Hello
Marty. Congratulations on the
productions you’ve worked on recently. You’ve had your hands in commercials,
music videos and documentaries all within the course of 1 year. At this point in your career your focus
is fairly broad. Do you plan on narrowing down your area of interest or are you
happy to adapt your skills wherever they are needed most?
I wanted to get involved in as many productions as possible this year to show
how flexible I can be and to also refine my skills as a filmmaker. My ultimate
goal one day is to become a successful British filmmaker in narrative film. I
have a passion for storytelling and clearly evident in most of my work so far.
My target is to Direct 3 short films by the end of 2011, which is very ambitious
I know!
When did you enroll in Lights Film School and how long has it taken you to
work through the course?
I enrolled in the Lights Film School in November 2009 after a long time
searching for suitable online film schools. I run a Video Production company in
Northern Ireland and leaving that behind to physically attend a film school in
London, for example, was not an option for me. This was the perfect choice and
one that I do not regret making. It has taken me just over 8 months to complete
the course due to other work commitments. The important thing for me was to take
my time on the assignments in order for each piece to be a true reflection of
what I could do.
What do you feel are the biggest advantages to the Lights Film School
program? What has been the biggest highlight of the program for you?
The biggest advantage in following the Lights Films School programme is the fact
that there is no deadline for completion. This meant that I could fit the course
in and around my work. To have my films positively and constructively reviewed
has been a major highlight for me during the program. It is important to get
your work out there and into the public domain. It's a scary process but one
which is crucial in order for you to move forward as a filmmaker. Lately, I have
witnessed many filmmakers become so defensive about their work once they start
receiving constructive criticism. Remember, you are never going to make a film
which is adored by everyone.
You recently shot a documentary in Africa. How did you get that job?
The Africa documentary came about through a friend that I knew in the Television
Industry. He needed a camera operator with experience in the field and I was his
natural port of call. I used to work as a freelance camera operator and editor
for his Television Company in Belfast. He was and still is a great mentor to me.
What were some of the biggest technical difficulties shooting within Sudan?
The biggest technical difficulty for me in Sudan was exposure control. We were
filming in such extreme colourful, bright and contrasting environments. I have
always been trained to shoot video manually and I had to be quick to adjust the
Iris control on the camera. Although, technically difficult at first, I soon
became confident and I returned to the UK a much more skilled camera operator.
Is video activism something you’d be interested in exploring in the future?
I always like to keep my options open and if it is the right story to tell then
I would commit myself to the project.
You’ve recently shot a music video on the Canon 5D Mark II. Can you tell us a
bit about that experience? How long did it take you to plan / shoot / edit?
It was about 2 years ago when I was sat in my office drooling over 35mm adapters
for my main camera. I was also contemplating applying for a loan to buy the gear
when my good friend, Rick Trainor from Red Sky Photography brought his new DSLR
camera round to show me. It was the Canon 5D Mark II and I had no knowledge of
what the camera could do. Rick showed me a video that Vincent Laforet had done
for Canon called 'Reverie'. I, like many, was totally blown away by the 'film
like' quality and knew that this was the start of something exciting. I had
always wanted to Direct a Music Video and I was contacted by a local rock band
who liked my previous short film work. They had a rough storyline but I took the
idea away and wrote up the 'Face The Future' script over a weekend. In my
initial meeting with the band, I produced the script and a list of props that
was required. This was a big production but the band was extremely keen to get
all the bases covered before shooting began. Most of the scenes were either shot
outside in the dark or inside dimly lit rooms. It was then that we started to
become more impressed with the Canon 5D Mark II and its low light capabilities.
A lot of my friends helped me out on the production and I couldn't have done it
without them. We filmed over 3 days, in the rain for most of the shoot, keeping
up motivation in the crew and cast was so important for me as well as Directing
the Music Video at the same time. I love editing, just as much as I love
Directing and I am very protective during the post production phases of my work.
I like to tell a story through colour and I take a lot of time and effort in my
colour grading. As a result, the final edit of the Music Video took me about 2
weeks to finish. I know that in the future and on large productions, I’m going
to have to sit on the shoulder of the editor which I am happy to do so, I'm just
not ready to let it go yet!
You’ve used very high design in the "Good Girl" music video. Was
experimenting with elaborate design something you planned or was it the decision
of the musicians? Did you need to do a lot of the set design yourself or were
the environments “design friendly”?
When the girl band 'Voodoo' approached me with an idea that they had for a
video, I was keen to take it away and develop the story further. We only had one
day to shoot the 'Good Girl' Music Video, so pre production had to be squared
away. The band had strong connections with the club scene in Belfast so
responsibility was given to them in finding potential locations for the shoot.
After a location recce, two locations were chosen that were perfect and covered
most of the scenes. We did no set design which was an added bonus too!
You've incorporated a lot of strong compositions in your music video. Did you
storyboard for this video?
Although I have an A Level Qualification in Art and Design, I still find
storyboarding a difficult task to undertake as a Director. When writing or
reading a script, I can see every scene in my head and know how it is going to
be shot, even down to the slightest detail. I am very fortunate to have a Camera
Operator and Director of Photography who can transfer my thoughts and produce
the results for me on every occasion. We have a strong friendship and
partnership which has been crucial during this filmmaking process. I do see the
true value of storyboarding and I will be on the hunt soon for a local
illustrator to join the production team.
Can you give us a little insight into what your next project will be?
Rick Trainor and I are currently in the middle of an extreme sports shoot based
in Northern Ireland. The project is profiling gifted, local extreme sports
athletes whose ambitions are an inspiration to young people and sports
enthusiasts alike. The main aim of this project is to gain a little exposure for
recognising the individual efforts and talents of the few selected athletes
whilst providing them with video/photography for future sponsorship and also
raising their status in the local community. The disciplines we are covering
are: Surfing, Skating, BMX, Downhill MTB, Free Running and Wakeboarding. It has
been a challenging project but we are happy with the shots collected so far. We
should have the project finished in a few months and will be online via the
website and the Lights Film School Blog. Watch this space!
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