Category: Articles
-
These 5 Secrets Will Make Your Travel Videos Approximately 100 Times Better
Secret 1: Know your story. Know it well before you set off. Good films begin with a clear question and travel towards an answer through a series of shorter scenes linked together, each of which reveals something new — just as in a play. Focussing on this will help you to shoot what’s relevant, not…
-
5 Lessons Every Adventure Filmmaker Should Learn About Storytelling
Without a story, your adventure film will fall flat, no matter how interesting you think it is. This article is a crash-course in the building blocks of story, specifically for adventure filmmakers. No two journeys are the same, and so no two videos will tell quite the same story. But regardless of the specifics of your project…
-
Some Crucial But Overlooked Elements Of Making A Good Adventure Film
A great number of expeditions and adventures are filmed, especially now the equipment to do so is cheap and accessible. But few projects ever reach the screen. This begs the simple question: Why are so many expedition film projects unsuccessful? The art of filmmaking is broadly misunderstood. It’s not just ‘photography with movement’. That’s cinematography, not…
-
Something’s Happening In The World Of Adventure. And I’m Not Sure I Like It
Let me tell you a little story. A couple of years ago I was invited to give a talk in London. The details were vague, but the gist was this: a small, select group of people would really like to spend a couple of hours hearing about my adventures. In return for my talk, they…
-
A Day In The Life Of An Adventure Filmmaker On Tour
As all adventurers know, it’s crucial to get a long day’s travelling off to the best possible start. Which is why, whenever circumstances allow, I begin my day with a ubiquitous Full English: Now, while I’d prefer to cycle to every film screening I attend, I all-too-often find myself on the train… …once I’ve waded…
-
Anatomy Of A Successful Kickstarter Campaign (And What You Should Know Before Launching Yours)
In late 2012 I took a gamble on crowdfunding my first book project. After three weeks of planning and preparation, I clicked the ‘launch’ button early one morning from the comfort of my bed, and nodded off for a little doze. What happened next was this: £300 in pledges had come in before I got…
-
How To Shoot Your Own Blockbuster Travel Documentary [Video]
Following on from the introduction to wild-camping, the second in this series of comic shorts deals with the difficulties of solo filmmaking. Get involved! Help get the word out about Janapar by sharing this video with the buttons above. (You can join the film’s mailing list if you wish to stay informed more regularly.)
-
How To Effectively Film Your Journey, Adventure Or Expedition
I’ve began filming my adventures in 2007, when I’d barely picked up a video camera before. In 2011, I found myself presenting my first feature-length documentary at the Royal Geographical Society in London. I’ve since released two more feature docs (and numerous shorts), won film festival awards for my work, host workshops on travel filmmaking for…