BLOG
18/12/11 > New Office/Studio
I finally have my own office! We have converted an old room in the farmhouse into a modern looking studio. I now have a dedicated space to store equipment so it's no longer strewn across my bedroom floor. Will be looking to get a 42" LCD TV for the main wall in the new year and hopefully an iMac later on. I have tea/coffee facilities and comfy sofas too so I can now invite clients in without being embaressed!
26/11/11 > Ozzel Bowl with Friday Night Group
This week the group went bowling at Ozzel Bowl in St Austell. I arrived just in time to film the start of the game. I shot using the Canon 550d in very low light so I mostly used the Nikon 50mm 1.8 at 1600 ISO. It was difficult getting the variety of shots needed as health and saftey rules meant I wasn't permitted to get as close to the bowling lanes as I would have liked. Think i'm going to need a zoom lense very soon!
24/11/11 > Hub Awards 2011
Tonight was the big Hub Awards night at the Atlantic Hotel in Newquay. Not only were we filming the event but were also screening the promo film we produced to introduce the awards. Well, the video has gone down a storm with many kind things being said about it. It was a very enjoyable evening, we met some great new contacts and we look forward to working with a few of them in the near future.
22/11/11 > 'Dad's Matter' DVD launch
Brook Young Fathers Group held their DVD launch for the film we produced, 'Dads Matter' at the Keay Theatre in St Austell tonight. It was well attented by the friends and family of the fathers involved, as well as various members of education circles and the mayor of St Austell. Despite a slight technical glitch with the DVD player, the film was brilliantly recieved and the group now have funding for next year! Look out for a piece about it in the Guardian!
08/11/11 > Harlyn Bay Surf Film
Managed to get myself up at 5.30am to go film friends bodyboarding at Harlyn Bay in 3-4ft waves. Set the Panasonic HVX200 up on the beach on my new Vinten Vision Blue sticks, whilst shooting timelapses on my 550D with magic lantern. I then wetsuited up and took to the waves with the gopro. It's difficult to film surfing in the sea with a gopro as an inexperienced surfer, might have to look at getting a housing for the canon!
03/11/11 > Friday Night Group
I'm delighted to be working with the Friday Night Group based at Fourways, St Blazey to produce a film & DVD which challenges negative perceptions of young people with learning difficulties. There are many interesting activities planned to be filmed, including cooking, bowling, football, horse riding and a pantomine! The DVD will be launched next Easter.
02/11/11 > St Austell Brewery Video
Been doing some filming for St Austell Brewery. Specifically an introduction video from the Managing Director, James Staungton, to welcome new employees to the team. Shot the piece on Canon 550D with 500w softboxes in a couple different locations around the brewery. Will post the video after they recieve DVD.
31/10/11 > Introducing Nim
Saw the 'Puppie For Sale' video I did from a few months back? Well we sold 7 and kept just one for ourselves.....Nim!!! She's a mischeivious bundle of energy and this was one of her first adventures out around the farm. We took the pack through the woods to a field where they went crazy jumping through the vegetation. Shot everything on Canon 550D & 50mm 1.8, Tokina 11-16mm. Track is 'Home' by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.
31/10/11 > Hub Awards Filming
We have been commissioned to produce a 3 minute intro film which is to be played at the Cornwall Hub Awards 2011 in Newquay. The filming took place over a week back in October and saw us visit organistions and businesses all over Cornwall including Mullion Cove, Goonhilly Satellite Station, Poole Inovation Centre, Heartlands Project, Redruth & the Eden project. Will post the video after the event.
22/10/11 > Etherical Poker Scene
We finally shot the last remaining scene for Etherical's music video for 'Out of Control'. We managed to shoot in the Royal Talbot pub in Lostwithiel after closing. It was a bit of a rush job as we only had an hour to film and several members of the band were drunk which made things even harder, but what else would you expect from a Rock band?! We will now start piecing the whole video together and it should be ready for release in November.
22/09/11 > Dads Matter DVD Launch
We have now finished work on the DVD for the 'DADS MATTER' film for the Brook Young Fathers Group. The launch evening has been organised, invitations sent and we're pleased to be attending the screening of the film at the Keay Theatre in St Austell on the 22nd November.
30/08/11 > Duchy of Cornwall Nursery Web Film
Started work today on the promotional film for the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery in Lostwithiel. They have commissioned a 15min video showcasing everything the nursery has to offer, including it's new shop space, restaurant, mail order & home delivery services and state-of-the-art glasshouses. The film will also give customers an insight into the hard work that goes into growing their own plants. It should be complete by October.
25/08/11 > Restormel Farm Bed & Breakfast
Completed another online virtual property tour for Restormel Farm Bed & Breakfast in Lostwithiel. Managed to catch the gardens on a stunning day with all the flowers out in bloom. The Glidetrack really worked well for this one. The interior shots were filmed on a not so sunny day so I used my redhead kit with CTB gels to light the rooms. The Tokina 11-16mm is works so beautifully with the 550D.
