great work from the grips and camera department building this rig in record time for an ultra low angle track forward. Our HotHead has certainly been round the block. It works perfectly but must be one of Richard Loncraine and Peter Hannan's (see last entry at bottom of page on link) earliest incarnations of the device judging by the design and lettering. From right to left, dolly grip Chris Koch manning the dolly, key grip Dave Spencer behind the crane keeping an eagle eye on proceedings and gaffer Steve Thompson in conversation with his chief electrician Kevin.

Not so Fast - 'Living The Dream' 26/04/17

Hang on a minute. We were promised sunshine all day long. Might as well have shot this scene at Wentworth. Note the Arri Skypanel S30-C hand basher.

 

'Living The Dream' - For real!

First shot of the day as the sun rises over Skidaway Island, GA. Dolly grip Chris Koch putting the finishing touches to the track while camera operator John C Lehman looks out at the dolphins gamboling lazily in the creek.

'Living The Dream' - Principal photography begins 24/04/17

Filming has now started in Savannah, Georgia on 'Living the Dream' for Big Talk/Sky. Saul Metzstein is directing episodes 1-3 and Philippa Langdale, episodes 4-6.

Lighting Techniques - Dedolight Octodome Panaura

Dedolight kindly invited me to present a workshop on drama based lighting techniques using the Dedolight Octodome Panaura soft light. The program was skilfully filmed and edited by Dedo stalwart, Rick Young. Dave Morphy at Cirrolite generously provided crew, additional lighting equipment and use of the company's state-of-the-art studio facilities. Click on the following links to view Part 1 and Part 2.

Final Shot 'Hamlet Revenant' - 15/03/17

Emma clearly doing all the work, now assuming operating duties under Ken's guidance. I'm just being an idle bystander enjoying the panoramic feature of the iphone.

The Long Walk Home 'Hamlet Revenant' - 15/03/17

Emma Friend carrying the camera back to the van after catching the last glorious rays of a west coast sunset.

Director Stand-In 'Hamlet Revenant' - 15/03/17

I did say it was a skeleton crew. Director Ken McMullen standing in to set the shot. It was a long walk back around the lake to check the frame!
 

'Hamlet Revenant' - 15/03/17

As a precursor to principal photography, director Ken McMullen took a small crew to a secret location on the west coast of Ireland to film scenes for the upcoming feature, 'Hamlet Revenant', a retelling of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', starring Ian McKellen and Gabriel Byrne. The camera department consisted of myself, focus puller Emma Friend and a Sony FSW-7.

'Tina and Bobby' Airs Tonight - 13/01/17

'Tina and Bobby' begins its three part run on ITV1 tonight, 13th January, at 9.00pm.

Farewell 'Babs' - 12/12/16

A fantastic shoot sadly comes to an end. Enormous thanks to director Dominic Leclerc, producer Jules Hussey and production designer Janice Flint for their unwavering commitment to achieving creative excellence at all times. I had a tremendous front line crew in camera operator Martin Foley, focus puller Emma Friend, gaffer Chris Georgas and grip Phil Whittaker. A big thank you to all of you and your respective crews - in themselves all equally superb in their attention to detail, diligence and unstinting professionalism.

A Blustery Final Day on Cromer Pier, Norfolk 'Babs' - 12/12/16

From left to right: Chris Georgas, gaffer; Paul Surgison, best boy; Max De Nett, standby props; Mairead Albiston, 2nd AC; Emma Friend, focus pulller.

Relaxing on Set? 'Babs' - 12/12/16

It almost looks like there should be a cigarette in my hand and someone has painted it out. It's been twenty five years but the thought still crosses my mind every day and in this rare moment of pleasant idle banter with the director there surely was an imaginary ciggy clasped firmly between my fingers.

"No, It's Definitely This Way" 'Babs' - 12/12/16

Director Dominic Leclerc and I are sure it's that way but camera operator Martin Foley is insistent that it is this way. Martin's always right.

Another Kubrick Homage 'Babs' - 12/12/16

I just can't help myself. Stanley is everywhere. His pull is inexorable.

Mirrors 'Babs' - 12/12/16

A very small location with no windows to the outside world but it was important to carry through a sense of strong daylight. A lamp on a stand would have been too close. It would not have provided defined enough shadows and would have required a forest of flags and nets to control the rapid fall off of light. A mirror is always a good solution in these situations because it doubles the source to subject distance, which results in a more even throw, sharper shadows and no need for any flagging.

Muslin Ghosts 'Babs' - 12/12/16

I christened them 'Caspers'. Gaffer Chris Georgas likes his bleached muslin and drapes it over everything - to good effect. On his last job he went through 50 metres of the stuff and I can see why. It is easily cut into all shapes and sizes and then often discarded. It works as well hanging loosely off a Dedo Octodome as it does pulled tight across the doors of a  4x4 KinoFlo. Interestingly the muslin softens the light by spreading it rather than diffusing it so it remains relatively directional. This can be a real advantage in a small space, as seen with the KinoFlo Flathead.

LiteRibbon to the Rescue again 'Babs' - 12/12/16

Why do I always find myself in this situation? Big wide shot; person by a table lamp obviously being lit by said lamp. LED technology just keeps getting better and more user friendly by the month. Here, a Lite Panels Lite Ribbon with an improvised diffuser does the trick.

New York Bar 'Babs' - 12/12/16

Steamy windows and neon to introduce a New York bar, achieved by shooting through a piece of glass positioned at a 45 degree angle to the camera and reflecting an array of lighting off camera. Same principle as Autocue.

Big Bounces 'Babs' - 12/12/16

Gaffer Chris Georgas is very adept at shoehorning the biggest softest bounce and double bounce lighting into compact and crowded spaces. The even spread of light makes shooting ensemble scenes a breeze.

Recreating 'Carry On' for 'Babs' - 7/12/16

Some lovely period film props for the recreation of a scene from 'Carry On'. The Big-Eye 10Ks were all practical and used to light the scene. I was particularly taken with the dimpled reflector board, which delivered the perfect hard/soft light mix. Shame they're not made like that anymore.

Tight Bounce 'Babs' - 7/12/16

Using a focusing spotlight for a controlled bounce can really help in a small location. Success depends on having a knowledgeable electrician who can quickly position the internal leaves to reflect the shape of the surface to be bounced off. Enter Chris Georgas!

Natasha Chivers 'Babs' - 7/12/16

A great privilege to have collaborated with acclaimed Olivier Award winning lighting designer, Natasha Chivers, on the theatrical sequences for 'Babs'. Stand-ins waiting here for the lights to be focused.

