The Vision

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One of the first festivals to be greenlighted coming back out of the pandemic. There was trepidation in the air from the audiences and organisers alike. We we raring to go. Back again directing a team we decided to go bigger than 2020. More crew, a bigger vision.

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I decided to create a pre-lude. A nod to the short film we made two years prior. Raw, energetic, grounded. A messy flash of feelings and moments. A dessert first moment. From there it was important to tell a story with two objectives. First, remind people of that 'British Festival feeling'. Second, to take some time reestablishing the brand of Y Not for a shaken up audience. Wholesome, loud, real.

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Edit Notes

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The tonal differences between the pre-lude and the main film were achieved most obviously by reframing from film stock to 21:9 Cinemascope. A strong contrast in cut rate and moving from cacophonous raw sound mixes to a guiding track supported this further.

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The grade was inspired by the brand's electric pink. First warming the footage where needed to fight some grey skies. Then pushing some of that pink into the cooler shadows and warmer mids. Giving us rich purple skies and electric tent shots, whilst softening and romanticizing the warm glows of the day footage. I was very happy having created a grade with it's own style and brand appropriate subtext ready for future events and films.

The Vision

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For 2023 we returned to a brand new festival site with confidence and the full backing of the Y Not production team behind us. 'Last year perfectly captured the feel of the festival, can you do it again?' they asked, and with that instruction we set out as a team to repeat the success of the year before.

From a directorial point of view, I had a distinct sense in what the team were looking for. Energy, Realness, and the famous friendliness that the Derbyshire festival has fostered and retained since it's humble beginnings. I couldn't be happier with the film and subsequent marketing assets we delivered to the team. Recapturing that Y Not magic of real people, real music, and a real good time.

Edit Notes

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For the edit it was important to me to create the fast and slow breathing of the piece to to carry the pace and excitement whilst setting the stage for beautiful and captivating shots we could hold in half or quarter speed. Making sure to fire in as much of the texture of the people and tone of the event, whilst taking time to setup shots like the phenomenal stage wide of Kasabian anchored by Guitarist Tim Carter.

The edit has tones and chapters to reflect the different moods of the 4 days of British revelry. Perfectly overscored by the passionate single 'Fight On' by fan favourites the Lathums. More than just the right tone for the piece I wanted to connect to the audience with a homegrown, band rising through the ranks with their own small to medium to main stage story arc within the festival itself. A nod to them, repeat attendees and the spirit of the event itself.

The Vision

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After a couple of pre-production meetings about where the brand wanted to move with it's capture and content established the tone. A loud and energetic weekend for a real, down-to-earth crowd.

As project director I developed a pre-production deck focusing on a few key devices. Portraits, Mixed Media Scenes, and fast punchy cuts. I was going to be important that we captured the excellent production standard of this established large festival, though It was also key to make the audience feel as though they were there. That it was real and contrasted some of the cinematic shots with raw in the thick of it capture.

Edit Notes

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A short intro to set the tone and create a hook. The festival site took a real beating this year from the elements. I wanted to use this by not dwelling too much on the establishing shots and getting right into the thick of it with the crowd who make the festival what it is, rain or shine.

A whirlwind tour as intended during the vision sessions, dancing between cinematic and mobile, film frames and overlays. The track offered brief moments of pause before dialing back up to 11 and frenetically charging forward. My aim was to leave the audience not with a story but with an impression. An ecstatic memory, a feeling. It was a statement. This festival is for the fans, for the the committed music lovers who aren't scared of a little ruckus. It's rock, indie, it's real and so are you. See you next year.