Northern Visuals

Q&A: IN THE SPOTLIGHT

By April 6, 2020 October 1st, 2020 No Comments

Meet the creative masterminds of NV – Owen & Gus. From creative inspiration to the future of the business, our Q&A delves a little deeper into what’s going on behind the scenes.

WHY DID YOU TAKE THE ROUTE OF FILMMAKING AND VIDEO MARKETING? 

O: It’s the aesthetic that initially drew me into shooting content, and I think the ability to tell a story and a message that’s developed since. When you combine the two elements, the result is often met with personal achievement and pride, watching something back that you’ve played a part in creating. That’s my motivation from project to project.

G: I’ve always been attracted to creative ways of working, and commercial filmmaking had huge potential that many businesses weren’t making use of. It’s easy to bring in a production company to fulfil the technical side of filmmaking, but it takes a truly innovative, creative agency to bring ideas to the table alongside that.

FAVOURITE FILM?

O: This isn’t necessarily my all-time favourite film, but I’m going to go for a very recent release, and also jump on the bandwagon a little, with 1917. The challenge of attempting a seamless, one-shot look was ambitious in its approach, and impressive in its outcome.

G: Life is Beautiful. It’s been no.1 for me for a long time, and it’s a tough one to beat. I came across it when working my way through IMDB’s Top 250 Films, and it’s on there for good reason. In a nutshell, it’s a classic war film starring the most energetic Italian ever – Roberto Benigni.

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR CREATIVE INSPIRATION?

O: Instagram is my go-to for inspiration. There’s unlimited content, spanning the entire spectrum of creativity. I’d recommend using the ‘saved’ feature and then going through the content on a weekly basis with your team. But, be careful not to end up in a scroll hole!

G: Some of the best inspiration for me appears when I’m not actively looking for it. I take a lot of screenshots on my phone to look back on later. The first step for me when utilising something inspiring, is to figure out ‘how’ it’s been created and ‘why’ it works so well. Once I get to grips with this, I can strip it back and make it into something unique.

FAVOURITE PROJECT YOU’VE WORKED ON SO FAR?

O: It has to be our trip to Iceland. The country is literally a filmmakers paradise. Black sand beaches, ice glaciers, the northern lights; the list is almost endless of stunning and diverse places to visit. If you haven’t been yet, get it on your bucket list and don’t forget your camera.

G: I’m with Owen on this one. We covered a lot of miles capturing as much of the scenery as possible, and every mile had something new to discover. You know it’s all worthwhile when you’re sat at the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, and the entire sky is filled with the northern lights. Who knew they aren’t actually green…?

DREAM BRAND TO WORK WITH?

O: I’m a big fan of the pace and energy we’re seeing in a lot of sports focused content. There seems to be scope for creative freedom, which is always a bonus. So in terms of brands – Adidas, Gymshark, Red Bull, to name a few.

G: Without narrowing my sights too much, I’d love to work with a brand that ticks all the creative boxes for me. A brand that experiments with new ideas, pushes the boundaries, and forces me out of my creative comfort zone. It’s always a bonus being able to play around with new gear as well.

WHERE DO YOU SEE NORTHERN VISUALS BEING IN SAY, 5 YEARS TIME?

O: I’d like to see us producing more films that make an impact. Whether that be to spread awareness, encourage positivity, or by telling stories that deserve to be told. We’ve started to take that path over the past year through our involvement with Ken Heathcote, the 84 year old Father of Fitness, and I hope we can continue producing more content of a similar nature.

G: I want to be able to look back in 5 years time and recognise the impact our progression in filmmaking has had, on both us as a company, and those we’ve captured along the way. Making sure our portfolio continues to break the mould of what’s expected – to what inspires, captivates, and enthrals.

GOT A BURNING QUESTION?

If we’ve missed your question in our Q&A, head over to our contact page or any of our social channels and fire away. 

Owen
Video Shoot
Video Production