Airstar Balloons 'Babs' - 7/12/16

Airstar supplied the two 8kw tungsten lighting balloons used to light the auditorium of the Catford Broadway Theatre on 'Babs'. Gaffer Chris Georgas is calling the shots from the footlights. Chris and his team, notably best boy Paul Surgison, worked incredibly hard in the week preceding the start of principle photography, changing all the light bulbs in the chandeliers and wall lights. There were forty bulbs of different wattage and colour in each chandelier. Everything had to be swapped out and the chandeliers, some of which had not been touched for decades, could only be accessed after being lowered on winches from the roof space - a painstaking and hazardous task.  

'Babs' In Production - 18/10/16

Principle photography begins on BBC1 programme 'Babs', dramatising the life of Dame Barbara Windsor. 'Babs' is a Red Planet production for BBC1, directed by Dominic Leclerc and produced by Jules Hussey.

Sunshine on a Plane 'Tina and Bobby' - 15/09/16

Sorry for the lack of updates. 'Babs' shooting schedule and torturous commute got the better of me. Here's one last entry for 'Tina and Bobby'. Recreating the effect of a plane banking when filming on a static aeroplane necessitated a marriage of grips and electricians. When has that ever happened? They got on pretty well but to be safe, I had them sign a pre nup.

 

Supporting a Large Frame 'Tina and Bobby' - 15/09/16

Filming on Headingley's pristine pitch in fading summer sunlight, we had to bring in a 20' x 12' frame. The Avenger Long John Silver lighting stands took the wieght of the frame with ease. The big pneumatic tyres glided over the turf without even leaving a tyre mark and the pags only went down when the frame was in place. The groundsman was delighted.

Hong Kong in Hale 'Tina and Bobby' - 15/09/16

A little bit over the top perhaps but lots of fun nonetheless. This is a Hong Kong flat made in a suburban house outside Manchester. Another gigantic blackout tent but it was essential to have space to hang neons outside the windows to suggest Hong Kong street life at night.

Bogota in Wilmslow 'Tina and Bobby' - 15/09/16

To recreate the hot South American light, an 18K Arrimax fully spotted did the trick.

Big Tent 'Tina and Bobby' - 15/09/16

This is one of the biggest blackout tents I've ever asked for. We kew that there was going to be a lot of night work in this location but the main space had floor to ceiling picture windows running the length of the room. The production designer, Claire Kenny, quite rightly did not want to put up curtains as they would spoil the clean lines of the modernist architecture. It therefore made sense to try and light from outside as much as possible, which would mean tenting as the schedule did not allow for any night for night filming. The tent would have to be high and deep and large enough to create a meaningful outside space within it. The exterior walls that jutted out from each end of the building were our saviour. They created a perfect support for the scaffolding, which meant that surprisingly little construction was needed and it could all be done quickly and relatively cheaply. How lucky was that!

Ribbon Light LED 'Tina and Bobby' - 15/09/16

This is a typical situation where a person is behind a table lamp and he or she must look like they are being lit by the practical but without the lampshade itself being overexposed. Literibbon LED made by Lightgear worked well taped to the blind side of the lampshade. Like all modern LEDs it is bi-colour and fully dimmable.

 

Rig of the Week 'Tina and Bobby' - 24/08/16

Grip Marc Tempest got his meccano kit out to build this rig for a staircase landing shot. The Ronford Billet Bazooka is very versatile.

'The Shining' homage 'Tina and Bobby' - 24/08/16

...and 'The Shining'. Kubrick had a masterful way of making small, innocuous spaces cinematically impressive.

Spot the Monolith 'Tina and Bobby' - 24/08/16

Always on the lookout to satisfy a lifelong obsession with Stanley Kubrick's framing, there's a little game I play with myself on every job: to see how many Kubrickian frames it is possible to emulate. Here's a stab at the Monolith. Wrong colour, I know and in the actual shot I didn't cut off the actor's toes!

 

Matchstix LED 'Tina and Bobby' - 20/08/16

I've been wanting to try out remote phosphor LED technology for some time. The colour purity is better than the highest CRI rated conventional LED fixture. Matchstix by Cineo is a very versatile system; mains or AA battery powered, with colour temperature switchable by swapping filter inserts graded as 3200K, 4300K and 5600K. It's quite old fashioned in that respect especially when accustomed to bi-colour LEDs but a price well worth paying for amazing colour neutrality. The Matchstix is a great on camera eye light. The problem with most LEDs is that they are TOO bright and require a mess of ND gel to get them down to the right level for an eye light. The Matchstix has a low power switch which, when activated, allows the light to dim smoothly down to nearly nothing.

 

Technocrane 'Tina and Bobby' - 20/08/16

50' Techno put to good use recreating the English and German teams' emergence from the players' tunnel at the 1966 World Cup. Headingley stood in for Wembley and the weather was glorious.

Truck Bounce 'Tina and Bobby' - 11/08/16

When a 20 x 12 and a 12 x 12 bounce were still not enough and the sparks had run out of rags and frames, PKE Lighting's lovely white truck literally and metaphorically filled the gap. At least we had enough lamps!

Less is More 'Tina and Bobby' - 10/08/16

To light the front of the Stockport Plaza and then back light the crowd queuing to get in, all that was needed was the central column of pods on a half Dino. It never ceases to amaze me how magically even the spread of light from a Dino or Maxi Brute can be when the lamp is set right. There is no need for any flagging or netting as inevitably there would be with a single source fresnel. The lamp was not that far away from the building and not even on a cherry picker. It can be seen in the picture below in its position on an adjacent bridge.

God's Light 'Tina and Bobby' - 10/08/16

Wish I could take credit for this lighting but truthfully cannot. The set was lit with Arri M90s on three scissor lifts - one for each window. This being Manchester, it was was drizzly all day which suited us just fine. On the last scene of the day the clouds broke and the sun blasted through at the perfect angle. There was nothing to be done about it but to embrace our good fortune. Luckily the sun held for the wide shot. Here director John McKay gives notes to the actress.

Childhood Obsessions 'Tina and Bobby' - 10/08/16

I remembered what I liked doing as a child - always trying to get things to fit into other things. Couldn't help myself constructing this patchwork of poly. The electricians were singularly unimpressed with my handiwork.

