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My first foray into the world of promotional video shoots was an exciting venture and I was fortunate to have Calum and Alex leading the way. Without their knowledge and professional input this would not have been possible.
Calum is a self employed professional and was the lead cameraman, editor and producer. Alongside Alex’s unwavering support made the experience not only less stressful but also a memorable one.
With all the necessary equipment at our disposal, we contributed our best efforts to ensure a smooth and painless process. We did a lot of running around and organising to try and get everything ready for the day.
In our well structured plan, the only variables beyond our control were unforeseen problems and the ever unpredictable British weather. We thought of just about everything we could think of and even put in a few extra contingency plans together too.
Fortunately, we were able to tackle unforeseen issues as a team. Drawing from our collective experiences to devise the best course of action for the benefit of the promotional video and the situation at hand.
For us, ‘problems’ were merely opportunities to learn and to refine our future planning. As they say, every day is a school day, and life is a continuous learning curve. There were not many problems but those that arose were easily solved.
We needed a number of people as what would be described in a full on production as extras. They were family and friends of the crew, the riders and some of the team.
We also required some premises to use as office space, garage space, home study/office and a lounge area.
The riding shots were chosen for their location and then we also needed a meeting place for the riders. This would serve as the Sunday morning ride out and meet up with friends.
Most riders are weekend hobbyists who use their bike as a means of transport to meet up with their biker mates. If they go solo, they would probably go on a familiar route and stop for a brew at a Bikers stop off place. This would give them an opportunity to speak to others or even tag on to another group of riders en-route.
Bikers are a social bunch and there have been many occasions where I have joined a group for a certain amount of riding time or we have been joined by others. There is a saying about safety in numbers.
My role primarily involved bringing motorcycles and the riders together. Coordinating with Trystan, Dave and Laura turned out to be remarkably straightforward. They were all willing participants and eager to help.
We simply needed to align their availability with our filming schedule, a task that fit snugly into our timeframe. We had a few days to choose from but it was going to be quite tight if someone couldn’t make one or two of the proposed dates.
All three individuals were not only accommodating but also willing to participate in retakes whenever needed, despite Calum’s laid back demeanour. He comes across as having all the time in the world but he knows exactly how to get the right shot with the least amount of fuss.
Preparation and planning are his strengths and without his knowledge this would never have taken off the ground.
One of the team was faced with the challenge of scouting locations and ensuring our filming schedule remained on track. Meanwhile, Calum and Alex diligently ensured that all camera related aspects were executed flawlessly.
The friends and friends of friends who came along to help, really made this something special for us to pull together. Without them it could not have been possible.
We called in favours and made promises to those who came to help. We fulfilled most of them but more importantly they didn’t want anything in return and were happy to help out.
It really is a challenge trying to do things on a very tight budget, or with no budget at all. You run the risk of letting people down and not fulfilling your obligations. I ensured the promises I made were kept, as I really do dislike people who don’t keep their word.
We extend our sincere thanks to the following establishments:
These companies played pivotal roles in the creation of the promotional video, ensuring it was delivered on time and within budget. The budget wasn’t very big for a brand new start up business but our combined efforts gave us the opportunity to pool our skills.
Without their invaluable support, this project would not have been possible. A huge thank you to everyone who helped.
We’d like to express our gratitude to the individuals who willingly gave their time and support, often at short notice.
There was Laura, Dave and Trystan. They were the riders who were needed on a few different days. Then there was Vicki and Emily who played the office staff, another Dave, Russ and Nathan all helped with being Bikers for the day down in Broadway.
Their commitment shone as they woke up early and patiently waited at various locations for Calum’s voice to call – “Action.”
Our on-screen stars included a diverse range of motorcycles:
Our sincere gratitude goes to RMT Motorcycle Training for lending us a van throughout the shoot. It was used to transport kit, people, bikes, camera equipment and whatever else was needed to produce the video.
Their vehicle support was instrumental in making this production possible. They even provided a driver for the whole time which helped immensely with the logistics for the duration.
The promotional video proved to be a remarkable feature, expanding our vision for future promotional videos. Although it was hard work it was enlightening and extremely enjoyable.
We’ve gathered valuable experience and are brimming with exciting ideas for what lies ahead. Stay tuned for more, Motorcycle Riders Hub is the UK’s first and only online motorcycle training resource for all riders.
We specialise in helping learner riders start their journey with their CBT by delivering professionally led educational videos with lessons explaining how to operate a motorcycle and how to ride safely on the road as a new rider.
The unique training programmes for learner riders also focus on learners who want to pass their full motorcycle test. The in-depth Mod 1 and Mod 2 training videos explain in detail how to negotiate the Mod 1 test and explain every lesson in the Mod 2 training syllabus.
For riders who have a full licence and want to avoid crashing, having an incident or scaring themselves. They can enrol and watch the fundamental changes they need to elevate knowledge and personal riding skills.
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