Through practical experience and training sessions we develop a wide range of video production skills including research, directing, camera-work, sound recording, interviewing, presenting to camera and editing sound, picture and graphics. This is not a course and we are happy for people with no skills in this area to join and learn alongside others with varying degrees of knowledge. There are many other skills which can be transferred into video work – communication, writing, drawing to name but a few. We undertake worthwhile documentary video productions for charities and other organisations who would otherwise be unable to afford a video. We learn, often through our mistakes, have fun and eat biscuits! Clips from our recent work are shown below. We are an eclectic bunch, covering a wide range of interests and life experience – to give a flavour of the group, we have as a training exercise interviewed ourselves; you can see the results of this work here.
ASSIST
ASSIST in Sheffield run a night shelter for destitute asylum seekers who are sleeping rough. Our group worked with ASSIST to make a film to encourage more volunteers to help out at the night shelter. In ASSIST’s experience many refused asylum seekers in the UK are in fact genuine refuges who have been let down by the system. It was a real eye opener and a privilege to meet and interview both volunteers and clients. The video gave us the opportunity to find out for ourselves how difficult it is to film effective interviews. Sample video
Green City Action (GCA)
Following a joint lottery grant obtained in conjunction with GCA we made this film using semi professional equipment bought through the fund. We filmed on their allotment in Burngreave where they are supporting people to grow their own fruit and vegetables. It was fantastic to meet people who care about what they are doing. We learnt a lot about filming outdoors, especially on the day we tried to do ‘pieces to camera’ when the owners of the house next to the allotment decided to use every electrical tool imaginable! The best part was filming on community days when we met lots of interesting people and got to eat home made pizzas and cakes! Sample video
Sheffield Folk Chorale
We videoed two concerts given by the Sheffield Folk Chorale in Ecclesall Church to practise using a multi camera set up in a ‘live’ situation. This proved to be a really useful learning experience. The clip contains a commentary of the processes we used to make the video. Sample video
Murder Mystery
We tackled some new techniques when filming the ‘suspects’ for a local village murder mystery drama. One of the scenes shows our equipment being used as a ‘Hollywood Set’ and depicts the way we work as a team. Sample video
Striking Dilemmas
In a new departure we filmed a ‘live’ performance of a play about the miners strike. It brought up all kinds of dilemmas of our own such as not disrupting the audience, where to position cameras, how to capture the sound and how to follow the action on the stage. Sample video
Whirlow Whirl
This was one of our first projects and highlighted the fact that we needed to obtain equipment that worked well together. At this stage we were using equipment owned by individual members which often proved to be incompatible with each other. Sample video