Cobra Dolly 'Tina and Bobby' - 4/8/16

For an upstairs location with very limited access for a conventional dolly, grip Marc Tempest suggested Chapman's Cobra Dolly. Separating into two component parts: the base and the column, the dolly is easily transportable. It runs on narrow gauge track (more about that later) and is perfectly balanced for the operator to perform his or her own jibs - much like a studio ped camera. The Cobra provided all the flexibility of camera movement we needed except for the fact that the tracking was sticky. Marc soon realised that the wheelspan did not fit the recommended 16" narrow gauge track. The span was in fact 16.5" - take note Chapman. Ever resourceful, Marc Tempest knocked up his own 16.5" track out of scaffold tube (see photo below) and the problem was swiftly eradicated. The dolly tracked beautifully.

The WRONG track. David 'Davey Smoke' McKay looking on with keen interest.

The RIGHT track.

Marc Tempest demonstrating the Chapman Cobra Dolly.

Crew Photo 'Tina and Bobby' - 3/8/16

Riding the Beast - from left to right: Steve Marles, Focus Puller; Tim Palmer BSC, DoP; Philip Lake, Assistant Grip; Marc Tempest, Grip; Matt Noon, 2nd AC; Carl Noble, Camera Trainee.

Western Dolly 'Tina and Bobby' - 3/8/16

I always thought that you mounted the camera straight onto the dolly. Our ace grip, Marc Tempest, taught me otherwise and demonstrated below. As the saying goes, every day is a school day. This monster supplied by Panavision grips allowed the Peewee to ride on the Western. It worked surprisingly well - and no, we never used it at the top of the jib. I was just curious to see how much it wobbled.

Ribbon Lighting Car Interior 'Tina and Bobby' - 3/8/16

LED lighting options get better and better. What a simple, naturalistic and flexible way to light the front seat driver and passenger. The Litegear LED Literibbon is battery powered, bi-colour and fully dimmable. The even spread of a continuous single source that spans the width of the dashboard is impossible to recreate with any other type of lighting unit - at least with such ease and speed.

Tree Rig 'Tina and Bobby' - 26/7/16

A neat solution for creating back light in a downstairs space at a location where there is no room to put any lighting in a small and very narrow garden without it always being in shot. There is no access to any neighbouring properties to situate a lighting tower or cherry picker. Luckily there is a perfectly placed tree at the end of the of the garden from which to rig a 6KW HMI at exactly the right height to provide a great back light whilst enabling the camera to look out into the garden.

Octadomes 'Tina and Bobby' - 26/7/16

Into the third week of filming now, the Dedoflex Octadome has proven invaluable in a host of tight locations. The narrow profile, ease of rigging and eggcrate control makes it the perfect overhead soft light when space is at a premium.

'Brief Encounters' TX Date Announced

 

'Brief Encounters' - 22/06/16

'Brief Encounters', starring newly honoured Dame Penelope Wilton, coming very soon to ITV. Transmission date to be announced shortly.

'Tina and Bobby' - 22/06/16

Prep starting shortly on 'Tina and Bobby' for ITV; a dramatisation of the the life and footballing career of Bobby Moore, as seen through the eyes of his wife Tina. Looking forward to reuniting with director John McKay, picking up where we left off in 2012 on 'We'll Take Manhattan'.

More Aladdin use 'Silent Witness' - 23/05/16

A less bloody reprise of a shot from 'Critical' but this time with an Aladdin instead of the Lite Panels 'Brick Light' used back then. It works well as an eye light for anybody working on the patient/cadaver. The lightweight Aladdin was more user friendly as it didn't leave any indentations in the prosthetic and the shallow profile kept it more easily hidden from camera. Standing in are 2nd AC Eliot Stone and camera trainee Kate McMillan.

...and remembering 'Critical'...

Aladdin LED Lights 'Silent Witness' - 23/05/16

Best Boy, Josh Dempsey, introduced me to this new range of bi-colour LED eye lights manufactured by Aladdin. They have a high CRI and deliver very pure colour. The profile of the lampheads is nice and shallow and the units come with a with a well thought out set of accessories from mini diffusers to magnetic base plates. The magnets came into their own on the metallic morgue set. Watch the film to see how easy it was to attach a lamp to the inside of a refrigerated body storage bay.

Lighting Balloon 'Silent Witness' - 23/05/16

10kw daylight Leelium balloon in St Anselm's RC Church, Southall.

No Flies on Me 'Silent Witness' - 20/05/16

In this scene the van's backdoors were opened, releasing a swarm of flies. The camera and cameraman were protected by a plastic membrane. Once again the trusty probe came into its element. Only a smallish hole needed to be cut into the plastic and as a bonus the probe allowed for a useful degree of camera movement, tracking into the horrified face of the person making the grisly discovery. Tens of thousands of flies were poured into the back of the van in anticipation of their great escape. When the doors opened however they didn't budge an inch. Lack of sunlight, even for fifteen seconds, rendered them totally dormant. It was up to the fly wrangler to cast his magic spell and wake them up, which they eventually did and to truely gruesome effect. Needless to say, not a single fly landed on me.

 

Rig of the Week 'Silent Witness' - 20/05/16. 

Another tiny location with nowwhere to light from. Couldn't come through the window. Couldn't rig from the ceiling. The floor was knee deep in detritus that was intrinsic to the shot. The top of the cupboard was the only dead area. Ever resourceful gaffer, George Vince, came up with a practical solution. Two Panalux Tektile LEDs on a double swan neck on a base plate. It was a pig to rig but did the job very well.

A Tight Squeeze 'Silent Witness' - 20/05/16

The only way in was for the cameraman to go in first and and then have the camera built up around him. There was no escape until the shot was done. Holding off on the apple crumble and custard at lunch was a wise move.

Picture Postcard London 'Silent Witness' - 19/05/16

Left to right: 2nd AC, Eliot Stone; DoP, Tim Palmer BSC; Assistant Grip, Owen Charnley; Grip, Gary Norman; Focus Puller, Richard Brierley; Gaffer, George Vince.

An Old Friend 'Silent Witness' - 19/05/16

The last time I used large daylight Chimeras was the last time I worked with George Vince. in 2011. Thankfully he was with me here on Silent Witness to remind me of how versatile and space saving they were on large exteriors especially in poor weather. Due to the dual external and internal baffle design the quality of the soft light is very delicate and the colour is pure. Thanks George; they'll be with me on every job from now on - and hopefully so will you.

 

Soft Moonlight on a Budget 'Silent Witness' - 19/05/16

Gaffer George Vince rigged six Panalulux Highlilite 440s inside a 12' x 12' softbox and suspended the rig from a Genie Boom arm. The lamps were gelled with the appropriate moonlight colours. For a cool toned moonlight look, this was a quick, lightweight and economical way of getting to a daylight starting point. We also used the Highlites in the studio instead of space lights (see bottom photo). They put out more than enough light and are fully DMX controllable.

