MAY 2024 - Filming Take That and Olly Murs with Ross King for Lorraine ITV

A fun wee job at Glasgow Hydro with the ‘Lorraine’ TV Show. Albertine directing today and Ian doing the sound. A three camera setup for the interview. These things are always a bit rushed so arrived 90 mins early and did a few drone shots then got in with Katie the Take That PR person to setup up well in time.

We met Ross King and did a few pieces to camera with him. Super nice guy and he had his mate Kenny along to play the bagpipes.

Then we sat in for the Take That interview with Howard, Gary and Mark. Lovely guys and very easy to chat to. They have an ice bath they jump in before doing the show too. We toured the stage after to see the set up and chat through their show. A fun time.

Then I had ten minutes to setup an interview with Olly Murs at the far end of the corridor. Thankfully everyone helped move the kit:) Olly is a super nice guy and the interview went well.

Then we were all done just before they started getting reading to get on stage. These jobs always pass in a blur of adrenaline as I rush around for 4 hours then all finished and off home haha. Watch on Catch up as it was on Lorraine this week:)

Ross interview the Take That lads

My ten minute set up for Olly interview actually looks great :)

Me and Take That

Glasgow and the Hydro

April 2024 - Aerial Filming in Glencoe for a BBC ALBA Documentary

A nice few days with Solus Productions filming a revisit to a documentary from 8 years ago with a lady called Gladys. She was born in Ireland then adopted and brought to the west coast of Scotland and speaks Gaelic. She has been trying to find her original family all her life and some things come to light since the previous documentary.

Tony was directing, Phil on the main camera and Rowan producing. I was doing drone then some second camera during the interviews indoors.

Classic drone shot Glencoe

Speak Bridge

Great Grannie and Grandads house:)

MARCH 2024 - Filming Beluga Lagoon's concert in Stirling

What an awesome venue for a concert in the heart of Stirling. Great to be filming great mates as they sell out concerts. Andrew is keen to make a bit of a documentary of this year as Beluga lagoon start filling bigger venues. I pop along to enjoy the music and film a little bit of BTS as the band gets ready and then during the performance and them coming off stage.

Nerves within the band seemed less that Aviemore at this gig. Not that you’d notice from the audience:) Had a friend shooting some wides for me while I did a bit of steady cam and just hand held. Andrew wanted a bit more crowd in these shots so got in amongst the crowd. The crowd was a little more sober than Aviemore and most likely because Scotland had just won against England in the Rigby moments before the Aviemore concert lol.

Lovely interview with Iain ‘Fingers’ after the concert. Mainly unusable footage from Gregor and Willy after the concert lol:)

Very good vibe in this venue and a great night for all:)

Beluga Lagoon in Stirling

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FEBRUARY 2024 - Filming Beluga Lagoon Concert

Had a fun night filming Beluga Lagoon In Aviemore. There were 1100 tickets sold in 3 minutes!!! They also sold out the Barrowlands in 2 minutes.

Pretty fun to see behind the scenes of there first of a row of bigger concerts. As in previously they played to 250-350 audience so this was 4 times the size of crowd and Glasgow Barrowland will be 8 times the size I think.

Andrew is going to make a little documentary of this year as they do their gigs and asked if I’d film a bit of them BTS and on the stage as they played. Andrew had three songs he wanted recorded fully and the sound was being recorded on the decks at the back. Rupert Shanks a good mate who also lives in Aviemore was keen to help to. So Rupert was on a long lens at the back while I did wides on the gimbal from the stage and elsewhere.

The concert was brilliant and the whole band put on a great show:)

A chilled night as Andrew said to enjoy the night too. Hopefully myself and Rupert will be free to film the other venues throughout the year. Was a late finish as we all had a few beers after:)

Beluga Lagoon Band doing their thing:)

FEBRUARY 2024 - Filming instructional film with Dark Sky Media

A fun week filming Dave Macleod doing climbing coaching at his place in Roy Bridge. I was working for Chris Prescott here of Dark Sky Media ( www.darksky-media.com ) who does a lot of climbing filming. I was the second camera here and using his Sony kit. I have worked with Chris several times on a variety of projects so was fun to work with him again. The client was https://altitudeclimbing.com and the films we were making were for increasing your performance in rock climbing.

I’ve known Dave and Claire Macleod since university days so was good to catch up with them again. The last time I actually filmed Dave was in 1999 at Dunbarton rock on a Nick Tarmey film ‘Cutting Loose’ :)

Chris and myself had quite a bit of standing on crash mats not being able to move incase we wobble our tripods. Probably some form of torture standing still like this. Not sure how the Buckingham Palace guards manage it lol. But we battled through it. Hopefully be some great videos from the edit. Certainly Dave is massively knowledgeable and amazing at breaking down the tiniest bits of climbing to produce advancements for his students:)

Dave describing his different boots. Although one of the pairs he uses 90% of the time.

Chris Prescott and myself filming Dave doing his stuff.

SEPTEMBER 2023 - A day out to ITV This Morning.

ITV This Morning is one of my best clients and a do a lot of location work in Scotland and luckily abroad for them. So as I was going to be in London I gave Will Thomas a shout (he is a PD I do a lot of work with and is the head of features). He said arrive when the show is still going live and he can give me a tour of the studios.

I had a great time meeting new folk and folk I have worked with before and seeing Alan Carr (Chatty Man) on the couch. I met John Torode as I went in the door who had been recording the voice over for our Australia films. He was on good form. Then I met Dr. Scott with Martin Harper in an edit. Will then had to get back to editing and Dom continued my tour.

I bumped into Julia doing the cooking prep for the live cooks and India in production and the head editor, Freddie, Amber, Abby and many more. When the show finished I chatted with Alison and Dermot and got a sneaky picture on the couch.

Marten Harper took me for lunch and then I joined for drinks with a leaving party for a lighting engineer leaving doo who had been there for 7 years so it was a good day to be visiting:)

Alison myself and Dermot on the Couch:)

Will (my tour guide), John Torode and myself:)

AUGUST 2023 - House makeover with Banjo Beale and ITV This Morning.

A fun couple of days doing a makeover for the first time. Funny things to film as big rush at the start then steady filming all day then a mad rush of filming the painting etc etc at the end. Good bunch of people here which made for a fun day and Margaret the person who was getting the makeover on the budget of a £100. Is hopefully happy but you’ll need to watch in the autumn to see:)

Callum, Banjo, Rhian and Me out filming the intros at the Kelpies nearby while the work continues in the house.

Before

JULY 2023 - Camera operator in Barbados with ITV This Morning

This was a fun trip to get involved with. Possibly the sweatiest filming I’ve ever done but amazing to visit the Caribbean for my first time.

Here Harry the director had written a dating segment and we had 3 different couples out on dates to see how they got on. Laura was presenting and Nigel Francis was on sound and we had India from productions and Freddy as a researcher/helping with cameras there too. A brilliant team and we stayed at the lovely Sandles resort.

We even got a few hours off each day at lunchtime to enjoy a swim and relaxed lunch as we started early and finished late each day. With be on in the Autumn and you can see how the couples got on.

The fabulous film team:)

APRIL 2023 - Drone pilot in Scotland heads to Malta :)

Headed to Malta for a great film job with ITV This Morning. Here we are filming a piece about film locations and Malta has been used for many: Gladiator, Game of Thrones, Troy and many more. Joe for Gavin and Stacey is the presenter here. Such a lovely lady and very good fun to work with. Dom is the director from ITV This Morning and his dad is from Malta who we met along with several other family members hahaha. Handy having a director who knows all the places in Malta and having a Maltese second name helps too:)

Here I was doing the main camera work. Mostly on the Gimbal. I was also doing the sound as budget was tight. Then the drone work on top too.

Was interesting doing the drone permits for here but fortunately I have been registered here for years. Every flight must be authorised by their civil aviation authority so there is a lot of online paperwork to set up a job. But straight forward after you do the first few and get used to the system.

The tourism board helped us lots and sorted our permits and an amazing hotel to stay in. A bit better than normal being the number 1 hotel there:)

Our 5 star hotel ‘The Phoenicia Malta’ such an amazing place and lovely people.

The outdoor pool and the end of a few hundred meters of lovely gardens:)

Our film team with Mario the guide (with encyclopaedic knowledge of the island) Dom in the back and Joe the presenter up front.

April 2023 - Filming at Dumfries House with Camera and drone for ITV This Morning

A lovely day working with Will (director) and Daisy (presenter) at Dumfries House, one of the King’s properties where the Princes Trust does several activities. We were there to film in the Gardens, Farm, Chinese Bridge, and the lovely house.

