Kirk Watson films
I am a freelance filmmaker, based in Scotland. I can self shoot promotional, documentary, educational and narrative content and edit into a final film. I am also a fully licensed, CAA approved drone pilot and cinematographer. Perfect View Productions has all their own equipment to complete a project.
Whatever your story be it commercial, documentary or fictional we can help you get your message across in a high quality and professional manner.
Another day filming for a BBC TV Show’ Paramedics on Scene’. This time filming in a room in the fire station as its bigger than ambulance station in Banff:) Was a good crack and had some pretty good weather to get some drone shots of the area too.
On this shoot the interview was done through my laptop and hotspot on the phone while I did the 3 cameras, 3 lights, sound and after the drone:)
A super windy day up here in Thurso but managed a bunch of drone shots early morning. Then had a laugh meeting the Ambulance teams and setting up for an interview. The interview was about previous incidents that had been filmed and the interviewer was on my laptop hot spotted from my phone:)
Involved setting up in a small living room type area and moving chairs and getting 3 lights up then three cameras and sound:) A fun day out.
So John is back on the road on his bike as we tour a few spots in Northumberland and cook several lovely dishes. John is always great and easy to work with and so are the ITV This Morning crew. Will Thomas, directing, Natalie managing the cooking and Ian on Sound.
Was a fun week and weather amazingly held for us for November:)
Bamburgh Castle, the amazing spot for one of the cooks:)
John on Holy Island for a cook:)
Here working with Martin (Producer director with ITV This Morning who I have done many shoots with) and Dr Scott an Aussie vet presenter and my first time with.
We had a great week filming about rewinding and travelling about areas, planting trees, feeding squirrels and swimming in a freezing river. Great to be back up at Alladale too.
Our great team at Alladale:)
A trip to Holy Island for a bit of filming of an archeologist dig for the program “Europe from Above” can see last years on the Disney channel. Super interesting learning about this very early healing island and early Christian place and who lived there.
Also ome interesting weather to deal with. Was rewarded for both my early mornings filming the Sunrise though. Especially liked the castle framed through the church spire:) Had to occasionally fly the small drone due to the number of tourists around. Nice and quiet when the causeway is closed lol.
Castle framed through the Spire in 25mph winds and a bouncy drone:)
A 600 or more year old day person eeek.
Holy Island castle at dawn:)
Abbey and the dig from the mini 3 pro drone
The dig
Green Space Dark Skies Light Art Project all over the UK
So for this whole month I was on this project with my good friend Rupert Shanks. Rupert was directing and I was Director of Photography for the month. I mainly filmed with the Inspire 2 during each shoot alongside Phil and Tom of Pivotal films from Northern Ireland. We then had a variety of camera folk. Fred, Mike Webster, and good mate Andrew O’Donnell. Then Jason, Olly and Amy from production done by CC-Lab who were great to work with.
This light show was a concept by John and Mark to make an art installation on the highest peak in each country in the UK. A pretty hard thing to do mainly thinking of the weather on these peaks and whether you could actually film it. Also if volunteers will be keen. But all worked out amazingly. We had a few exciting days with weather but got there in the end.
The first shoot on Scafell Rupert was on another job so I had to fill in directing. This was fun as none of us new each other and was the first time filming together and figuring out how the light team and camera team can all work together. And a few plans changed at the last minute and a camera team looking at you for what we should do different. Was quite a bit of adrenaline but all worked out well and got some great shots with the 550 people on the mountain!
The finished film below which aired on Countryfile and has been seen by 5.5m people at time of writing this. Opening shot is mine:) Plus the sunrise shots on the thumbnail and at the end:)
Another great trip aerial filming for BBC ALBA . This time with new team member Owen we head to the Isle of Rona near Skye to see if we can climb any new rock routes😁. Pretty interesting trying to find routes and how safe they maybe as you climb up. Might even see a drone in this show? Was great fun few days somewhere new😁. Kenny presenting, Hamish directing and A Camera and editing (most things really), Rich Parkermountain safety and myself on aerial filming😁🎥. Production by Solus Productions
The ace Dana team on the way:)
Rona Bay
So this was first for me. Here I was doing a drone demo and letting other people fly my drones eeeek!! Several Journalist from round the country came to do a piece on Europe from Above and to find out more about drones. I was losing my voice a bit from a post cold (not covid this time thankfully) but I think I held it together with my speaking lol.
Was great to meet this group and I set up a little kind of assault course with the drone for them to do. All at the Fairmount hotel which was nice. If the photographer on the ground sees the images below please give me a shout I’ll pop a link to your site as pics are superb.
Some of the articles here:
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/how-aerial-photography-reveals-scotlands-complex-beauty-in-national-geographic-show-europe-from-above-1790354
https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/17-stunning-pictures-that-show-scotland-from-the-air-3799319
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1652679/Europe-From-Above-series-4-National-Geographic
A few pics below of the day:)
Pics from photographer that day. Who I can't remember eeek! If you see this remind me I'll pop a link to your website:)
The Fairmount Hotel and golf course
A trip to Barra for the second time this year. This time for ‘Europe from above’ a National Geographic program you can get on the Disney channel. Can see last years series just now, where I filmed about 70% of the Scottish parts:)
Well this was a challenging shoot travelling all the way there with ferries needing booked well in advance and then first day of shooting the winds are 40mph and raining!! Fortunately we got a couple of moments where it cleared and winds dropped and managed to film two planes landing. A few permissions were needed for this lol.
