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| An example of Progressive Pictures work... |
Evan Burgess interviewed local film maker Jamie Blackburn, who
specialises in aerial film using his camera drone...
EAB: Was it easy
going self employed?
JB: It's something
I've always thought about but no, it was a tricky decision which involved lots
of research and number crunching. Ultimately though if you want to pursue an
ambition you know you'll have to work hard and take some risks, so I decided to
go for it.
EAB: Your work with
a drone is just a part of your repertoire, but how much does it separate you
from other film makers who use more ordinary equipment?
JB: I think being a
filmmaker & photographer with access to a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is
quite a unique way of working in the industry. It's a difficult course to gain
permission from the CAA to operate commercially so despite the technology
becoming more available it's still quite a specialist service. However I don't
just look to use it for my own projects and separate myself from other more
conventional filmmakers, but rather provide everyone with the opportunity and
access to include aerial work in their projects, whether it's for a production
company, event organisers, construction and surveying or archaeologists etc.
EAB: How did you
present your plan to the Prince’s Trust? Did they give you anything valuable
apart from money?
JB: Working with
The Prince's Trust has been fantastic. I signed on with their Enterprise
Programme where I completed a course in the basics of running a business and
was then assigned a personal tutor to help develop a solid business plan over
the following 6 months. Once the plan had been approved I then gave a (more
friendly) dragons den style pitch to a panel of business specialists and
entrepreneurs. It was a bit nerve-wracking giving the presentation but I had a
lot of confidence in my plan and particularly the figures and I also included
some of my short films to make the whole thing more engaging. In the end they
liked me and my business plan and I was successful in getting a low interest
start-up loan. As well as this I now have access to a Prince's Trust mentor for
the next 2 years to give me any advice or guidance should I need it, as well as
internal access to the wider Trust network.
EAB: How much time
have your jobs taken you?
JB: On average an
aerial photography shoot will take between 2 and 4 hours and filming a bit
longer, but it depends entirely on what's being shot and where. My conventional
film work usually takes between 1 and 2 days but again this can vary. In the
summer I spent 3 days filming for Lamborghini in the Scottish Highlands and
then in December I'm filming in the French Alps for 2 weeks so each project is
fairly unique. I also offer a retouch service for photography and editing for
film so projects can continue for several days after the shoot.
EAB: Do you have
other interests in film like screen writing and working with full length
movies?
JB: I've been
filmmaking for over 15 years now and doing it professionally since 2007 so over
that time I've had a go at most aspects of film production. For my degree my
specialist area was editing and this is also what I've worked professionally in
for the most amount of time but I also have a keen interest in cinematography
and the use of camera angles and lighting to help boost the impact of a scene.
One day I would love to develop my own feature film but at the moment I'm
really interested in creative marketing so I'm happy developing my short
web-based promotional work and doing the scripting, shooting and editing for
each project. However from time to time larger projects do require hiring in
additional freelance specialists for certain aspects of the production.
EAB: What is the
best way of drumming up interest from clients?
JB: Quite a lot of
clients are developed through word of mouth and other contacts and networks,
however a good marketing strategy includes a descent website and hassling
anyone and everyone via email and phone. In the visual industries it's also
really important to be able to demonstrate examples of your work through
portfolios and showreels. I try to put together a new showreel every couple of
years to demonstrate the current styles and techniques as well as the clients
I've worked with. My latest aerial showreel can be found here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcGTi7ZTzA
EAB: Where can
people find your work?