Always good working with Will and lovely to meet Daisy who is brilliant and cheery:)

The Maze at Dumfries house

The Team Will, Daisy and myself:)

Daisy on the steps of Dumfries House

FEBRUARY 2023 - Camera operator and Drone for BBC Education in Edinburgh and Borders.

A few days making four films for BBC Education geography lessons:) Just me on my own following a shot list and script for plate shots for animations. A fun few days fitting things in-between the weather.

February 2023 - Filming Comic relief in the Cairngorms - Drone and Camera operator.

What a brilliant fun week with this team of Rylan, Oti and Emma. Also the whole safety team who I know from my work in the mountains, and Graeme and Kirsty who guided them on camera. A very wild weather week with 108mph on the summits. People, even heavy ones, get blown through the air at 100mph so pretty windy.

We hiked and filmed and I was covering the socials for Comic relief and for the uploads to BBC Breakfast and news crews each day. While along the way the a BBC crew were filming the documentary to go out a little later. The celeb team were new to the hiking and camping etc so was fun to see how they got on and how great they are with chatting to cameras and always being observed. Great week and Hamish Frost did the stills and Rupert Shanks helped me out.

Hamish, me, Rylan, Oti and Emma at the end.

Rylan getting a rare moment to himself to take in the surroundings on Cairngorm summit.

Emma and Oti on the summit of Cairngorm.

January 2023 - Camera operator and aerial filming on Lewis and Harris with the Hebridean Baker

So off to the Western Isles for some filming and cooking. I seem to get out to the isles often in my line of work which is fantastic. Here was to do a cooking show for ITV This Morning with usuals Julia organising the food and Ian doing the sound. A new PD to work with Rhian who is wonderful and a new presenter for me Coinneach the Hebridean Baker who is a lovely guy:)

We started in Harris filming on Luskentyre beach which is always lovely and to Harris distillery and up to Lewis for the other days with Callinish stones and Stornaway etc. Quite a bit of jumping round the weather as it is January so good bit of rain but thankfully sun too and rainbows:)

Luskentyre Beach

Amazing backdrop for cooking.

January 2023 - Camera and drone operator Aberdeen and Ballater for ITV 'This Morning' crime segment.

Did an interview with a murder detective and GV’s for this in December in Aberdeen city but today we were out in Ballater to film some more pieces and interview around the village. Pretty chilly day but nice sunshine and an interesting days but some gruesome facts and scary what humans can be like.

Isla was presenting this piece and Dom directing and using my second camera. With myself on ground camera drone and sound.

Ballater from the Air

My setup for the interview with the detective and Isla.

January 2023 - Camera and drone operator in Sardinia with Gino for ITV This Morning

Always great to head to Sardinia to shoot with the ever very funny Gino and the great ITV ‘This Morning’ crew. I was doing camera and drone here and Ashley Gadd from fresh audio was doing sound, Harry Bott was directing and Julia Alger was managing the food side of things for Gino.

Surprisingly for this time of year we only had one indoor cook and the rest was pretty sunny for January and we had a great time touring round different areas in the inner part of Sardinia. Mainly within 30mins oil Gino’s house.

Gino kept us entertained and ever professional and quick at what he does.

November 2022 - Self shooting PD on the Moray Coast for BBC 'Paramedics on Scene'

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:)

November 2022 - Camera operator and aerial filming in Thurso for BBC 'Paramedics on Scene'

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.

November 2022 - Camera Operator and Drone pilot Northumberland with John Torode

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:)

AUGUST 2022 - Drone pilot Aviemore with a night shoot and light display

This was the first of several shoots to come of filming lights at night as several hundred volunteers create a light show. Part of Green spaces dark skies series. Rupert Shanks was directing with James shooter doing daytime drone and both doing night shots on the ground. I did some camera and long lens during the day and then Drone at night with the Inspire 2 drone with X7 camera shooting in prores.

Pretty exciting shoot as only have 40mins at night to get the shots. But longer during the day. Camping shots by Rupert and beautifully put together by Rupert and Lindsay the editor.

Practice as the light starts to get right for it:)

JULY 2022 - Camera operator and Drone pilot Isle of Arran for BBC Countryfile

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:)