Mountain Film Tips

Keep the tape rolling, adventure film making is a version of reality TV. This means capturing everything, you can guarantee the second you turn the camera off something amazing will happen. If somebody hits you cause they don't like being filmed - make sure you film yourself being hit.

Whatever the narrative give it personality. You may be making a local bouldering film or something about a three legged blond climbing the seven summits blindfolded, whatever your subject, capture the banter. So many films suffer from lack of personalities. Try telling people the camera's not on when it is, or say you're just practicing with the camera to bring out your subjects more relaxed side.

Use stills. The use of stills from a photographic camera is vastly underused in adventure film making. One of the talking points at last year's Kendal Festival were the time-lapse/panning shots in our Bolivia film. These were all done from stills. Take you're photographic camera with you - and use it.

Use a tripod when you can particularly for wide shots and establishers. Filming action like rock climbing or somebody talking to camera is fine hand held however the viewer will expect some nice landscapes to be nice and stable, this will give things a professional quality.

Use artistic license, nobody will know the close ups of the hands of a boulder problem at Burbage were shot at Stanage (if its done correctly). All the action in Touching The Void was filmed in France.

INNOVATION NOT STAGNATION

Be innovative and original. Okay that's a lot easier said than done. Most adventure films you see slip into a very standardised formula. Make a film by you in your own way and be as creative as you can. As an example crossfades are massively over-used. Sometimes for everysingle cut! I once heard somebody say that crossfades should only be used for a cut that doesn't work. Lots of Cross-fades make for a very cheesy 1970s production. Don't be afraid of straight cuts.

The editing process is key. Don't underestimate how long it may take to put together even a 10minute film. Completely different films can be made from the same raw footage.

Keep it succinct. One of the big pit falls most films fall into is length. A lot of the films I've seen would have been so much better if they were about half their original length. Try making short films first. I once heard a director of the Toronto Film Festival say that some of the best films he'd seen were two minutes in length. When you think you've finished go back through it and be brutal. Tighten scenes up, delete anything you're uncertain of as those doubts will hit expediential levels in a cinema full of punters. Show you're film to as may people as possible and feed off their reactions. Don't just show it to people who you know will be enthusiastic.

Audio. Another weak area in adventure film-making. Learn as much as you can about audio and work just as hard on the sound track as on the visual side.

Finally something that I still have to force myself to do, as its a real grind. When you've reached the point where you think your film is pretty much finished, get all the raw footage out again and watch it through. Now that you're very familiar with the footage (probably to familiar) and have intimate knowledge of how scenes work, watching the original footage will have a completely new perspective and you may spot some key shots that've are missing. This may take a couple of days, bring coffee.

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