Tell me the story of Garfield Film Productions
Garfield Film Productions started just over a year ago. Before that, I spent my entire working life in jobs that never really satisfied me. I am a creative individual. I wanted to do something that was “me”, something which I would really enjoy and give me the chance to use the skills I have. I’ve heard it said many times that “a job is just a job” but I really believe that people should do the kind of work that they feel passionate about. My passion is film making.
With support, I managed to acquire equipment to get me started in producing my own projects. I enjoyed the filming, the technical aspects such as the post production. My early film projects involved visiting places, and it is through this that I got the chance to meet new people. Many of these people showed an interest in my film making and some of them asked me to film something for them.
Over the past year, I have produced a video for a care home company which is now being used on their website. I filmed a wedding at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham. I attended and filmed a hobby-est event over in Derby.
What is the most favourite film you have watched?
That would be a very long answer. Of all of the thousands of films I’ve watched over the past 30 odd years, I think my favourite film genre would be science fiction. I do like other genres, though, such as comedies, and action films, for example. Some of the film directors that have inspired me include John Hughes, Billy Wilder, Stephen Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Ridley Scott and Alfred Hitchcock, some of my favourite films include Alien, Blade Runner, Die Hard, The Breakfast Club and Beautiful Thing.
I love films such as The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, 16 Candles, Close Encounters of the third kind, ET, Die Hard, Indiana Jones. I like a wide range of science fiction and action films, especially those of the 1980s and 1990s.
Music is very important to me, I am a great admirer of film scores including film composers such as Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, John Barry and David Arnold.
With films today they get bogged down with the message and politics and have forgotten how to have fun. Some of the new films appear rather colourless – cinematography today always seems to feature that “peached out” look. As such, some films just don’t look attractive anymore. The colour palette I like to use in my productions gives a very warm tone. But again what people like is very subjective.
You are very much a perfectionist with your work. At what point do you become satisfied with what you have produced and say to yourself “I’ve completed this”?
I don’t think I ever come to the stage where I have perfected my work. You are always working against the clock, you have time constraints and deadlines to get work done. There is a lot of competition out there, so you have to be disciplined. I think the finished work has to be right for the consumer, but also it has to be right for me. Before the consumer gets my products, I want to be happy with what I have done – it has to be “just right”. I want it to look professional.
Filming must involve a great deal of planning and preparation – how do you normally go about this?
Filming looks like an easy job, it’s not about pointing and clicking a camera. Preparation is very important. Before getting to the filming location, I tend to do work things out in my mind to get an idea of what I am trying to create. You have to do some research into the company, organisation, or setting which you will be filming. You’ve got to consider what equipment you will need to bring with you, as well as other technical aspects. You’ve got to be mindful of what the weather will be like that day. You need to ask yourself whether you will need to bring additional lighting. You’ve got to make sure you have got permission and consent to film people. In some cases, you will only get one chance to get things right. For example if you were filming a wedding, you can’t really go back and do it over again.
Also you need to have a consultation with the customer to find out what they are looking for. Ultimately, I want to create a quality product that they are happy with and that is tailor made to their requirements.
Even if individual people consent to be filming, many of them can be nervous in front of a camera and not sure how to respond or react. My job is not just to click and do the filming, it is to do the proper work of a director, to guide people, to inspire them, to bring out the best in them. This takes a lot of patience as well as planning and preparation.
You mentioned that in some cases you only get one chance to get the filming right. What do you do if you are not satisfied with the footage you have taken?
I like to use multiple camera set ups. For instance, if the recording of one camera is interrupted, if there are technical problems, (eg the camera going out of focus), then I have backup equipment which will provide better coverage of the event.
With the arrival of smartphones and tablets, people have found ways of capturing their own videos, especially for the web and social media What are the advantages of using a Film Production Company?
There are a lot of people on social media platforms that consider themselves to be film makers. Some of them are very good. Others use excessive effects on their videos to cover up inadequate filming. A lot of the filming is very shaky.
If you consider David Lean who directed the film “Lawrence of Arabia”, probably one of the most visually attractive films ever, it is incredibly well made with beautiful sweeping shots which are filmed to perfection. That is the kind of product I want to offer people: a film that has been captured in high resolution, a film that looks aesthetically pleasing, one which is absorbing and draws you into the scene, a film that will become a keepsake, so that it can be watched again and again. This is the advantage of using a film production company.
How do I get in touch with Garfield Film Productions?
On my website www.garfieldfilms.com there is a contact form for people to make enquiries. They can also contact me by phone or by email. I will be very happy to discuss their requirements.
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