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!

THROUGH MY LENS: LOST SHEEP COFFEE

A KAMILA COFFEE REVIEW

Lost Sheep Coffee is located near the bus station in Canterbury, Kent and it’s my default morning coffee shop. I’m always welcomed by the friendly faces of baristas Mike, Tom, Martha, and Alistair, and it’s the perfect place to start my day with a kick of caffeine.

The coffee is fantastic. Two grinders sit at the front of the counter and offer a single origin guest coffee and a special house blend roasted by Mike in their Coffee Roastery in Whitstable. Guest coffees are selected periodically by the baristas and there’s something new to try every few weeks! You can taste offerings from roasteries such as; Cast Iron, Koppi, Girls Who Grind Coffee, Hundred House Coffee and many more.

Mike has a real talent for nailing the flavours in his roasts, I always have to treat myself to an espresso and a flat white simply because I love to compare tasting notes in both. Quite recently Lost Sheep started roasting coffee especially for filters, and I had the experience of sampling their amazing beans from Sulawesi and El Salvador, just perfect for aeropress.

I’m always recommending this place to everyone I know, so find the Lost Sheep in Canterbury and just #drinkdifferent.

See:

Lost Sheep Coffee: https://www.lostsheepcoffee.com/

Photos: Canon AE-1 on Fujifilm Colour 200 35 MM FILM

THROUGH MY LENS: POP UP CAFE, DEAL

A KAMILA COFFEE REVIEW

Back in May I was visiting some Heritage sites; Deal & Walmer castles. I did my coffee shop homework the night before and I chose the Pop Up Cafe in Deal as a place for a break in between visiting the two sites. Situated in the city centre, opposite the famous pound shop, the Pop Up Cafe offers an ecstatic and pleasant experience. The walls were covered with some really cool artwork; one of the posters looked like Tretchikoff’s painting “Chinese Girl”. I noticed that they use coffee beans which are roasted in Margate from Curve Coffee and was excited to see what they had to offer. After a good chat with the baristas I ordered an espresso with a filter coffee to follow. I ended up trying two of their filters - the first one Juan Saldarriaga, Colombian was mellow and citrusy. I enjoyed it so much that my friend bought me a bag of the beans. I also tried the Rwandan espresso and an Ethiopian filter to go. I will definitely go back to Pop Up coffee as they know how to brew a decent cup. It was a good coffee experience.

See:

Pop Up Coffee: www.popupcoffe.co.uk

Curve Coffee Roasters: www.curveroaster.co.uk

Photos: Canon AE-1 on Fujifilm Colour 200 35 MM FILM