AUGUST 2021 - DECEMBER 2021 lots of work

So these months just got so busy I just couldn’t fill in my blog or take on anymore work. Which was great. This year became my busiest year yet even though it started slow after covid lockdowns. I think winning a BAFTA for Aerial Cinematography under factual Photography was the reason for this.

As I’ve been busy this year too I’ve decided just to skip the rest of 2021 and try and catch up with 2022 lol.

Heres a few pics from some jobs:)

Glasgow University standing tall:)

FEBRUARY 2021 - Filming and aerial filming in the Cairngorms with Beluga Lagoon for a new documentary episode of 'Roaming in the Wild'

Here we headed into the wild with humungous rucksacks to go snow holing for several days in what would be (very lucky for Beluga Lagoon filming) four of the best weather days in the Cairngorms this winter, and there have been a few!!

It took a while getting landowner permissions and general covid go ahead etc so most of the lower snow had gone but luckily there is so much snow up top it didn’t matter.

The guys, Andrew and Mark would dig and live in a snow hole for three nights while I stayed in my tent as they are a shared household (Mark does a good bit of baby sitting in the O’Donnell household). I have to say it was absolutely amazing to be out of my house for longer than a day trip and with zero wind and sun each day life was great.

Here we would document our time up high and even I had to pop in front of the screen as snow holing is not the best activity to do without some guidance as depending on the conditions it can be a bit dangerous. Plus there are avalanches, weather, navigation, route choice etc to add to the winter experience. So luckily being a cameraman and MIC (now called WMCI) (Highest national qualification in summer/winter walking, climbing and mountaineering) and having spent many winters working and training people in the Cairngorms it was useful for this trip.

We got in some lengthy ski tours once we dumped the big bags at our base camp/hole. I leave those stories for when the episode airs though.

A few pics from the trip below.

Andrew returns from a toilet break:)

The snow hole and tent area from the drone:)

FEBRUARY 2021 - BBC Country file, directing filming and aerial filming in the Cairngorms

So in the past I have sold aerial footage to Country file but as yet I hadn’t filmed for them. So was great to get a call to film two segments for them. We got the first one done but the Reindeer still await the snow to return as we just missed the best snow.

So this days filming was with Alice Goodridge who runs a wild swimming company and runs the Scottish winter swimming championships and other things. She also swims everyday of the year. And this day it was -4 and blowing 20mph and the Loch was frozen over.

Usually for TV things there is often a director and sometimes a sound person, and maybe others but with this pandemic the country file team can’t get out of Bristol so are trying to use local folk, where they can, and also small teams. Which they would do camera wise anyway but usually have a director sent. So I did all the parts and had a fun day with Alice and Alistair her husband on Loch Insh. Alice swimming and getting straight in as spin drift blows over her just in a swim suit is pretty impressive. I was even persuaded to get in after a 7hr shoot day with already numb fingers and toes lol. It was very refreshing and I did indeed (as Alice says) feel much more alive after. (Although maybe not so much while in the water, more trying to stay live I think.

Fun when you can film with normal cameras, underwater and from the air. The producer Helen when she got the footage from me and was in the edit suite sent me a text. It started “you are a wonderful man. There are so many wonderful shots”. So good to hear when shooting for a new TV program and even though I have been making films for a while I still get weirdly nervous until things are in the edit suite:)

A few pics below.

DECEMBER - Inshriach drinks advert released for Christmas

Had great fun making this advert with Walter and Ali. All filmed with Anamorphic lenses apart from the aerial shots. Also lots of lighting fun:) Hit Play to see the film below:)

Starring Ewan MockGregorand the postie.Filmed and edited by Kirk Watson of Perfect View Productions.Original Soundtrack by Alastair Caplin.Written and produc...

NOVEMBER 2020 - Filming a drinks Advert about a gin made in a Cairngorm / Speyside distillery.

A few days filming a Gin advert for Walter at Inshriach. We had some fun here making a drinks advert using the Anamorphic cinema lenses and a drone for our opening aerial scenes.

The natural ingredients all from within the national park look super nice and obviously taste good once made into the Gin.

We had a finishing film scene with the shot below. We were going for a festive vibe without any of the Christmas decorations, and an axe obviously? haha. Have to see the advert once I edit it to find out why that is in there. You can see the still in the the Distillery in the background.

Buy some Inshriach gin here: www.inshriachgin.com

OCTOBER 2020 - Aerial Filming the Autumn colours from the air with Channel 5

A few days aerial filming on a series called ‘The worlds great rivers’ this one being the Spey. Handy being on my doorstep.

The first day was filming with Dave Craig and Jerry Craig, two local canoeists. Lots of tracking shots from the air. Andy Robbins was directing this and was shooting ground camera. The following day I was off on my own to capture different parts of the river including Spey Bay and many Distilleries. Few pics below.

Craigellachie

Cragganmore Distilery

AUGUST 2020 - Biking in the Cairngorms with GCN

Spent four days drone filming and ground camera while riding an e bike round and over a lot of the Cairngorms over a four day period for a Documentary for GCN (Global Cycling Network). This was pretty full on and my bum had some pretty big bruising from carrying all the kit and doing 70-110 km per day and often over mountains. plus the pair that Stephan (From Morocco media who was directing and 1st camera) and myself had to keep up with weren’t exactly slow, being the two fastest people round the world on a bicycle.

Jenny and Mark

JUNE 2018: DJI Inspire 2 with X7 Camera arrives

Very exciting this month as the new DJI Inspire 2 with X7 Camera with four prime lenses and all the other bits arrives at Perfect View Productions Ltd ready to up the came of the company.   It is a real beast and some beautiful imagery from it hopefully in July I'll pop some of my own footage out as busy with a few jobs for Television with it first.

APRIL 2018: Ride Cairngorm opening

A mate Nash opens a shop in Boat of Garden called Ride Cairngorm so I go along to make a couple of wee films for the opening and his webpage.   Danny MacAskill and the Drop and Roll team were there to put on a show. Was a great day with over 4000 people there throughout the day.

Danny MacAskill and his team from Drop and Roll help open Nash's shop with a brilliant display of their stunts at Ride Cairngorm in Boat of Garten. Right next to the StrathSpey Steam engine. It was a brilliant day with over 4000 people coming through the village that day.

Ride Cairngorm Shop. Bit of riding here from Nash around Aviemore and a look inside his shop in the first month of opening.