Looking back over 2025
Sending a frame off to a remote client for sign off, not hijacking the shot!
Every time we venture further into the post-pandemic years, the more turbulent they seem to become. We’ve had a lot to contend with this year: the budget of all budgets, continuing global conflict, trade wars, inflation still bubbling away, web outages, doctors strikes (anyone remember Brexit? Life was strangely much simpler back then!). And for anyone with young kids - chickenpox. Yay!
But how could I forget the elephant in the room? The mother of all topics for 2025: Artificial Intelligence.
Let’s face it, AI talk has become a bit overwhelming, and all the doom mongering (I’m looking at you, LinkedIn) is getting exhausting. The thing is:
Yes - AI is disrupting.
And yes - it will continue to.
But nobody really has any idea how much it will change our lives in the long term
And anyone who claims to know exactly what will happen is either lying or trying to sell us something we probably don’t want (and no, I don’t want any more AI features, I just want to open that PDF!)
Whether or not the AI bubble bursts, it’s true that we should all take steps to futureproof our careers, experiment with new tools and adjust our operations accordingly to keep up with the times, but we shouldn’t let the hype consume us. Too much doom scrolling, which is easily done, and it’s easy to convince ourselves that AI is going to take over and that we’re all history…
Shooting interviews with senior healthcare leaders in Birmingham for the HSJ Healthshift event, captured by Dan Kutcher
However, I’ve noticed something. As soon as I step outside and start talking to people in the real world and seeing clients, I realise that a lot of people aren’t panicking about AI as much as the internet would love to have us believe. Products and services still need to be advertised, theatres still need to get bums on seats and in-person events still generally provide more value than virtual ones. Ultimately, demand for high quality, engaging video content is strong; it’s just how we go about making some of that content that is changing, whether for better or for worse. Authenticity is definitely the keyword of the year here!
Amidst a backdrop that is sometimes difficult to comprehend, this is what I’ve been seeing on the ground in my day-to-day:
Most freelancers are either experiencing feast or famine, with very little middle ground
There is less predictability than ever, with last minute bookings increasingly becoming the norm (although, it can work to our advantage)
Certain areas - most notably DE&I and education - have suffered tremendously over the past year with marketing budgets getting cut significantly and more video content being made in-house
AI tools are saving time on dull or repetitive tasks more so than replacing creatives behind the scenes, at least for now in the circles I frequent
Rarely these days do video projects not have some form of social media cut included in the deliverables. Social really is where it’s at right now.
Ghosting remains a problem. Whilst an element of this comes with the territory in business, if it happens early on in a business relationship or even worse, mid-project, there’s no doubt about it - it’s plain rude. I treat ghosting as a major red flag when vetting potential clients!
However, despite the continuing challenges, endless doom scrolling, and having to sift through all the AI slop, I’ve managed to make it to the end of yet another year! Still here plugging away, writing this blog and just trying to make the best moving image content possible for all my clients, no matter which sector they operate in, or wherever their audience watches their content. And luckily, there have been reasons to be cheerful!
Some of my favourite projects and developments from the last 12 months:
The DJI Mini 4 Pro achieves a great balance of being very lightweight whilst still offering a great camera and incredible safety features
Now offering commercial Drone filming (A2 CofC)
Probably my most significant update of the year was obtaining an A2 CofC qualification that allows me to fly small UAVs for commercial video projects. Having found that some clients were requesting a few drone shots for projects (often only requiring a handful of GVs for a sequence, as opposed to hours of footage or technically complex shots) it made sense to add an additional string to my bow, filling in the gap for where a larger drone would not be suitable or would create logistical issues (such as needing to close off areas to uninvolved persons for filming to take place safely and legally).
An example of some DJI Mini 4 Pro footage incorporated into a social edit for Kingsbury Sixth Form, with MCN Productions
For anyone who isn’t familiar, the A2 CofC allows drone pilots to fly ‘close to people’, and how much so depends on the weight of the drone in question. I fly a sub-250g drone, the DJI Mini 4 Pro, which allows me to fly close to people with minimal restrictions, although basic rules still need to be adhered to, such as not flying over crowds of people, or within Flight Restriction Zones without prior authorisation etc. DJI are of course the market leader in domestic UAVs, and the DJI Mini 4 Pro achieves a great balance of being very lightweight whilst still offering a great camera and incredible safety features.
Whilst aerial filming isn’t something I intend to specialise in (the Mavic and Inspire series would be more suitable for this) the Mini 4 Pro is excellent considering its practicality. It has allowed me to offer more convenience and value for clients, without spreading myself too thin - a no-brainer for me as a shooting editor!
Shooting social-first branded content for Remy Martin, with Wilderness Agency
A few shots from my time in Cognac
I was incredibly fortunate to visit Cognac, South West France in spring to assist London based Wilderness Agency in shooting social-first branded content for Remy Martin at their absolutely stunning headquarters. The content featured former rugby union players James Haskell and Mike Tindall, amongst other names, being taken on a tour of the estate, learning about the cognac making and aging process, how to make cognac-based cocktails and more.
From wandering the vineyards to peeking inside the largest store of cognac and champagne in Europe (which was highly explosive and at risk from our cameras - luckily, we avoided the headlines!) it was a fascinating visit. The output was purely for socials, so I predominantly captured b-roll footage in portrait, with the GH6 on the gimbal, and due to its size, some pieces to camera on the EVA 1 in landscape with crop markers. At first, shooting vertically felt a little bit like undoing all my training and experience, but gradually I got used to it and started to see how I could get some nice compositions shooting it natively. Plus, it’s clearly the way everything’s going. Maybe I’ll try a vertical drama next!
New sectors & experiences
There have also been many other great projects this year, including events with regular clients HSJ and the Royal Veterinary College, as well as newer ones including quantum computing focused events with Skylark Media, and at last, my first visit to the Gherkin for Starburst.io! I was also introduced to the world of professional speaking, capturing event videos for UK agency JLA Speakers and Future Voices.
Outside of events, I captured interviews for a documentary on Peaky Blinders, contributed to a pitch trailer for a film on ex-footballer Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock, continued to help shoot promos for the Donmar Warehouse and Almeida Theatres and did my first shoot in a special school, at the wonderful Stephen Hawking School in Tower Hamlets, amongst other things. Working with interesting people across a range of sectors and adapting to different environments - this is why I do what I do!
All in all, it’s been a good year and there’s much to look forward to in 2026. I’d like to thank all my clients, collaborators, family, and friends for continuing to support me as I navigate a freelance career in seemingly never-ending choppy waters!
Thanks for reading. I hope 2026 brings you joy and success…and hopefully much less in the way of slop! And on that note: