The Art of Cinematic Filmmaking

Filmmaking isn't just about capturing moments. For me it's about feeling something, becoming completely absorbed in the process. In this video I'm going to show you the behind-the-scenes look at how I find inspiration, how I film, color grade and use sound effects in post-production. And hopefully you'll get some inspiration from my story of how I've grown from a freelancer to co-founding a global production company and the projects we now work on. Five years time I want to be filming full-time. I want to be traveling the world and I want to be working for tourism companies. I just want to be filming and I want to be traveling with my mates and experiencing new cultures. Inspiration is the foundation of any creative process. It's what pushes our imagination and pushes us to innovate. In my journey I've found inspiration comes in various forms from architecture, music, paintings and movement. But in recent years I've found there are two consistent sources that keep coming back to me. The world of cinema has been a constant source of inspiration for me and in particular June and in large part because of cinematographer Greg Fraser. I love his style and his ability to make you feel something through a single frame. To create these expansive worlds is something I strive for in every project. But it's not just contemporary films that inspire me. When I was young Peter Pan opened my mind to new worlds. Neverland wasn't just a place, it was a feeling. The sense of adventure which has left a lasting mark on my approach to filmmaking. But at the core of it all is nature. It's the reason I first picked up a camera. Filming waves and friends as a teenager just for the memories. But it's evolved into a strong connection with the natural world. There's something about nature that pulls me into a flow state where everything else fades away. It's in those moments where I'm in the middle of a dust storm in Africa in 50 degree heat standing in the quietest place I've ever been surrounded by icebergs the size of buildings or facing down the chaos of a big storm. Nature is what I love the most and it's where the stories I tell truly come alive. It's in these challenging environments that I feel most alive as a filmmaker. The raw power of nature demands my full attention and it pushes me to my creative limits. This connection to the natural world has become a defining characteristic of my work influencing everything from shot composition to the emotional tone of my films. Shooting is where the creative process reflects great planning. While I started with a run and gun style over the recent years I've learned the magic of filmmaking isn't just about being in the moment it's about solid preparation and I much prefer a curated approach. I love the creative and collaborative process, scouting locations, working with talent, curating wardrobe and props. This is what I now focus on since co-founding my production company Airfilms. We are intentional about crafting each frame because of all the elements that make up the shot enhance production quality and the impact it has not only on our projects but on our client campaigns. I'm proud to say that I've been able to keep my creative skill set well-rounded. Being able to pilot FPV, fly a drone, film underwater and handheld has put me in a really strong position for client work. This versatility has allowed me to push boundaries with every project we do. I get a thrill out of working in remote locations, chaotic environments and limited resources. When it comes to gear, adaptability is key. While I used to rely heavily on the 24-70mm 2.8 lens, I now choose my equipment based on the specific needs of each project. I'm super lucky to have the flexibility to use some of my favorite lenses like the 50mm and 35mm primes to achieve a particular look. In underwater shoots I still prefer the Sony a7s because it's nice and compact. My settings for underwater are always 120 frames per second so I can capture a more fluid motion of the environment and it gives me way more flexibility in post. When it comes to capturing vast landscapes I rely heavily on the DJI Mavic 3 Cine. It's proven itself time and time again to be incredibly reliable especially in extreme conditions. One time in Greenland I had to fly about six kilometers away from a glacier carving and because of the cold weather I only had 30 minutes of flight time. We ended up getting some amazing shots and I was stoked with the footage. For more high-end shots I use the DJI Inspire 3. On the i3 I have the ability to swap lenses and this gives me the flexibility to change the feeling of each shot. This is something smaller drones just can't offer. We've also invested in a cine lifter for FPV work and it's been an absolute game changer for us. The footage is captured on the Sony FX6 and it really gives that high production look. This drone is an absolute workhorse. Every shot feels super cinematic and it's never let me down even in extreme conditions like in Africa or in the desert. Timing and light play crucial roles in our process and they're often the most challenging aspects to manage. We're constantly monitoring the weather conditions, sun direction and cloud coverage because all of these elements have a dramatic effect on our footage. Each project requires a unique approach. For instance when filming icebergs