What an awesome airport where the planes only land at low tide on the beach. Great bunch of crew working there to making for some fun filming. the weather was a bit better day two after a morning of rain. Had to squeeze my 2 day shoot into an afternoon. I was like a headless chicken trying to get it done and ticking off the script as i went.
This was an exciting day filming live for BBC and BBC ALBA at Belladrum during the main event evening then shooting the massive fireworks at the end. The fact it is live makes everything more exciting especially the fireworks as they go off just nearby you as you are flying nearish to them and hoping none go off track towards the drone lol.
Pretty interesting and a real shame for the estate and many others in Aberdeen area with the destruction of forests and trees all over Aberdeenshire. This was for a TV show about the storm. Some shots from the air below to see the destruction. Pretty windy day for flying but got some great shots all the same:)
A great few days over on the Isle of Arran with Countryfile as we do a piece on the poor state of the CalMac ferries. Bit of touring round the island speaking to different business’s. Great bunch of locals, from hotels, farmers, shop owners, cocktail bar etc. We got some good weather too so was a fun journey. Tom Heap was presenting, Becky Whitefoot directing/producing and Martin McNair on the sound:)
We also had a bonus day out on a rib filming the calmac ferries by drone. This was great fun and always a bit more adrenaline flying from small boats. But a smooth day at sea:)
A few days as drone operator for Richard Elliott Aerial Filming. Richard was away on a cruise filming ships so myself and Pete stepped in for a few days. A few dual op days and a few solo days and a lot of driving. Finished footage was for use in a TV Commercial for LNER. Always exciting filming trains and trying to find nice spots but also spots so you can see the train coming and actually have the drone rolling in time for it:)
Here we are back with the Stunt horse team to film as they pack up in the Scottish Borders for a journey to Ribchester for the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show. Here they are putting on a Cowboys and Indian show. I am filming with my drone the Inspire 2 when it doesn’t rain and also doing some long lens slow mo action of the riders. A Great day seeing this team riding, they are pretty amazing at what they do:) This is for a BBC prime time program following this team and directed by Ramsay.
Today I was back with Ramsay and Robyn from Caledonia TV for a program about a horse stunt team in the borders of Scotland. Today was a little different where we were filming an annual ride out of 300 or more horse, which was pretty amazing to see. Very busy few hours so not much chance for pics as had to film then run to the next spot lol. Will go out late summer on Prime time BBC.
Always fun filming with BBC Countryfile. Here we filmed a piece about the making of a Children in need hat in a Kilmarnock factory and also interviewed a Ukrainian farmer online. Then we came to Aviemore to film with Fiona’s ponies on a piece about the Queen for the Jubilee. Great to finish on my own patch and meet another local too.
Now this was an amazing trip with the Dana crew. Filming the 8th episode together and the 2nd episode of season two. Here we head to Mingulay the un-inhabited island on the far south of the Western Isles. We are going for 4 days camping and climbing on the massive sea cliffs. there is something very special about this island, not sure what it is just feels great being there with the wildlife and sea and cliffs:)
We amazing get great weather although quite windy. We almost get stuck there which we were all looking forward to but Angus in his boat managed to get in to the little rocky gully where we load up. Some pics below just to show how amazing the place looks.
The footage was stunning here with climbers high on the cliffs and an ever moving background of waves crashing against the cliffs. Akira Kurosawa would have loved the movement in the shots lol. These episodes are out in October:)
Had a great week here working for Solus productions on a Dana episode for BBC ALBA. We aimed to do a winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge but the weather did not permit us so we had a few days on the Cuillin ridge doing some munro in great winter conditions and a rock climb on the Cinch one of the other days in-between the 80mph winds and snow/rain lol.
Great team as alway here with Hamish as A Camera and director myself doing drone and second camera and Kenny presenting with Matt. Rich Parker and Jon Saunders doing our safety. Pretty heavy sacks and lots of walking for us all but should be a great episode in October:)
So this week I have been working for Richard Elliot aerial filming. Richard does a lot of filming of LNER trains and needed a hand from myself and Pete as we had to cover London to St Andrews. A lot of driving for this job but fun. There is always a bit of adrenaline filming trains as they usually come allow pretty fast and and gone quickly. Easier near london as the next one is along 5mins later but in Scotland its a bit more exciting as when you miss it. It might be 2-4 hrs before the next one lol.
This was for creating their new TV advert
So today I was told to meet the crew at 10am at Dunnottar Castle to film more for the ancient murder mystery TV Show. but I saw the weather the night before so I stayed at my parents nearby for the night and arrived at 6.45am to have time to set up for sunrise as looked liked it would only be clear for a bit then clouds come in then 45mph winds by midday!
I knew the location of the ancient murder so I went about capturing lots of shots before anyone arrived. I certainly was not disappointed. I reckon my shot revealing the castle with a thick red blood sky just as a large murder of crows fly out from the Tower Keep will definitely be in the opening credits. Not often when everything alines for a money shot but so good when it does:)
