2018, 2019 and beyond...

2019...

​Hello folks! Happy new year!

For many this is probably a month too late, but I haven’t put a post on here since last year so here it is! Now that 2019 is here it presents a brand-new start for up and coming projects for me. It is a time to take a step back and look at everything that was achieved last year and plan for the future.
 
As I type this post it is exactly a year since I was in Mexico filming for “MS, Mexico & Me: Aileen’s Story” which was one of the most amazing things I have ever worked on and was very successful by being selected for screening at several festivals last year.

Filming Aileen and Simon at Clinica Ruiz in Puebla in Mexico last year.

Although on reflection the one significant issue with this documentary and this is something, I was aware of all along, is that it is in itself unfinished. How Aileen is doing after her recovery is still unknown and this is something that I have always planned on exploring.
 
In 2020 I plan to return to Lewis with my crew to interview Aileen once again and make part 2 a reality! I am very excited about this and look forward to putting the finishing touches to this piece. I have had several phone calls with Aileen over the past year and shall continue to keep in touch with her to see how she is doing until then. ​

​Her recovery from her treatment takes up to 2 years so this is something that was always going to take time to get an accurate representation of how it works. Stay tuned for more information on this project in the coming months.

In October I received a surprise invitation to go back to Edinburgh Napier University to have my first ever Q&A session about Aileen’s Story at the Santander Universities’ grant renewal event.

​I was very fortunate to have been chosen to be given the grant by the University in the first place so I felt it as an honour and quite a proud moment for me - and for those who helped me – to participate personally in this important event and to see the documentary screened as part of it.
 
I talked about how the project came to life, getting in touch and meeting Aileen for the first time and how the grant which I received helped with creating the documentary. I would recommend to anyone that if they had a the chance to pitch to their University for a project grant to just go for it!

Fresh Start!

The Black Thistle on the Clyde!

At the end of 2018 I moved to Glasgow to seek employment and have been quite busy since then. Moving to a new city can be daunting yet exciting but so far it has been very rewarding to meet new people and collaborate on different projects.

​One of my first new experiences in Glasgow was when I was invited to take part in the 48 Hour Film Project which was a very intense but rewarding 2 days. I teamed back up with Craig Andrew Robertson who directed 'Sam' for the BFI Academy when I was in Aberdeen and we had access to his father's church as a stunning location.

Craig introduced me to a lovely bunch of individuals who I have since worked on further projects with and hope to continue to do so.

​I had a blast working as DOP on a subsequent short film with them called 'Wine and Roses (and Wine)' which will hopefully been shown at a festival near you soon! The photos are below and it was a very successful weekend's shoot.⏰

​Plus, I was also filming a pub quiz video for the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund in Dunfermline in November. They do a lot of work to support personnel and veterans living with life-changing physical and psychological trauma through Help for Heroes. It was nice to see different communities coming together to fundraise for a great cause in such a social and relaxed manner.

Check out the video below:

​​So I have had lots of variety to work on of late and hopefully 2019 will continue to be the same throughout. This fresh start has inspired me to keep doing what I enjoy and refine my skills further where possible.

Stay tuned for music videos this year as well as I am already booked to do a few which I am very keen to do. Thank you for reading this, it means a lot.

​Calum