VRBO
One of the pleasures of working on international productions is the opportunity to film in some extraordinary locations. A project for VRBO took me from Brighton and Cobham to Paris, Biarritz, Vancouver, Big Bear in California and Glendale, Los Angeles, filming in a collection of stunning homes along the way.
My role was to co-direct, shoot the films and capture the stills photography, bringing both disciplines together to create a consistent visual style across the campaign.
Each location presented its own challenges, particularly with everything needing to be filmed in a single day. Working with a small crew, we had to make the most of the available time, carefully balancing natural light with our own lighting to create something that felt warm, inviting and authentic.
These behind-the-scenes photographs are from our shoot in Glendale, Los Angeles. The house had beautiful architecture, rich wooden interiors and plenty of character, giving us a wonderful setting to work with.
The challenge was to make the spaces feel lived in rather than simply showcasing the property. Lighting, composition and the small, natural moments between our talent and the surroundings all played a part in bringing the house to life.
Once the filming was complete, I switched from cinematographer to photographer, capturing a series of stills to complement the moving images. It was an efficient way of working, allowing us to produce two sets of campaign imagery while maintaining the same visual language.
For me, that's one of the real advantages of combining cinematography and photography on a production. The lighting, atmosphere and creative direction are already established, allowing the stills to become a natural extension of the film rather than a separate shoot.
Seven locations, several countries and a lot of beautiful houses. A hugely enjoyable project that brought together two sides of my work that I love equally.
