On a bitterly cold Thursday morning at the end of January, Bristol Wildlife Filmmakers welcomed sixteen students from all over the UK to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire.
This was the first day of a two-day filming course designed to show students how to get the best shots from their video cameras and how to use these shots to tell compelling wildlife stories.
© James Lees
In January Slimbridge really comes into its own with huge numbers of birds arriving for the winter – from the famous wild Bewick swans to the thousands of water birds attracted to the reserve’s flooded marshes. Slimbridge in winter is a magical place for any aspiring wildlife filmmaker.
All the students were eager to get out onto the reserve with the cameras, but before braving the cold they opted for hot tea and the production workshop led by tutors, Karen Partridge and Sarah Pitt. It focused on sequence building and was designed to introduce everyone to the basics of film grammar and to get them thinking about what to do before picking up the camera. Planning a shoot is a real skill and shooting with purpose is the best way to approach any filming challenge. It always saves time (and heartache) when it comes to putting everything together to create a visual story that others will want to watch.
Working in four groups of four, with the theory fresh in their minds, and filming briefs firmly in their hands, it was time for the students to get to grips with the cameras. Camera tutors, John Waters and Robin Smith, took everyone expertly through the 20 Golden Rules of Camerawork from camera set-up (manual is always preferable to auto!) through composition and shot-length to the variety of shots needed to bring sequences to life. Then it was out on to the reserve to learn about filming from hides – a necessity to avoid disturbing the birds but often frustrating – and to get to grips with the long lens. All wildlife filming comes with its own set of challenges and the ability to think laterally is an essential part of the filmmakers tool-kit!
Friday was an early start (7 o’clock, so barely light at this time of year) to give everyone the chance to observe the wild Bewick swans coming in for the first swan feed of the day, and one group the opportunity to film Julia Newth, the Slimbridge Swan Recorder, at work. The day was cold but bright, and the students spent the rest of the morning filming in winter sunshine. Following a warming lunch (overlooking the flamingo pond), it was back to the Slimbridge Centre for the four tutors to review and discuss all the footage shot and answer questions from the students.
The two days of the course were dedicated to filming and learning about the kind and variety of shots needed to make any sequence or film work effectively. Now the students wanted to know how their shots would go together and what they might convey … but that’s editing … another story altogether …
