Liberating Structures

I was very fortunate to be a part of this event a few weeks ago... Originally I was contacted to potentially document the day and make a short film. However, having spent time with the team it became clear we had many interests in common and I was happy to simply tag along and do …

Bertha Park High Official Opening

Depute First Minister John Swinney MSP being interviewed by Mason, Bertha Park High There's only ONE first night... ONE official launch... ONE grand opening. Just before Christmas I was invited to attend the Official Opening of Bertha Park, a brand new high school in Perthshire. I had previously worked with the staff and was honoured …

#MadeOnAMobile at the Open University

I’ve been aware of the Open University for as long as I can remember. From the baffling TV programmes of the late 70s (while I was off sick from school) through to understanding later in life what an innovative and creative solution the OU was to learning and person centred education. https://youtu.be/4pj7qMHLpho Footage and feedback …

#FiLMiCFest – I’ve been shortlisted..!

FiLMiCPro is my go to video camera app for most situations – and now that FiLMiC’s app for still photography First Light has been released, the native Apple camera app is pretty much redundant. So when I heard about the FiLMiC mobile film festival I had to submit something and, by chance, the perfect project …

First Light – the last word in mobile photography

#MadeOnAMobile was very nearly “MoviesOnAMobile”... The reason that name didn’t stick was because since 2010 I’ve been using mobile devices for a number of other things - podcasts, animation, QR code trails – and so I didn't want to limit myself to any particular activity. In fact, photography was my first port of call. I …

#MadeOnAMobile at Discovery Point – Monday 11 November

Monday 11 November – book now! Very excited to announce a special #MadeOnAMobile filmmaking workshop happening at Dundee's Discovery Point, home to the actual exploration and research Ship RRS Discovery. Its first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition, carrying Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first, and highly successful, journey to the …

Values with character…

"If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested, they're not values: They're hobbies." – Jon Stewart "Playful Communications" is not so much a business name as a mission statement and commitment of value. Intentionally so. I once had it thrown back at me on a feedback form from someone who thought I …

What does a film that was #MadeOnAMobile look like?

So, if you make a film on a mobile phone or a tablet, what does it look like? Is it obvious? Is it low quality? Does it look un-professional? I'm going to let you judge for yourself... Here's are a few I made in June at #CollegeExpo19 for the College Development Network. https://youtu.be/LKf5JYaLo9k   How's …

Standing ovation in Cannes for iPhone shot movie

"He [Lelouch] told me it was the camera he’d been dreaming of his entire life" – Maxime Heraud (cinematographer) This insightful article on veteran Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch demonstrates why more and more film makers are turning to the iPhone (and the FilmicPro camera app) to make intimate and authentic films. In fact, the mobile …

6 Months of 100% Freelance

So, 1 July marked 6 months of 100% freelance and I have a few numbers that I'm quite pleased with. Over 30 workshops. 23 of them #MadeOnAMobile (a handful of those are in the pic above). That's just over 300 people trained, most of them in mobile filmmaking, in 6 months. This compares with 120 …