Horizontal Periscope pt 3 'Silent Witness' - 18/05/16

Martin and Richard, BFF. The actors could not be 'cheated' away from the fridge door because the action involved them interacting with what was in front of them. The lens had to be right by the opening. It would have been far too complicated to build a rig inside the refrigerator. The periscope provided a very neat solution. Knowing the stop limitiations of this lens, T5.6, experience on 'Critical' was drawn on, to light the set to 5.6, which gave us the confidence to use the lens whenever needed without having to increase the light levels for the shot.

Horizontal Periscope pt 2 'Silent Witness' - 18/05/16

Now in the capapable hands of probe expert extraordinaire, camera operator Martin Foley, the tiniest location ever is no match for the shot finding potential of this lens.  Martin and grip Gary Norman, devised an ingenious rig that allowed the camera to track, pan and tilt in a shot that developed from a wide to an extreme close up. Of course not forgetting the third member of this holy trinity of camera experts, focus puller Richard Brierley. Without his invaluable experience, the shot would not have been achievable in the brief amount of time we had.

Horizontal Periscope 'Silent Witness' - 18/05/16

For a shot that required the lens to be closer to the window than possible with a conventional setup and also to be able to focus on the bloodstains in the extreme foreground. First Assistant Director, Kiaran Murray-Smith, performs stand-in duty.

Hello 'Silent Witness' - 27/03/16

In prep now on episode 1 of the new series of Silent Witness with director Stewart Svaasand. It's great to be back.

Farewell - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

I'm off now. My job is done and the extremely able and talented Nick Dance BSC is taking over on Block 3 with director Joss Agnew. A big thank you to director Marek Losey, producer Jo Willett and everybody at CPL Productions for bringing me on board. This has been a great show to work on.

Another Tight Spot - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

Here with ace gaffer Trevor Chaisty. Even when there is NO space, there is always a way to get the biggest, softest source as close to your leading lady as possible for her close up. Her action was to be standing at the sink and the shot was a close up of her looking out of the window with her back to the other characters behind her. There would not enough have been enough space for the camera if she had really been at the sink so an improvised hand rail was set up forward of the sink for her to hold on to. This allowed the camera to be positioned far enough in front of her to get a good close up on a flattering lens as opposed to on a 14mm from two inches away!!

On The Buses - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

A tight squeeze to say the least and there was little left to do but laugh and get on with it. Anyway it afforded the opportunity for some amusing pictures. How did we all fit? Below, from left to right: Paul Hanning, A cam focus puller, in the only vacant space he could find for himself; myself; Steve Marles GBCT, B cam focus; Jamie Hicks, B cam operator. In the picture beneath, Jamie Hicks is on the left and I'm on the right, never far away from an LED eye light.

Tungsten vs HMI - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

There are times when it simply feels right to light a location day interior scene with tungsten rather than HMI. The softness, punch and spread that you get from a Maxi Brute or Dino is incomparable when it comes to recreating natural sunlight. I always carry a couple of Maxis for just these occasions. Don't look too closely at what Steve Robinson, first assistant director, is holding. The probe is zeroing in for a massive close up.

Night into Day, Park Hill Flats - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

The Park Hill Flats in Sheffield are architecturally renowned as one of the first grandiose social housing developments in Britain to be built in the Brutalist style. Inspired by Le Courbusier, building work was completed in 1961 and the estate gained prominence as one of the foremost examples of modernist utopian design. The corridors connecting all the flats were even wide enough for a milk float to drive down. Now abandoned and derelict but benefiting from a Grade 2 English Heritage protective order, Park Hill became our playground for a few days last week. Apart from using various flats and corridors, a ground floor community centre was turned into a hospital ward, which had to be lit for day whilst accomodating fading light outside. A tidy rig of 2.5K HMIs on the roof and an Arri M90 on the ground turned night into day with ease. 'Moonrise, Park Hill' was an homage of sorts to 'Moonrise, Hernandez' by Ansel Adams. I wonder what the great man would make of the iPhone. They are getting pretty good these day but still might struggle to compete with his Deardorff (still in production), Cooke Taylor Hobson lens and a sheet of 10 x 8" Tri-X film.

Bucket Light - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

When you're after that little glow behind a piece of furniture or you need to lift a dark corner of a room, gaffer Trevor Chaisty's 'Bucket Light' is just the ticket. The key to its success is the criss cross wooden batten with the lamp housing sunk into a recess in the centre of the cross. This allows the rim of the bucket to rest snugly on the lip of the batten whilst keeping everything cool by letting air circulate around the notch in the wood.

Big Light Through Trees - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

A big lamp backlighting leafless tree branches through light misty rain at night is one of this job's great visual treats. When the conditions are right it always looks fantastic. We were very lucky on this particular evening. Note the street light in the distance. It is one of the new LED types and daylight balanced. What a blessed relief to get away from horrible sodium lights. We embraced the blue colouration with gusto and nobody can tell that the lamps are encased in modern housings. They hark back to the greenish mercury vapour lamps prevalent in the USA in the 1970s and therefore suited the visual blueprint of 'Brief Encounters'.

Triple Octodome - 'Brief Encounters' 25/03/16

Three five foot Dedoflex Octodomes were used for this party scene shot on steadicam by Paul Edwards. The shots had to take in a 360 degree view so soft top light seemed like a good strategy. Kino Flos would not have given sufficient spread; nor would larger LED panels, which also would have been too heavy. Springballs or Chinese lanterns would have hung too low into the set and would have been reflected in the large windows at either end of the room. The shallow profile Octodome was the perfect solution and with its well fitted egg crate, reflections were never a problem.The only additional interior lighting was a hand held Lite Panels bi-colour LED. Running around with a hand basher reminded gaffer Andy Taylor 'Tala' of his days working on news programs at STV. He became quite nostalgic!

 

Strazzed - 'Brief Encounters' 17/03/16

According to electrician Gary Owen, when a light has been 'strazzed' it means that the lamp has been shoved into whatever space there is available to allow it to do its job properly without being fixed or fastened to any conventional lighting grip apparatus. The term is named after esteemed cinematographer Ivan Strasburg, famed for his cavalier approach to rigging lights in whichever way suited him much to the chagrin of the health and safety Gestapo. Here, for a bedroom scene, where the lighting had to emulate the light from bedside table lamps, the lights were well and truly 'strazzed'. Ivan would be proud of his legacy. In mitigation, because these were all LED units, they did not constitue a fire hazard despite the highly flammable 1970s nylon bedding.

