How Our Team’s New Skills Enhance Our Video Projects

At Block Art Media, we believe in continuous growth and improvement to provide our clients with the best possible service. Recently, two of our talented team members, Peter Sladen and Peter Marsh, completed advanced courses to further hone their skills. These new qualifications not only benefit their professional development but also significantly enhance the quality and creativity of our video production services.

Mastering Colour Grading: Peter Sladen and DaVinci Resolve 18

Peter Sladen, one of our founders and part of the BAM production team, recently completed "The Colourist Guide to DaVinci Resolve 18" course and earned a certification. This intensive course gave Peter an in-depth understanding of colour grading, a crucial aspect of video production that dramatically influences the mood, atmosphere, and visual appeal of a project.

Peter S On set

Peter is now an officially certified colour grader with Davinci Resolve!

Why is Colour Grading Important?

Colour grading is the process of enhancing the colour, saturation, and contrast of a video. It’s not just about making the footage look good; it’s about creating a specific look and feel that aligns with the story and the video’s message. For instance, a warm, saturated colour palette can evoke feelings of nostalgia and warmth, while cooler tones can create a sense of calm or detachment.

Benefits for Your Project:

  • Enhanced Visual Appeal: With Peter’s advanced skills in DaVinci Resolve, our videos will have a more polished and professional look, ensuring your video stands out.

  • Consistent Brand Identity: Colour grading helps maintain a consistent visual style across all your content, reinforcing brand recognition and identity.

  • Improved Storytelling: The right colour scheme can enhance the narrative, making your videos more engaging and impactful.

Elevating Storytelling: Peter Marsh’s Training at the National Film and Television School (NFTS)

Our creative lead and video director, Peter Marsh, recently completed two short courses on directing and storytelling at the prestigious National Film and Television School in London. These courses focused on advanced techniques in narrative construction and directorial practices, equipping Peter with even more skills to tell compelling stories through video.

Mr Marsh. Shooting and Directing!

The Art of Storytelling:

Storytelling is at the heart of every great video. It’s about creating a connection with the audience, drawing them into the narrative, and leaving a lasting impression. Effective storytelling involves understanding the audience, crafting a compelling plot, and directing the action to convey the desired message.

Benefits for Videos:

  • Stronger Narratives: With Peter Marsh’s enhanced storytelling abilities, our videos will captivate audiences with engaging and well-structured narratives.

  • Creative Direction: Peter’s training in directing ensures that every scene is thoughtfully crafted and executed, resulting in high-quality, cinematic videos.

  • Brand Alignment: Effective storytelling helps align your video with your core values, vision, and messages, making it more relatable and memorable for your audience.

Conclusion

At Block Art Media, we’re always looking to up our game in video production. The recent courses Peter Sladen and Peter Marsh completed are proof of our dedication to developing our skills. With these new experiences, we're excited to bring you even more creative, engaging, and visually stunning videos. We can’t wait to bring these enhanced capabilities to your projects!

We are excited to bring these enhanced capabilities to your projects!

Block Art Media x Emeli & Zack Morris: Bringing "Real" to Life

We're excited to share some behind the scenes of a music video we made last year for an Artist called “Emeli” and her song, "Real"!

Zack Morris, the director of the video, came to us with a vision to capture the multifaceted nature of "reality" through captivating visuals in a classic hip-hop-style video format. Our own team along with many extremely talented individuals (listed at the end of the blog!), worked closely with Emeli and Zack to translate this vision to life.

From Pre-production to Screen

Before the shoot day, there were many hours of brainstorming, shot planning refinement, and creative discussions. Director Zack shared his treatment and vision for the shoot, and the team bounced ideas back and forth on how to achieve specific shots and implement creative camera angles. The shoot would take place in one studio and have a car as one of its main focal points. The importance of creative lighting and shot variety were paramount to transport us through these various stages of “reality” Zack wanted to capture. All this pre-production planning ensured a smooth shoot day and helped us achieve Zack's vision.

Pre-Visualisation:

During pre-prodiction our team helped create some pre-visualisation of the opening car shot to help get the shoot off to a good start.

A visualisation of the opening shot created by Block Art during pre-production.

How the shot looked on the day!

