AERIAL FILMMAKER DRONE FEATURE
NIGHT RIDER Looking to produce a personal filmwith an original edge, Richard Seymour decided to follow a day in the life of a top cyclist, the twist being a night section lit fromoverhead by a drone DRONE MEETS CYCLIST
WORDS TERRY HOPE
P retty much every
Creative, RED cameras, Cine Photo Pro and Rapha Cycle Clothing. “I’m always thinking about how we might give personal films a commercial relevance,” says Richard. “In this case I had a friend, Anton Blackie, who is a pro cyclist for Rapha, and we decided their reflective range of clothing was a great link to create a story using lighting at dusk. In turn Rapha came through with the kit we needed, while Paul Waterworth at the excellent Cine Photo Pro, a company that exists to assist photographers looking to make the move into filmmaking, worked with RED to source the camera – a Dragon - and the technical operator support we needed.” Taking to the sky Pivotal to the success of the day was a partner that could fly drones that were not only nimble enough to track a cyclist at speed on a darkening road, but which could lift a RED and keep up with the action. Yodo Creative, an innovative agency made up of freelancers that was founded by Martin Butcher, ticked all the boxes, with one of its specialities being aerial filming carried out to a very high professional standard. “We tend to look at personal projects on a case-by-case basis,” says Martin. “What we love here are good relationships with people and, dependent on the project, we will always consider something that is creative and will benefit the team as a whole. Richard has fantastic ideas and his enthusiasm is infectious. It’s always a pleasure to work with people like this because you know you’re going to have fun and get great content at the end of it all. While you take on board that the hours are going to be long,
RIGHT One of the most visually arresting sections of Richard’s film came as dusk fell and cyclist Anton Blackie was followed and illuminated by a high-tech drone
photographer wanting to maintain the work coming through the door has to be
keeping a wary eye on the whole business of filmmaking right now, and many have not only ventured into this field on the back of commercial considerations but also because they thrive on a challenge and enjoy the fresh opportunities that are opening up. However, any creative wanting to flex their muscles in a new area has to take on personal projects to teach themselves the ropes and to produce material that demonstrates to potential clients that they know what they’re doing. The more innovative and visually arresting these are, the better the chance they have to make an impression, and it’s the reason why, as Richard Seymour looks to further develop his filmmaking credentials, he’s putting so much effort into stretching himself with jobs that are anything but straightforward. His latest exploit has seen him complete a film called Dawn till Dusk , which centres on a day in the life of a professional cyclist. However, there’s a startling twist as the light fades that’s guaranteed to grab the attention of the viewer, namely a drone complete with a powerful searchlight that follows the rider along his lonely country road, lighting him up as his surroundings descend into darkness. Visually it’s a hugely arresting image, and it was something that evolved as a concept in Richard’s mind; but he then needed to find a way to bring it all to life. For this to happen he needed the help of supportive partners, and ultimately the project was the result of a collaboration between Yodo
RIGHT As with any shoot involving a drone, it was crucial to be working on a road that was fully controlled by the film crew. FACING RIGHT One of the best ways to break into a fresh area of the business is to work with partners on challenging personal projects
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2018
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