Death From Above - 'Brief Encounters' 17/03/16

Christened the 'Death From Above' light by gaffer Trevor Chaisty, this LED unit designed and built by gaffer David Manfield 'Manny', comprises strips of bi-colour LED ribbon attached to a sheet of lightweight corrugated plastic and stretched over a simple flag frame. It is colour switchable, dimmable and controlled by a remote unit. It has proven invaluable when needing to fly a soft overhad top light in a low-ceilinged room. The profile of the lamp is minimal so it rests flush with the ceiling. I found another practical use for it as the 'Death From Below' on a 14mm wide shot in a small room with six principal actors moving around. The lens saw everything in the room except for the floor behind the bed and then only the first two inches above the floor. Laying flat on the ground, the lamp was just out of shot and produced enough subtle fill to enhance the practicals without feeling unnatural.

Arri SkyPanels - 'Brief Encounters' 11/03/16

Arri's versatile new LED soft light, the SkyPanel, was put to excellent use in this factory floor scene. The location was dominated by a vast array of fluorescent lights so any film lighting had to match the colour of the fluorescents. It took a matter of seconds to scroll through the colour temperature and magenta/green settings on the SkyPanel before finding a perfect match. Yes, one can use a colour temperature meter and gel the lamps appropriately but this is never a perfect science, especially with digital. It is also time consuming and a costly use of lighting gels. The human eye and the individual camera's sensor are the only true judge. In addition the SkyPanel offers up a full range of RGB effects colours as demonstrated in the video below.

Probe Through Fridge - 'Brief Encounters' 27/02/16

For a shot that begins outside a fridge on the faces of a group of people peering in and then tracks back to reveal the contents of said fridge, the trusty probe lens was the right tool for the job. This version is Panavision's Innovision lens. It's not quite as sharp as the Optex Excellence but for the period look we are recreating the character of the lens bedded in perfectly with the feel of the show. The diamater of the Innovision's barrel is narrower too, which offered up a little extra flexibility when moving through the opening in the fridge. The intense amount of light on set was necessary to get a good exposure on the T8 lenses. The normal shooting stop with the Zeiss Super Speeds we use is around T2 so this shot required 8x as much light to match the look of everything else. It was not just the key light that needed boosting but all the practicals in the background had to be uprated with 100w bulbs set at full brightness. Gaffer Trevor Chaisty is adjusting a Snapgrid on one of the diffusion frames. The six amigos at the end of the demonstration video are, from left to right: Trevor Chaisty - gaffer, Nicola Brown - floor runner, Hannah Cooke - 3rd AD, Geoff Blackburn - standby props, Steve Robinson - 1st AD, Ramon Pyndiah - Boom Op. Andrew Binns, 2nd AC, is operating the camera in the video clip.

 

In Prep: 'Brief Encounters' - 11/02/16

Filming to start soon on new ITV drama 'Brief Encounters', with director Marek Losey. The series is based on the memoirs of Anne Summers CEO, Jaqueline Gold, penned in her book 'Good Vibrations'.

2nd Most Watched 'Vera' Ever - 31/1/16

Across six series of crime drama 'Vera' starring Brenda Blethyn, episode 1 of the new series, directed by Marek Losey and photographed by your humble scribe, achieved the second highest viewing figures in the show's history.

David Bowie RIP.

This has never been a forum for personal thoughts but in light of today's sad news I wanted to make an exception and say a few words. Growing up in London in the late 1970s we were all brought up on Bowie. I vividly remember the first time I heard Ziggy Stardust. It was a transformative experience and if this spotty teenager had any nascent artistic inclinations at the time, it was David Bowie's music that became the incubator. I was studying German for A Level and recall being on an exchange program with a school in Munich. It coincided with the release of the film 'Christiane F - Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo'. Set in drug ravaged East Berlin during arguably Bowie's most creative period, the film based itself on his music and some of his most seminal live performances. With great excitement I dragged my very upstanding host family to the cinema to see the film. Needless to say they were utterly horrified but curiously transfixed at the same time. Twenty seven years later I finally came across a battered VHS of the film in a forgotten old record shop in Manchester, coincidentally whilst filming the apocryphal final scene in the last ever episode of the BBC drama 'Life on Mars'. David Bowie; your music, your spirit and your genius will live on forever.

Shetland - New Series Starts 15/01/2016

The new series of 'Shetland' begins on Friday, January 15th 2016 - BBC1 9.00pm. Click below to view trailer.

Indian Summers Series 2 coming soon to Channel 4.

Updates to follow.

So Easy to Rig - 'Indian Summers' 18/10/15

The joists that run across ceilings inside and out in Penang's traditional colonial houses make the rigging of large lamps very easy. You can see how neatly the electricians were able to tuck away a couple of Arri M18s. Normally this type of rig would require substantial scaffolding and wall braces. Truth be told it would most likely not even be possible to hang lights of this size from a normal ceiling. A large G clamp is all that was necessary here.

American Cinematographer Magazine 'Critical' - October 2015

American Cinematographer Magazine has published an article on my contribution to the making of 'Critical' in the October 2015 edition. Please click on the issue cover image below to read on.

John de Borman's Bet - 'Indian Summers' 4/09/15

I owe John de Borman BSC a huge debt of gratitude for setting up series two of Indian Summers so immaculately. It has made my job as an incoming DoP an utter delight. Anyway, in John's preproduction, gaffer Sham Ahmad was sure that the old Crag Hotel (standing in for the Simla Club) could be lit with two 9kw Arri M90s from the terrace of the Bellevue Hotel atop Penang Hill - about a quarter of a mile away from the location across a valley. The story goes that John remained somewhat unconvinced and bet Sham 100 Malaysian Ringit that this would not be possible. Sorry you lost the bet John but I hope you'll agree that your pecuniary loss came at both of our creative gain. The lighting opportunities presented by being able to set a back light so far away are astonishing, especially with the misty weather that prevails at that altitude. As I'm sure you did, I threw a lighting balloon in for good measure. In the first picture the red arrow points to the location from the vantage point of the lamp position. The second picture shows the view from the club up to the top of the hill where the lamps are placed (red arrow). Subsequent images show the effect of the lighting and the back lit mist.