19/08/11 > 'Puppies For Sale' Short Film
Our youngest collie, Zaz, was about to become a mum. I managed to get a few shots of the pups at play in their first few weeks on earth and craft a short film. Filmed on my Canon 550D with Glidetrack for some shots. The track is 'Drop & Roll' by the excellent 'Breathe Owl Breathe'. The barn is quite dark so I had to bump the Iso up for some shots, especially for the wider shots using the Tokina 11-16mm lense.
20/07/11 > Lostwithiel Carnival Week Pram Race
It was a barmy summer's evening so I decided to bring my Canon 550D down to film the Pram Race in Lostwithiel as my girlfriend & sister were involved. I shot with the Tokina 11-16mm lens and did a little edit in Premiere with some After Effects added and Magic Bullet Looks 2 for grading. The 4 min edit in now on Facebook.
10/07/11 > New Rock Video for Etherical
I've spent about 3 weeks planning the music video with the lead singer of Etherical and on Saturday we finally got around to shooting the performance part of the vid. The band had booked Upton House in Fowey which was beautifully decked out in lavish finishings which suited the song perfectly. After a few technical glitches with the band's PA system we finally got going at lunch time and later on shot some story line upstairs.
02/07/11 > Filming Trelengor Property Tour
Took advantage of the lovely weather to film some exterior shots of Trelengor, a holiday letting in Lanlivery. Used the glidetrack a lot for this shoot with great results. Will still need to go back and film interior shots when the light is right. The property itself is amazing with balcony overlooking 2 acre grounds as well as solar panels to heat water.
24/06/11 > Spring/Summer Showreel 2011
Decided it was time to update our showreel as we've been so busy with new projects lately. The reel features work from the recent films following the Young Parents Group at Fourways & the Mid Cornwall Young Dads Group, as well as the ABC Project music video, Lostfest event and Nanstallon Pre-School build diary for Ecofab. I've chosen 'Something Good Can Work' by The Two Door Cinema Club, which fits the mood perfectly.
19/06/11 > Menorca Holiday Edit
Fresh back from my week long family holiday in Menorca, where i spent more time filming stuff with my GoPro Hero HD & Canon 550D than i do at home, i've put together a little highlights reel set to an awsome dubstep remix of Adele's 'Rolling In The Deep' by Bullwack. Expect loads of underwater fun, cliff jumping, crazy golf and drinking. I want to go there again. Now!
18/05/11 > Confessions of a Revolutionary Goes Online
The music video for 'Confessions of a Revolutionary' by local Lostwithiel musicians, Cy Brandl & Abee Hague went online today. The video was shot over 2 days and edited in about a week on the Panasonic HVX200 & SgPro with 50mm & 24mm lenses. Get on Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook & Myspace to support the video and it's artists.
17/05/11 > Lostfest Trailer Filming
Spent Saturday night and all of Sunday filming Lostfest, a local music & craft festival in Lostwithiel. The live stage on saturday was excellent with music from Abbie Hague (who i've recently completed a music video for) and BackBeat SoundSystem who rocked the place. Sunday was more chilled with buskers, craft stalls and a cooking demo with local celebrity chef, Nathan Outlaw. The edit will be a 3min trailer for the Lostfest website.
16/05/11 > Young Dads Group Art Session
Attended an art session with the Mid Cornwall Young Dads Group at Fourways this morning. It was a family affair where the dads, mothers & babies were given the chance to make their own family portraits in an Andy Warhol, 'Pop-Art' style. A group of artists came in to lead the session and we spoke to them after it finished. An enertaining morning for sure!
15/05/11 > Brunel Quays Property Film
Just shot a virtual property tour video for a holiday letting in Brunel Quays, Lostwithiel. The shoot got put off for weeks because of lack of sun and still i had to dodge the cloud over a 3 day period to get all the rooms filmed. I shot with the Canon 550d, Tokina 11-16mm & glidetrack. I'm happy with the resulting video so look out for more property tours soon.
05/05/11 > Glidetrack & Tokina 11-16mm / 1st Test
We spent a couple hours playing around on Josh's building site with the Glidetrack Hybrid & Tokina 11-16mm lens and although the weather was a bit dull, I still managed to get some semi-decent images shooting wide open. Forgive the shaky sliding as the tripod is poor but I did manage to get used to it in the end to produce some smoother shots. The gear looks promising so should help me with a few upcoming jobs.
04/05/11 > New Gear Arrives!
I've been sucked into the DSLR revolution by getting my own Canon 550d as a 'B' Camera to shoot 1080p video. I've also picked up a lovely Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 lens from ebay for shooting ultra wide shots for property videos. Finally i splashed out on a glidetrack hybrid slider system to get those trendy gliding shots. Looking forward to putting it altogether and shooting some vids now!
29/04/11 > A Weekend In Cirencester
We needed a break from routine so headed up to Cirencester to stay with some friends in a lovely little country cottage. Lots of beer & bbq was consumed, much walking was done and it was all captured on a Canon 550d & Olympus 50mm lens which I was borrowing. Here is the resulting film.
