Pura Vida – Family vacation film

So many times I come back home from a vacation, bleary-eyed and full of fun memories… Only to look at my holiday-snaps, which either are a failed attempt at being arty, or are incredibly boring and same-y unless you were there, or are immediate family. I do have a nice DSLR, so while my photos and videos have a slight edge over the usual iphone fare, I still suffer from shooting pretty boring vacation videos that tend to sit on a hard drive forgotten for all time. Until today, after seeing one video described as their family’s “vacation film.” I definitely have something new to aspire to.

I’m just back from California myself… I’ll have to see if I even have 10 seconds of decent footage. Unlikely.

A new style of WAVEFORM

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted, luckily I can genuinely blame busy-ness, with days filled with editing commemorations, recording albums, and preparing for monster music video shoots. Today I found myself with a moment to breathe, and another moment of inspiration, as usual, discovered from Vimeo’s staff picks. A new take on the genre of surf video – with an incredible kinetic feel, almost like looking at the cells on old reels of film. It’s an effect I’ve attempted to use before, but I’ve never seen it done as well.

Happy Friday folks

A little tip for all the future filmmakers out there

Looking down at GROWTH

Two of my recent posts have featured videos featuring youth from around the world, and videos using drone photography. Vimeo just directed me to this beautiful documentary that looks like it combines the two, along with cranes and other overhead camera mounts. It’s a great visual element, showing the universality of the world, youth, growing up and growing older. It’s also a loving look at family, friendships and what is important in life.

Seven Seven – Ten Years On

I was surprised when opening up my social media feed this morning that the 7/7 London bombings were ten years ago today. I remember the day clearly – it was a rare warm day in Dublin and I’d just arrived in work and was sneaking a look at mySpace; it was not the connected social media space it was today. I believe it was through text messaging and looking at online news feeds like msn that I found out about it. I had friends in London, I didn’t know how to get in touch with them, there was no twitter or Facebook space for them to give us the instant insight to their wellbeing. It was scary. Not as terrifying as living through it to be sure. Vimeo featured a touching animation made by a survivor about the day. It’s definitely worth a watch.

FIVE

This is so good that I will likely post it on another blog, my more personal, mama-oriented blog, mamaguitar.wordpress.com – but it is also very inspirational from a filmmaking point of view. These days, I tend to admire simple filmmaking, simple stories, beautifully shot and artfully edited. Perhaps it’s because I know I tend to overcomplicate my own projects and feel I could learn a thing or two about simplicity. There is also a truly beautiful moral to this story, it shows how truly alike we all are, despite our perceived differences – especially when shown the world through the un-tainted eyes of a child. Here is FIVE

Let’s Take a Trip

Drones are the video-maker’s toy du jour… and while they are very trendy, there is really a true art to shooting and editing a GOOD drone video. Something that allows you to take a few minutes out of your day and take a trip somewhere new and exotic – or even just get a new perspective of somewhere familiar. Here’s 3 of my favourite drone tourism videos.

Jordan from the Air

Seen from the Sky – Wild Atlantic Way (made by the very company I work for!)

A day in the life of Santa Barbara (my home town no less)

LURE: Stunning fashion on film

A few years ago I was hired to go to London Fashion Week with a few presenters, to film & edit some short pieces that would end up on blog posts and as various social media sharables. Admittedly, fashion was a world I had never entered, or even aspired to – but it was thrilling to be there, essentially with an all access camera pass, filming fashion shows, escaping backstage to capture the buzz of hair and makeup and stylists and models. I got really into it; the scramble at the catwalk, the choreography, the music, the art of each piece of clothing being modelled. I cajoled with other photographers and camera operators, some ruthlessly, desperately looking to capture the perfect angle. Some were downright gentlemen, helping me and my short arse get some sort of shot. I witnessed the wannabes attempting to get noticed and those people who oozed effortless cool. I loved every second of it, even with the tough physical labor that being a camera op/editor involved. I’d jump at the opportunity to work at another fashion week again given the chance. Seeing this beautiful piece brought me straight back to those runways. I love the combination of fashion, design, animation, sound design. Gorgeous in every way

Come with me to my Lighthouse

I had the absolute pleasure of editing a video for a project I am quite excited about myself – Great Lighthouses of Ireland – 12 lighthouses dotted around the island of Ireland that you can visit, and even stay at. Talk about romantic, bucket-list stuff. Quite pleased with the result if I do say so myself. greatlighthouses.com

A Magic Music Video

It’s clearly quite big budget, and not the usual kind of music I’m into, but I absolutely adore this music video by San Cisco. The story, the costume and design, the playful story suggestion. Even the editing at the start. It’s as if Wes Anderson directed a vampire flick. Perfection. Or should I say, Magic?