Day and Night. The Same Light - 'Indian Summers' 4/09/15

For day and night interiors in the same location we used an Arri M90 bounced into a 12'x12' Ultrabounce for day and then exactly the same setup for night. The only change to the night lighting was to add 1.2 ND to the M90 and move the Ultrabounce a little further away. A quick fix to turn daylight into moonlight.

Up and Over rig - 'Indian Summers' 26/09/15

A simple rig but really effective in creating a dynamic tracking shot that began in the garden and finished by jibbing down over the precipice on the other side of the fence. Without a remote head it was not possible to operate the camera so the head was locked off. It was up to grip Steve Knipe to find the perfect composition by pushing the dolly, operating the jib and most importantly of all avoiding taking out the white picket fence! The camera was set to clear the fence by millimetres on its way over. Assistant grip Sekar Veerappan keeps a watchful eye on proceedings.

 

Three Suns - 'Indian Summers' 26/09/15

The scene started in the shade but thanks to Sun Seeker and unusually consistent weather, I knew that the set would be in full sun by the time we arrived at the close ups. What began with an Arri M90 for a clean back light ended with the sun, the M90 and an M18 all through the same 8' x 8' Quarter Grid. We just about got away with it. Focus puller Justin Brokensha and a willing background artist sit in.

Close to the Wall - 'Indian Summers' 11/09/15

For a shot that required tracking along the wall, it meant getting the camera as close to the wall as physically possible. The width of the O'Connor head pushed the camera too far away. I had done the exact same shot before with camera operator Jamie Harcourt. He used his 'Z' Plate to offset the camera laterally from the head and luckily I had a picture of Jamie's device in action (see below) to show our ever resourceful grip Steve Knipe. Admittedly Steve is not too proud of his work but to be fair he managed to rustle this up in less than twenty minutes. It took the weight of the camera (sort of) and the shot worked a treat. Thank you Steve!

High Bounce - 'Indian Summers' 11/09/15

I love a really high soft bounce at night in order to add a faint amount of texture to the shadows. It's always a struggle to get the poly board high enough and secure enough and it's not a pretty sight seeing electricians grapple with poly holders on a High-Roller stand. Gaffer Sham Ahmad once again came up with an ingenious solution. He took one arm of a 12x12 frame to which he affixed the poly. The arm slots into a jumbo knuckle atop an Easi-Lift stand. Not only does that now get the bounce up to nearly 30' but the arm can boom up and down to create the perfect bounce angle. It is simple, light and manoeverable.

Red Tarantula - 'Indian Summers' 11/09/15

Uh-oh, look who'd found a cosy spot in the grips box overnight, nicely camouflaged with the pags.

Balloon-tastic - 'Indian Summers' 11/09/15

The two lighting balloons have proven invaluable during the past week of night shoots. They are incredibly quick to set up and having two of them enables us to maintain a back light and fill at all times without cluttering up the floor. On a turnaround, the technicians can pull each one across to any corner of the garden or behind the house literally in minutes. The larger balloon is a 6kw version and the smaller, a 4.8kw. At 800 asa the two in combination deliver a consistent stop of T2.3. Fortunately the wind never picked up all week. Here you can see some of the different configurations followed by a frame showing the final exposure.

Moon and Balloon - 'Indian Summers' 30/08/15

At cinematography school the first thing it says in the book is that moonlight is blue. It always has been blue; it always will be blue and cinematographers must take appropriate blue filtering action to make it so. So what's going on here? I can only surmise that it never said anything about Indonesian forest fires in the aforementioned text book.

A Frame Tracking Vehicle - 'Indian Summers' 30/08/15

Ever resourceful key grip Suri Ramasamy came up with this neat rig to offset the camera far enough out from the side of the vehicle to get a useful shot into the car without having to resort to extremely wide lenses. See how the tubes tied off under the car allow the car itself to be used as a counterweight. Similarly, gaffer Sham Ahmad, clearly a meccano child prodigy, devised the sturdy fixing for the Kino Flo Celeb 200 (the only light used and no generator power required). Note the inverter setup to power the Celeb off a battery. Steadicam/B Camera operator Barney Davis is operating the camera on the tracking vehicle.

Typical Day - 'Indian Summers' 30/08/15

The rainy season is well and truly upon us but when the sun shines, as it usually does first thing in the morning, and we are ready for a big wide shot, the set looks breathtaking. Hats off to production designer Nicole Northridge and her able crew of art directors and standbys.

Proper Flagging - 'Indian Summers' 30/08/15

The hallmark of a good lighting crew is the initiative shown by the electricians. Team leader Sham Ahmad ensures that whenever a big bounce goes up, all the necessary flags go up with it. With Sham and his crew, bouncing light on a set with light coloured walls is never a problem or time consuming because the flagging is automatic. How liberating!

Lighting with Mirrors - 'Indian Summers' 30/08/15

Mirrors have been put to good use for lighting some of the smaller spaces. They work best when the light is broken up into narrow shafts by window bars, arabesque screens etc... Here ace gaffer Sham Ahmad sets the precise beam angle.

Indian Summers 2 - 17/08/15

It's been a wonderful summer but time to go back to work - admittedly in the stunning surroundings of Penang, Malaysia to film the last four episodes of 'Indian Summers 2' with director Paul Wilmshurst. Tomorrow is the first day's filming and no doubt there will be much to report from the set over the coming months.

Low Loader Lighting - 'Vera' 04/07/15

Finally found a practical alternative to the ubiquitous big HMI from the front on a low loader. It's always preferable to light more softly from the side but traditional Kino Flos rattled around too much; Image 80s/Vista Beams/Diva Lights were too unwieldy; the Soft Sun was perfect but it was rare, expensive and unreliable. Enter Kino Flo's LED Celeb 200. It has been around for a while but is the perfect lamp for this application. It is small enough to rig safely, powerful enough to balance a sunny exterior, dimmable and colour changeable.

Gyros on Steadicam - 'Vera' 04/07/15

With the wind gusting up to 40mph on the moors above the Durham dales, gyros were employed to excellent effect on the Steadicam. In addition a portable California Sun Bounce Wind Killer was carried behind the operator. It is always heartening to see a piece of precision engineering still being manufactured in the USA. These particular gyros are used to stabilise the image viewed through the periscope on US Navy submarines; another piece of military hardware (dollies were originally used to load warheads onto bombers) to find an application in the film industry.

