The Brief

To create two videos to bring historical figure Peter Benson and his clothes back to life. The first video featuring 17th century wall-builder Peter Benson (played by an actor of course!), the second featuring costume historian Mark Wallis. 

The final video would be used as part of a museum exhibit.

Implementation

The first consideration was to find a timeless and Covid-secure environment which meant outside in a local field. As the first video was set 400 years ago it was important to have a location without modern inconsistencies – although we did allow ourselves a lavelier radio-mic.



We decided on a 3-camera shoot: a mid-shot, a static wide and a roving handheld using a Ronin gimble. 

We were lucky to have two experts in historical dress and re-enactments who made the whole job easy and unscripted.

The Result

The final films offer an interesting and light-hearted glimpse into the past. Our main camera was able to concentrate on the dialogue whist the second camera was able to capture some of the important details of the costume. Being hand-held added dynamism and visual interest to the shots. The third camera helped where the hand-held footage was not useable – and also for a wider angle. 



Our relaxed approach made the whole day great fun and left the talent free to concentrate on their lines.

Coming from an editing background really helped when planning the shoot and cutting the footage together.