25/04/11 > New Music Video In Production
We have just completed filming for a music video for the song, 'Confessions of a Revolutionary', by a local pair of musicians, The ABC Project. We shot footage at Golitha Falls & a nearby woodland with a beautiful blanket of bluebells. It's all been shot on the HVX200 & SgPro using 50mm & 24mm lenses at 720P 50fps for smooth slowmo. The video shot be completed in mid-May.
08/04/11 > Dennis Hutchings Giving his talk on Restormel
Former Mayor & Honoured Burgess of Lostwithiel gave a talk tonight in Lostwithiel Church Rooms about the history of Restormel. Over 80 towns people attended with the money raised going to Lostwithiel Museum. We filmed the talk and will now be producing a DVD for the Museum to exhibit.
08/03/11 > WatergateBay surfing shoot with Young Fathers Group
On saturday I was at Watergate Bay filming the St.Austell Young Fathers Group having surf lessons. What brilliant weather for it and they all just about picked it up. It all went great apart from leaving my zoom lense in the boot of the car and having to make a half mile sprint back across the beach to get it!
08/03/11 > Koeschi Rising (Testing Canon 550D)
We did a little test shoot pitching the HVX200/SGpro against the Canon 550D. I wanted to see how the footage compared on a video camera against a Dslr. Added some slowmotion using twixtor in AfterEffects & graded in Magic Bullet.
22/02/11 > Interviews With Young Fathers Starts
This week I have started filming the one-on-one interviews with the dads from the Young Fathers Group in St.Austell. I must say they are a fantastic bunch of lads and it's really interesting to hear their stories. I've decided to film using the SGPro 35mm adapter along with the HVX200 which was a little risky considering the low light in the interview space, but i'm glad i did as the images pop beautifully giving a much richer look.
22/01/11 > New work with St.Austell Young Fathers Group
Following on from the Young Mothers Group DVD at Fourways, I have been working with a new group of young fathers to produce a similar style DVD highlighting the difficulties of bringing up a child at a young age. We have loads of exciting activities planned including surf lessons, cookery sessions, boxing training, first aid and bowling so this film should be great fun to make and will help these young men tell their side of the story.
20/01/11 > TheMotionFarm Goes All Apple
After working in windows for more than 10 years experiencing computer crash, after computer crash, after computer crash, there's only so many headaches you can't take. With this in mind I finally bit the bullit and kitted myself out with a top-spec MacBook Pro. I must say with the new Adobe CS5 software and the Mercury Playback Engine on the Mac's GFX card, editing has gotten a lot quicker. Expect great things.
22/12/10 > Holiday Boredom
The Christmas holidays can be boring, waiting for santa to show up and bring you more camera kit etc. but not if you have beautiful countryside, a crisp morning, a pair a crazy hounds, a lovely girl and not to mention a HVX200/SGPro combo to capture it all on. Score that lot against an Arcade Fire track and this is what you get...
08/11/09 > Rock Run (HVX200 & SGPro SlowMotion Test)
We took the new setup to Rock in Cornwall on a sunny Sunday afternoon to test it's slowmotion capturing abilities. The camera was set to 720pn mode at 50fps and as you can see the results were quite dramatic. Colour correction done in Magic Bullet.
08/11/09 > Treyarnon Bay (HVX200 Test)
I took the new camera out to Treyarnon Bay for the afternoon to take some test footage on P2 of friends bodyboarding. The video was shot in 1080 mode at 25fps with Magic Bullet software to create the various looks. This test was really just to see how the camera would handle an outdoors beach type shoot. I think it passed.
01/10/09 > HD Camera Acquisition
We have just acquired new Panasonic HD broadcast quality cameras capable of 1080p recording to add to our studio. Together with the SGPro 35mm adapter this camera is a powerful tool that can produce 'film-like' quality images. We are currently in the process of testing different setups to get the most from this great tool.
20/09/09 > New Ecofab Build Diary
The Motion Farm has been commissioned to produce another build video diary for Cornwall Architects Ecofab. We have been following their team both in the factory & on site with cameras to bring a 10 minute story to screen about the process of constructing a nursery school building in Nanstallon, Cornwall, from scratch.
14/06/09 > New Doc In Production
We have started putting together a little documentary for a pair of local rowers who rowed in the Atlantic Rowing Race in 2007. The pair filmed their journey on a mini-DV camcorder and handed over the tapes to us for editing. The project is titled 'Nick & Jon's Atlantic Rowing Adventure'. We are hoping to get the film finished early next year and entered into film festivals.
06/05/09 > SGPro 35mm Adapter
We have just got our hands on the SGPro 35mm adapter from shoot35 complete with a set of Nikon prime lenses. This unit will fix directly onto the HVX200 or DVX100 and allow us to achieve more 'film like' images in your videos with greater depth of field.