 

Tight Circular Track - 'Vera' 03/07/15

Director Marek Losey asked for a circular track around principal artist Brenda Blethyn in a very confined space - a 5' wide corridor. That's not the end of it. He expressly required that the camera stay exactly the same distance from her throughout the move. Geometrically this meant that the camera had to proscribe a perfect arc. Boarding out the space and tracking on a dance floor would not have worked as inevitably this would have placed the camera at different distances from the pivot point over the course of the move. The narrowest circle of commonly available curved track has a 9' inner diameter, which would have been too wide. What to do? I was all out of ideas but thankfully key grip Craig Shiels, ably supported by his son Aaron, came up with the most ingenious solution. You have to watch the video below which shows the process from work in progress to the shot we made today. Craig devised a turntable rig that kept the camera equidistant from Ms. Blethyn through the course of the move. But that's still not the end of it! Marek asked that the camera move 90 degrees around her and then that she dismount the rig and walk away - but to make it look as if she was standing the whole time and then that she walked away. You can see from the photos the elaborate configuration of apple boxes required to make it look like she was not 'stepping off' anything. This also meant that for every take the camera had to be lined up perfectly to 'proscribe the arc' but then at the 90 deg stepping off point I had to unlock the pan and tilt and continue the move as a conventionally operated shot. Each take required a substantial amount of reset time and thankfully we got it in three takes. Needless to say the shot worked a treat. Thank you Craig!! This is what filmmaking is all about.

Here's proud father Craig with his creation - note the stepped down series of apple boxes - and then Aaron and clapper loader Andrew Binns giving it a test drive. Finally a closer shot of the mechanism.

Quad Bike - 'Vera' 21/06/15

Filming a cycle race in the North Pennines above Weardale, Co. Durham. The landscape is breathtaking. Two cameras rigged on the quad, one locked off and the other operated by your humble scribe in his silly hat. The chin strap keeps it firmly in place in the 40-50 mph gusts we were experiencing. Don't quote me on it but I believe that at this latitude this is the highest point between the Irish Sea and the North Sea and there are no natural windbreaks whatsoever in these hills.

Low Angle Prism - 'Vera' 21/06/15

I wish I could show you the whole shot because it is a very cool shot but that would be giving too much story away. This frame shows how indispensable a low angle prism can be when you need to get really low. Underslung would not get you anywhere near here because the height of the base plate plus the height difference between the lens and camera base would raise the the optical centre a good 3" above ground level. By camera are focus puller Steve Smith and grip Craig Shiels.

5D Limpet Mounts - 'Vera' 21/06/15

Good use of the 5D and a very neat solution to rigging the camera in a position that puts the lens as close to the car bodywork as possible. This enabled us to achieve a shot of the passenger in the wing mirror looking out of the window - an important narrative point. It is always very satisfying to tell the story in one simple shot. Key grip Craig Shiels devised the rig.

Day for Night Interior - 'Shetland' 22/05/15

For a night interior scene in a rather splendid location it seemed a waste of production value to black out the windows. Best boy Paul Bates expertly affixed 30 points of ND onto the windows. That's two layers of 1.2 and a layer of 0.6 ND. It was blazing sunshine outside and the ND turned sunlight into moonlight, admittedly without any streetlight or light in windows. Well you can't have everything! Here's how the set looked with the gelled windows and a short clip of the sparks taking it all down.

HiLo LEDs on Low Loader - 'Shetland' 22/05/15

The perfect soft 3/4 fill on a low loader. Bright enough, soft enough, dimmable, infinitely adjustable colour temperature. What more could you ask for. Once upon a time a 4K Soft Sun might have been the only lamp for the job. Now we can achieve the same effect from a luminaire that draws less power than a redhead. They don't like the rain though...

  

Goodbye Shetland - 16/05/15

Time to leave this magical place. Director Thaddeus O'Sullivan looks wistfully out to sea. No traffic to worry about here.

Sunset over Foula - 'Shetland' 16/05/15

As seen from the Shetland mainland, the mystical island of Foula made famous in Michael Powell's 1937 masterpiece, 'The Edge of the World'. Home to a permanent population of approximately thirty inhabitants, Foula still remains one of the most remote and inaccessible places in the British Isles. Powell shipped a whole film crew there to make his film in the late 1930s.

La Nuit Americaine - 'Shetland' 16/05/15

The Monolith - 'Shetland' 16/05/15

...has landed on St Ninian's. No, not Rodrigo.

Crane over St Ninian's - 'Shetland' 28/04/15

Another fine day for a crane shot. This time over the famous sand tombolo at St Ninian's Isle.

Crane over Eshaness - 'Shetland' 28/04/15

Spoiled by the fine weather again. When we recced Eshaness the wind was gusting at 60mph+. Not only were we foolhardy enough to gamble on the drone but we reckoned we'd take a chance on a crane. We're not talking a Titan crane with a gyro stabilised Libra head but a wispy GF-16 and rinky dink Aurora head. Surely it would all end in disaster, a huge waste of money and a very embarrassed likely to be fired director of photography. Luckily not! Conditions could not have been more benign.

Eshaness Drone - 'Shetland' 28/04/15

For a sequence on the clifftops of Eshaness in Shetland, a drone was used to excellent effect. The wind gods must have been smiling on us because over the two days that we were filming in Eshaness the conditions were perfect for flying. We always knew that we were taking a big punt attempting to fly a drone there but it was a gamble we were prepared to take. Thankfully it paid dividends as the drone, in the extremely capable hands of Peter Maughan and Iain White from Scottish company Skypod Aerial Media, delivered more fantastic material than we could have ever dreamed of capturing - even rock solid plate shots!! Here's the rig - 4K Lumix GH4 - and a grab from one of the shots.

 

Shetland Wind - 'Shetland' 28/04/15

Looks lovely here doesn't it? Don't be fooled. The wind is gusting at 30 mph+. There is only one way to set a lamp: bottom of the stick, no barn doors, any gels in a gel frame and the services of a good rigger to secure it all.

Shetland Light - 'Shetland' 19/04/15

The light does change incredibly fast here but at least you know that whatever comes will pass in a few minutes and what came before will return shortly. Here we were able to make good use of the dramatic skies. Even on car interior scenes the fast moving clouds were reflected in the wind screen to good effect. The Goose has come into its own here - finally some proper cold weather to test its mettle. From left to right: Grip Paul Kemp, Camera Operator Rodrigo Gutierrez, myself on B Cam.

Unheard of Weather - 'Shetland' 19/04/15

The one day in the last twenty years when it has been possible to erect at 12x12 with no fear of the the thing being blown away to Norway. It has been postively Mediterranean here and wouldn't you like to think that we are taking advantage of this glorious weather. Well think again - the scene takes place in the back of a laundry van. At least the Velvets came in useful.

