An occasional blog on topics related to my work. For a behind-the-scenes look, subscribe to my Patreon page.
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Being able to call myself an ‘award-winning filmmaker’ is a notable bonus when it comes to getting a certain type of person to take notice of my work. Like a well-designed book cover or a blog post optimised to attract search engine traffic, film awards are a way to advertise the fact that what you’ve made might be […]
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2015’s Resolutions, Goals & Major Life Upheavals
Yeah, I know it’s a little late to be posting articles on New Year plans and resolutions. What can I say, I’ve been busy! (And that itself is something I want to change… on which more later.) This is my third and final Annual Review post for this New Year. If you’re just arriving, first […]
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2014’s Resolutions: How Did They Stand Up?
This time last year I published a similar ‘Annual Review’ style series of blog posts, the third and last of which was a forward-looking piece, aimed at setting a few resolutions to overcome the previous year’s ills. It’s been interesting reading back over these words, because I didn’t pin those resolutions to my wall, nor […]
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Getting Perspective Down Under (Plus, My One Big Resolution For 2015)
Of the many reasons I came to Australia, the most fundamental was a growing need to let go of the habits and routines I’d fallen into. Tenny and I officially migrated to the UK in 2011 as a married couple, driven largely by the idea that two British citizens would be better than one when it came […]
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5 Easy Ways To Massively Boost The Watchability Of Your Travel Videos
Here’s five easy ways to improve the quality of your video footage when you’re on the road. Follow these pointers and the watchability of your travel videos will skyrocket. The text is packed with links to video tutorials on each specific shooting-related topic, so bookmark and study at your leisure. Tip #1: Know your camera. You wouldn’t bake […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Karun: A Source To Sea Journey Along Iran’s Longest River
Today I’m very pleased to be able to share with you the first of a couple of teaser videos of Karun, the film I’ve recently been working on. For those who missed it, Leon and I travelled to Iran in the spring of 2014 in order to follow the longest river in Iran. This film, […]
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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 […]