Hello
On this page is a selection of the projects I have produced and directed, most over the past half decade. Televisual Creative has produced hundreds of films over the past 15 years from primary schools, universities and museums to police forces, hospitals and transport. More recently, I have focussed on the televisual industry with films demonstrating new cameras, lenses and post production technology. Customers include Atomos, Canon, Fuji and Sony for who I have been producing films for almost 15 years.
The first seven short films range from pure spectacle, shot for the aesthetic, to short silent dramas that can be played out in multiple territorires. The films were shot as constructs from which to deliver BTS interviews and testimonial commentary and to demonstrate the production values that can be achieved working with the latest technology. Most have had an emphasis on delivering perfectly realised 4K HDR. All of the films have been shown at multiple film and television industry festivals and exhibitions across the world to the most exacting audiences of cinematographers, film directors, post management and grading artists. They look pretty impressive here but not as beautiful as when seen on a large 4K HDR display or in the theatre in full Dolby Vision when they take on an almost magical quality. Working to the very best production values with the very best talent and cutting edge (often pre-release) technology within extremely finite budgets is where I excel. I have a unique network to support fulfilment and a broad and detailed understanding of high-end production. This is not just a job. This is a passion.
Scroll further down to find a selection of advocacy and marketing films. Televisual Creative has a history of producing challenging films within restricted budgets and some thoughtful, reflective films as well. Through the parent company Televisual I am embedded in the ongoing debate about production workflow and technology change and discuss these issues on a daily basis with many of the world’s leading industry experts and practitioners. I am always mindful that the object of a brand film is to inform and impart key messages and to know your audience and for the latter I have been engaging this same industry with media communications for over three decades. This knowledge, understanding and network married to craft production skills is where I have a critical advantage.
I have also included a couple of technology-led brand films that I enjoyed working on. All have bags of ambition and memorable visual imagery, despite the sometimes dry nature of the initial briefs. In almost all cases I could have ‘got away’ with less and played it safe (and more profitably). My approach to filmmaking is informed by a knowledge of technical possibilities (and limits) working with like-minded lead talent. I’m a great believer in making conscious and sometimes unconscious connections through visual imagery - sometimes supported by scripts and often led by authentic interviewee commentary. A film is always first and foremost about bringing out the best from your interviewees.
The last film is an unusual, upbeat wrap film for a summer 2021 event I staged. In some respects, it reflects on all of the above - from working with a tiny budget to editing with what presents itself while reflecting ambition and telling a multi-layered story.
All of the projects - barring the Sony F65 launch - have been delivered working to finite budgets and where I am 100% sure that very few if any other supplier would be able to come close to our pricing and deliver films as engaging or with such impeccable production values within the same budget. As most of my customers will confirm, I consistently over deliver and that’s why they come back.
If you’re looking to inform and inspire the television and film production and post community with something special, contact james@televisual.com. I am not always available to fulfil these projects - and never sub contract them - but if I am, you will not regret making that contact. A strange way to end an implicit pitch? Perhaps, but why don’t you send me an email and let’s see if I can make your next project stand out and more than match your brief.
Illuminating London is a beautiful short film shot on the Sony VENICE at 6K Full Frame (X-OCN ST) with a T2.9 Zeiss CineZoom lens with Helicopter Film Services. The film was shot on 17th January 2019 between 5.30 and 6.30pm in near perfect conditions. The film is best seen as intended in full 4K HDR (this version SDR). Giles Dumper flying with Jim Swanson on camera - two of the finest aerial camera experts and loveliest people you could hope to meet. The grade from the exceptional Asa Shoul and online from Gareth Parry both from Warner Bros De Lane Lea are impeccable. No noise reduction has been applied - the conditions perfect and the footage as clean and vivid as I've ever seen.
Above London - This short film was shot on the Sony F65 as RAW 4K and was until recently my favourite London aerial sequence… but with our latest London at night sequence has found its match. The grade has been created to further enhance the clarity, realism and beauty of these fantastic shots. This is a standard dynamic range version to view on a conventional display. The short film was played out on HDR displays at various industry events, including CameraImage, The BSC Show, NAB and IBC over at least three years.
The Red Coat An SDR version of an enigmatic HDR short film. This film was shot in Amsterdam by the brilliant Steve Lawes in late August 2017 over three days as a demonstration film for Fujinon cine-zoom lenses and the Panasonic Varicam Pure and was shown at IBC side-by-side with the HDR version on identical large consumer televisions to an audience of filmmakers and senior broadcast folk where it was very well received. It was shot to deliberately capture high contrast images for a 4K HDR master and turned around from shoot to master (with BTS) in less than a fortnight with a perfect grade to suit the film’s mood by Matt Watson at X2X Media.
Eva is a short horror film working with the Panasonic AU-EVA 1 small form factor Super 35mm camera, recording the then brand new Apple ProRes RAW codec to the Atomos Shogun Inferno. The film was shot 4K DCI at 24p and mastered to UHD within a 2.35:1 frame. G-Tech supported the shoot with their new Pro SSDs which delivered a lightning fast workflow from on-set through post. BMG Production Music composed the eerie score and soundtrack elements. There is also exceptional drone work - both filming and lighting - courtesy of Helicopter Film Services. Jack Jones at Roundtable mastered the film to HDR.
Shadow is a short demonstration film shot over two days in the Summer of 2018 at the Hotel Cafe Royal (on Piccadilly Circus) and on location by Balazs Bolygo, BSC, HSC. The film is about conflicting emotions and ultimately it’s about love and the fear of loss. Directed by Simon Smyth, the film demonstrates the extraordinary properties and values within the Sony CineAlta VENICE recording to X-OCN ST. This version is the "broadcast SDR grade" (and yes, the hotel really is that ‘shiny’!). It should really be seen in HDR - where it pushes contrast boundaries - for which it was intended.