Waterproof Velvet Light - 'Shetland' 19/04/15

I told you the Velvet was waterproof and gaffer Arthur Donnelly proves the point.

Lite Ribbons - 'Shetland' 19/04/15

For a shot that required control of the light fitting in the entrance to a ship's galley, best boy Paul Bates replaced the existing bulb with a strip of led Lite Gear Light Ribbons.

Mini Jib - 'Shetland' 19/04/15

Excellent use of the mini jib in tight spaces. Grip, Paul Kemp, devised a quick way to set up the mini jib and remote controlled Aurora head in the most inaccessible spots. Ace focus puller Andrew 'Mits' M'Itwamwari is adjusting the cine tape. Camera operator Rodrigo Gutierrez is manning the wheels. Poor Roddy is accustomed to plusher surroundings but mucks in willingly and always gets the camera in exactly the right position.

Velvet Fill - 13/04/15

The battery powered LED Velvet light proved its worth on a long walk and talk tracking shot. The character was against a bright white sky the whole time and needed a lot of light to prevent him from becoming a total silhouette. There was not enough room to position conventional lights and a cable run the length of the track was impossible. Two velvets side by side hand held provided enough light to fill the eyes and were easily portable - Arthur might disagree!

Where's Health and Safety? - 'Shetland' 13/04/15

Oh no! This is taking one's reputation as the ultimate 'Can Do' gaffer a step too far. Failing finding a good purchase point for the old 'gin and peppes', gaffer Arthur Donnelly assumes bracing duties whilst his trusty best boy Paul Bates ascends the ladder to derig the lamps. Do they do this all the time!

Spring Showers - 'Shetland' 13/04/15

The squalls blow through every half an hour. Lighting continuity is for the birds unless you are using the very versatile HiLo. Instant colour temperature and light intensity adjustments make keeping up with the Scottish weather a breeze. From left to right, my very able and tireless Glasgow crew: Genny Op, Mark Ritchie; Gaffer, Arthur Donnelly; Best Boy, Paul Bates.

A First! - 'Shetland' 13/04/15

It may not look like much but this is the first day int/ext that I have lit entirely with LED lights. The big round one on the left is a Panalux HiLo, the brighter one in the middle is an Arri L7 and the small one on the right by the car is a battery powered 'The One' Velvet Light. They are all bi-colour, enabling any colour temperature to be dialed in and of course they are all dimmable. The Velvet's added bonus is that it is waterproof - useful in this weather. The creative control is liberating and production is saving a fortune in lighting gels.

On the Bus - 18/03/15

Diligent camera operator Tony Kay hard at work day and night writing up his notes on the recce bus while I'm dreaming about which fly might entice the wild brownies in Shetland's teeming lochs. Crack first assistant director David Gilchrist is equally engrossed in wrestling an increasingly impossible schedule. Director Thaddeus O'Sullivan is enjoying the gorgeous view - thankfully someone is. The Shetland landscape is reminiscent of the Burren on the way to the Cliffs of Moher.

  

On the Beach - 17/03/15

It could only be a tech recce crew. An army of black North Face clad (except for me in my Canada Goose) film folk discussing the minutiae of shot making and ignoring the beautiful scenery entirely.

On the Boat - 16/03/15

Who is that and what is he doing? Not another pseudo hipster photographer taking arty photos of a retro chic corridor and experimenting with shallow depth of field. That carpet is enough to make anyone seasick.

Leaving Aberdeen - 16/03/15

Sailing out of Aberdeen the 5D mk3 was set to 12,800 asa. I picked up a 35mm F1.4L on ebay recently and this is its first proper outing. Wide open and in conjunction with the high ISO, the light gathering capabilites are incredible. This picture is far far brighter than the human eye can see.

Shetland Bound - 16/03/15

This has been the longest set of tech recces ever. One day in Glasgow, overnight ferry crossing from Aberdeen to Lerwick in Shetland, three days recceing Shetland, fly back to the mainland followed by three more days of recces in Glasgow. We are all very ready to start filming, you guessed it, Shetland series 3, on Monday.

Panalux Blanket LED - 02/03/15

It's not available yet but gaffer Colin Thwaites and I were shown this prototype at Panalux while prepping 'Mum' for Big Talk. An ingenious solution to tight spaces. Can't wait.

 

Starts Tonight - 24/02/15

'Critical' - TX Sky One Feb 24th 2015

The publicity machine is gearing up in advance of episode 1's transmission on February 24th. Click on the image below for a behind the scenes look at the production.

BSC Awards 2014 - Winner Announced

Sadly did not win the BSC award but it could not have gone to a better cinematographer: Tony Miller BSC for Quirke. From left to right: Tim Palmer BSC with nominee's certificate, Tony Miller BSC with winner's statuette, James Friend BSC with his new member's certificate (congratulations James) and John de Borman BSC, ex BSC president standing in for Barry Ackroyd BSC on the night.

5D Mk3 on Steadicam Merlin - 05/01/15

To simulate a drone's pov a 5D Mk3 was mounted on a Steadicam Merlin. It worked surprisingly well with just the right amount of 'nervous' stability.

Tracks at Dawn - 05/01/15

Winter sunrise over Upper Heyford RAF base.

'Critical' Reunion - 05/01/15

Very happy to get the whole Critical gang together for the Guy Jenkin project - here proudly sporting our 'Critical' gilets (sp?) except for Chris Samworth whose jacket is now in the post thanks to this photograph finding its way to the Critical production office. From left to right: B Camera Focus, Chris Samworth; Camera Car Driver, Irish John; myself in silly hat; Camera Trainee, Bi Lau; B Camera Operator, Jon Howard; Grip, Steve Weightman; A Camera Loader, Darren Johnson; Assistant Grip, Ben Lowe.

 

Drone Filming - 05/01/15

On the aforementioned Guy Jenkin project a large amount of drone footage was scripted. Dean at Aerosight handled all the technical requirements. He supplied different sized aircraft carrying different camera systems depending on the environment that the drone had to fly through. This was the 'workhorse' drone; a larger craft wearing a 4K Lumix G4 and 12mm lens. Much smaller machines with Go Pros were used as well.

Hand Held Bottom Dolly - 05/01/15

Couldn't think of what else to call it. It's a dolly for hand held work that you control with your bottom. Used very recently on a program that cannot be named but is Guy Jenkin's new project. The show is mostly hand held and Steve Weightman the grip improvised this method of moving the camera in a more controlled fashion. It works very well for over the shoulder shots when the characters are seated. At the controls on the left is B camera operator, Jon Howard.