The Shoot

As the shoot day arrived, our talented team, led by Director of Photography Peter Marsh, seamlessly collaborated with Zack Morris and the lighting crew to bring Emeli and Zack's vision to life. The day began with a challenging dolly track shot – a complex car shot through the window (remember the one from pre-production?). It required meticulous lighting adjustments by Stevie, Ramil, and Pierce, along with precise track laying by Drew and Tom. While this initial shot took time to perfect, it set the stage for a smooth flow through the rest of the storyboard. Shoutout to our awesome camera assistants, Kamila Lobuzinska and Tom Webster.

A vibrant reality

Zack envisioned a segment that bursts with vibrancy, overflowing with colours that pop and dazzle the senses. Our lighting maestros, Pierece, Ramil, and Stevie, worked their magic, programming an array of glowing, vibrant hues from a DMX controller that set the screen ablaze.

This particular part of the shoot wasn't just about sticking to the script; it was a an opportunity for experimentation and creativity with camera angles and zooms and for Emeli to be a bit more expressive. Unlike the more structured static or dolly shots, this segment allowed for a freer approach, inviting spontaneity and fun into every frame along with a kaleidoscope of colours.

Overhead shot

In this scene, Emeli was singing from the newly decorated car, courtesy of the talented art department. During pre-production, we delved deep into discussions on how to bring Zack's envisioned overhead shot to life. It was a challenge that required a lot of planning, strategic rigging, and precise positioning of the camera on the day. Yet, with dedication and ingenuity, the team pulled it off seamlessly.

Dive into the "Real" Experience

Head over to REAL- EMELI to experience the music video, and see the creative vision come to life.

A Big Thank You

We want to express our sincere gratitude to Emeli, Zack and the entire team for their incredible talent, dedication, and collaborative spirit. It was an absolute pleasure working on this project, and we can't wait to see what exciting collaborations the future holds!

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes on 35mm Film

Kamila Lobuzinska, our talented photographer, documented the shoot on beautiful 35mm film, as showcased throughout this blog. The film's unique aesthetic perfectly captured the creative energy and collaborative spirit of the day.

Looking to achieve a similar timeless look for your next shoot? We specialise in 35mm photography – GET IN TOUCH with a description of your project and for a free consultation!

Full Credits

  • Directed By: @_zack_morris

  • Starring/Artist: @emeli_officiall

  • 1st Assistant Director: @mohammed_mansaray

  • Producer: @d.m_truth

  • Movement Director: @zinziletshuma_

  • Music Production: @claydanmusic

  • Director of Photography/ Editor: @petermarshfilms

  • Camera Assistants: @kamila.lobuzinska, Tom Webster

  • BTS Photographer: @jamesday

  • Lighting Director/ Colourist: @petersladendop

  • Gaffer: Stevie Sheriff

  • Best Boy (Lighting): Ramil Sheriff

  • Dimmer Operator: @piercemcfarlanelighting

  • Designer: @_gabbia

  • Set Dresser: Jac Cullen

  • Wardrobe Stylist: @lisajune.styles

  • Makeup Team: @_gabbia, @stef_ten

  • Nail Technician: @sicasnailbar

  • Craft Services: @louisaidam_

  • Runner: @callum_bedford_

  • Picture Car Supplier: @sam_shirmer

At Block Art Media, we're a team fueled by a passion for creating captivating visuals. We specialise in crafting photo and video experiences that bring your vision to life, using a blend of traditional and modern techniques. Whether you're in Kent, Canterbury, or London or even further afield we'd love to chat about your next project.

Our Photo Was In The Sunday Times Style Magazine!

We were just about to part ways for the festive period when a notification popped up on our Instagram - it was something exciting, the perfect end to a great year!

We had done a shoot midway through 2022 with Eniola, the founder of Nuola Wig's, a luxury wig brand that she had started from her house and now had a thriving business. She wanted a series of strong photos to choose from for an article she was to be featured in about her business journey. The notification we saw was that our photo was in The Sunday Times Style Magazine alongside a write-up about Eniola. We were so excited and proud to see our work featured!

The first part of the shoot was a focus on creating a scene with Eniola at the centre between some of her amazing wigs.

Once we had completed the first set of regal-looking shots, we thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit. We asked Eniola to jump around and play with the wigs, creating something more dynamic and playful. We were absolutely delighted when one of these shots was chosen for the final article - it was a spontaneous decision that really paid off!

Here is the photo in the magazine:

A huge thanks to Eniola for the wonderful shoot and a massive shout-out to Praise Law Makeup for the amazing look:

Praise Law Makeup Instagram