The Beauty of Hever - This short film was shot with the support of Panasonic, Fujinon and Digital Vision. It is a short sequence from a longer film that I re-edited as a passion project. The film looks jaw-dropping in HDR and was edited with HDR in mind. We shot the lake scenes in early November 2017 and were blessed by an extraordinary mix of mist on the Hever lake at dawn combined with rich Autumn colours. The film was shot on the Varicam 35 with Fujinon HK and ZK cine zooms by Steve Lawes. Jack Jones at Roundtable Films graded this short version.
Fox Hunt - This was commissioned by Sony as a demo film for their new on-set HDR monitors – the PVM-X range. The short film was shot in a single day on the Saturday before Lockdown (March 2019), along with three two-camera interviews on the Sony Venice for five final films (!) The look and audio is a deliberate play on ‘70s and ‘80s television with final deliverables including Dolby Vision HDR. There were many stars on the day, not least Tom Mitchell, CTO of Mission, DoP Ben Margitich and Director Dominic Danson. Pablo Garcia Soriano picked up the grade and deliverables over Lockdown.
Socially Distanced Filming – This film was an idea I took to Sony during Lockdown and first shown in late May 2019. The film was contructed from archive with a VO (thank-you, Hannah Kapff) and shows how a broad range of technology can help with social distancing and support filmmakers with a wide variety of solutions. The film and accompanying PDF have been well received and to my knowledge this was the first film demonstrating the role technology can play in keeping crew and talent safe on set.
Envy Remote: Escape and HP Case Study – This customer case study film from October 2021 had a challenging brief with the requirement to cover multiple HP products (with core features and benefits) as well as a testimonial for the reseller. The articulation and audience engagement was based on the considerable market interest there is for the new service and where the product benefits are fully linked.
Social Media Shorts - This short film shows a variety of examples of the (above) Escape and HP Case Study for Envy Remote as social media teasers with different aspect ratios (including portrait) as well as the 16x9 social media teasers following. With the audio track, there’s a certain hypnotic quality to seeing all three synced together which is somehow quite pleasing. Many agencies might charge a premium for delivering re-purposed assets at changed frame rates (IGTV and Instagram require 30 fps) but with a little bit of thought (and an original 4K recorded file) this shouldn’t be so taxing.
Sony Venice Extension System – This behind the scenes film was shot in early 2019 to promote the Sony Venice Extension System. My method to work with a constructed one-day film shoot working with the camera (this time a music promo) to collect BTS footage and to colour the interview – this time with with Balazs Bolygo BSC, HSC - with meaningful GVs. I additionally had a second day’s aerial shoot above London with Helicopter Film Services which delivered the stunning Illuminating London film at the top of this page. The second film was never promised. I just wanted to master it and it proved to be very popular. Footage from this film was additionally used in the Socially Distanced Filming film immediately above.
Silver Sturgeon (Day) – One of two films promoting Woods Silver Fleet’s flagship river yacht. The brief to sell the experience in an ethereal way. I have never seen better footage of London from the river as shot that day and night… The film was supported by Canon who also received a BTS / testimonial film about their C700 camera. (Both this and the next film were shot on a beta-version.)
Silver Sturgeon (Night) – The partner film to the film above evoking a different more glamorous mood, again with some exceptional shots from both the river and from a helicopter, working with Jeremy Braben, Associate BSC.
Introducing the Sony F65 - This was in many ways the most challenging project I have ever worked on. Not only were there over half a dozen A List cinematographers involved but the pre-release camera didn’t have a defined workflow which I also project managed with Sony and FilmLight. The film was shot over a number of weeks in multiple locations including Amsterdam, London and the Lake District where we constructed a film through which to test the camera. It was the second film ever mastered working with Sony’s at the time flagship digital cinema camera. To say it was well received is an understatement. The camera was every bit as good as the commentary suggests in this film. The film dates back almost a decade but still works as a thoughtful and detailed product summary and testimonial, where the film length would rarely be an issue.
Samsung Natural History Museum VR Case Study - I have included this testimonial-centric film as it ably summarises a fantastic initiative. The film was shot and mastered in Spring 2015 and captures multiple elements visually linking a range of cultural ideas that sit comfortably with the content and message with some concisely edited interviews.
The Western Library, part of the Bodleian Library, Samsung Displays Case Study - This cut down version includes some of the stunning set-ups we shot to visually link the past and present within what is a stunning cultural achievement. Access and permissions were always at a premium and required careful negotiation and attention.
A Greater Intelligence - This late 2014 launch film for Secure Data is without doubt the most ambitious project I have ever worked on. The budget was ‘finite’ for what was a compelling storyboard based on one single tracking shot from inside the machine to a broad London vista followed by a morph with a second full counter zoom from the human eye to a mid-shot. (It was originally going to link up with Google and I just couldn’t see how this would cognitively work.) Although the film later uses some VFX sequences, most of the film was shot in camera working with a combination of 6K for additional crop, large cine-zoom lenses and a dolly on tracks with a talented crew, led by Ed Moore, BSC and AC Jason Cuddy and Jeremy Braben, Associate BSC in the air. My primary motivation in getting involved was just how challenging the primary sequences would be to film and a love of Buñuel. With Jeremy we tried and I think succeeded in creating an extraordinary shot involving shooting vertically down the Leadenhall building and on the split second counter-zooming to time with the helicopter arcing away for the panoramic vista. I don’t think anyone has tried this shot before or since. This is ‘in camera’ aerial with ambition and attitude.
Televisual Village Fete Wrap Film - a short capturing the mood of a Televisual post production community event in mid-July 2021 (just ahead of Lockdown being fully eased). It has a different look and feel to your average event wrap film…