Remember when it was hot and sunny and having the AC on in the car was non-negotiable? It was around that time this year that we were approached to create a launch video for the RCMH Foundation. A charity with a focus on Rural Communities Mental Health (RCMH). Unbeknownst to us, the farming community suffers tremendous mental anguish for a variety of reasons. These can vary from losing crops to adverse weather, social isolation and losing livestock to an unfortunate disease outbreak. All of which damage the financial viability of a farm and in turn cause a great deal of distress and mental hardship to those involved. The charity was set up in loving memory of farming family members, that sadly took their own lives due to the stresses and strains mentioned above.

This wasn’t a typical corporate promotional video and required a genuine level of care and attention from all involved. Anna from Beyond Curious was our middle-woman, who awarded us the video work. she arranged all aspects of production with her usual high level of attention to detail and vision. We had one day to capture enough content that spanned most aspects of farming, from harvesting to herding. No interviews were required, we wanted the natural sounds of the countryside to sit alongside the music track and gently guide us through the narrative.

We found that using a nimble setup of two mirrorless cameras with a selection of lenses, one gimbal and a drone was the ideal way to approach a fast-paced shoot where nature meets production. A few drone flights later and a hand accidently placed in cow excrement, and we were looking good. The editing was a smooth process as we knew the idea that we wanted to convey. The segments that we captured were to highlight what life would look like without farmers. A lonely sheepdog, an unattended horse and a vacant combine set the bleak tone without being too depressive. Striking a balance of the severity of the cause whilst not putting viewers off was key and I think we did a really good job. Using video to promote a cause such as this is such a brilliant tool, with a matter of seconds we can explain the charities objectives and instil mood, tone and character.

Sometimes having a small video crew to embed with people tackling difficult challenges is a better approach. I don’t think having usual crew numbers would have garnered a better video. I think it would have slowed us down and not allowed people to let us into their lives as much.

Some additional creatures we met on the day…