in Greenland we were faced with a constant battle with fog and direct sunlight. The fog beautifully diffused the light creating a moody atmosphere. On clear days the sun overexposed the icebergs and this washed out all the details I wanted to capture. For landscape shots particularly on mountains or rocky terrains we often aim for golden hour. This fleeting period creates a soft warm light that brings out the textures in the landscape you don't normally see during the day. It's these details between light timing and environment that often define the mood and the quality of our final product. So this is the perfect time to introduce color grading. This is actually the most common question I get asked. Good color grading coupled with footage shot in great lighting will improve the look of your film and it will do most of the heavy lifting for you. So try to focus on the time of day that you shoot. So I do all my color grading in DaVinci Resolve and the part of my process begins with applying our custom air films LUTs but that's just the foundation. The real artistry comes in fine tuning and this is where DaVinci node based system really shines. A game-changing feature I recently discovered in DaVinci is the film look creator tool. This tool is honestly amazing and it's a godsend for creators to easily achieve that coveted cinematic feel. It allows us to adjust elements like film grain, halation, bloom effects and much more than that. Film grain adds a subtle texture to your image mimicking the look of actual film stock. It can lend warmth and a character to your digital footage making it feel way more organic. Halation simulates the way light behaves on film creating a really soft glow around bright areas. This can add a super dreamy nostalgic quality to your shots. Lastly but most importantly it's about sculpting the image. Tweaking exposure contrast and white balance to achieve the desired mood and I think this is where years of experience comes into play. It's not going to happen overnight. I usually just experiment all the time with my grades see how far I can push it and just really try to create something unique and special. Sound design is the hidden hero in every film. I believe that great sound design should often go unnoticed until it's missing because they have the power to set the mood of an entire film. Without sound effects the story can feel flat and lifeless. Environmental and atmospheric sounds are key to making a scene come alive. If I'm shooting in a wild and rugged environment I want the audience to also feel that intensity or if I want to build tension in a story I might choose to use rhythmic hits to cue a sense of increasing power or drama. Being able to control a viewer's emotion through sound effects is why I spend so much time perfecting sound design of a film and I can't emphasize enough how crucial this part of the process is. It'll really make your film come alive. I typically layer multiple sound effects. It's not uncommon for me to have about 10 or 20 layers of sound. Another question I always get asked is where do I get my sound effects? There's multiple places you can get sound effects but for me I prefer to go to Artlist. They have a massive library and it's incredibly well organized. You can just type in what sound effect you want and it will most likely be there from whooshes, atmospheric hits, pretty much anything you could want they will have. I also like to download them or put them in folders and have a really big collection so I can go back and pull them into my editing timeline. So for future projects you can just go back and have some of your sound effects. You'll tend to use the same sound effects that you really like for each film but I think it's super important to try different things so that's where Artlist is so good because they have such a big variety of sound effects. So usually my process when I'm downloading the sound effects I'll drop them into my timeline and then start layering from there. It's about tweaking and adjusting until the sound feels really powerful that I'm strategically continuing to drive the story forward. The great thing about Artlist is how flexible it is. You have unlimited downloads, a lifetime license and new sound effects are added regularly. Because of the freedom and flexibility Artlist offers I've been able to create a sense of realism for viewers because the film feels more tangible and believable. So if sound design is something you want to master in your cinematic videos I highly recommend diving into their library and creating your own collections. I've used them for years and they really support our community so you can check them out with the link I've provided in the description. I absolutely love the whole process of filmmaking from that first idea to the final cut. At the end of the day it's about making people feel something. Whether it's a big brand video or a passion project we really want our films to leave a lasting impression on people and show them something new about our world. That's what really gets us through those tough shoots and keeps us trying new things. Filmmaking is such a wild ride and it's not easy but it's worth it when you capture that perfect shot for you or tell a story that really connects with people. Thank you so much for watching and being a part of the journey with us. What? Oh no. Oh yeah. See ya.