Grow Observatory Videos

Over the past month I’ve been filming a new documentary style video in London for a project called the Grow Observatory.

Filming a documentary style video

Documentary style videos are some of my favourite videos to create. I love being able to capture life in a natural way. As a result you’re preserving history and creating an archive for future generations to look back on. One of the key approaches for me is to have the ability to work and move quickly. In other words, this ensures you don’t miss a moment or something very important. As a result I opted for the Sony FS700 and Odyssey 7Q camera setup as this is a great camera to pickup shots quickly.

The filming process

The Grow Observatory project is one consisting of growers and scientists, using simple tools to better manage soil and grow food. I’ve been all over London filming some of the participants on their allotments and capturing videos of their results. This is a particularly special video project for me to be involved in. I think its of great importance to educate more people to learn to grow their own food and in turn create a more sustainable world.

As we were filming outside I didn’t have the benefits of filming inside with access to electric for lighting. For external interviews I like to face the interviewee back to the sun. Next I use a reflector to bounce some light back into the face. If its a sunny day I usually use a white reflector. However if its an overcast day I may opt for a silver or gold to add a bit more light onto the face. Above all, once you’ve found a good location for the interview, everything looks very professional. As a result this really gives the interview a great look.

The content of the documentary style video

The content for this project was all based outside and on the allotment. As a result we were filming bees in their hives, chickens and the general wildlife you’d expect from an allotment. This made for a great mix of b-roll.

The end result

In conclusion, we ended up with some fantastic footage and a great looking interview. All this video material really showcased the amazing progress people have made using the Grow Observatory guidelines!