©Aimee Spinks Photography 2012

As mentioned in my previous blog, I recently returned to the realm of studio photography, to work with the lovely, Lucie Webster, on a somewhat messy photo shoot involving a lot of dry paint. Unfortunately, covering the white studio floor with bin liners and tarp didn’t spare me from a 5 hour clean-up operation trying to restore the now pink studio, back to its original shiny state! Note to self: next time, use sand.

Behind the Scenes at White Room Studios with Aimee Spinks Photography

The post-shoot clean was well worth it however as we managed to get several well timed shots in the images below which are a couple of my favourites:

©Aimee Spinks Photography 2012

©Aimee Spinks Photography 2012

Timing is everything with this kind of shoot as it takes far too much time to reset everything once your model is caked in dry paint. To overcome this, we began by throwing paint both in front of and behind her in order to create depth but also avoid getting poor Lucie covered right from the off! Once we had a selection of shots we were happy with, we went full on and before too long, Lucie was as read as a tomato!

Though the paint is easy to remove with warm water, it does get everywhere and prevention is better than cure. Despite our best efforts at covering the studio prior to shooting, the clean-up required after the shoot was phenomenal and I must thank Lucas Brodowicz and Dan Stone for their help! If you want to avoid this scenario, try using coloured sand instead of the powdered paint. You may not get quite the same effect but if you aren’t precious over the soft haze you get from the paint, then save yourself unnecessary pain and get the sand!

A big thanks to everyone involved including make-up artist, Jen Brown; assistant, Lucas Brodowicz; Studio Manager, Dan Stone; model, Lucie Webster and her lovely partner, Leigh Webster along with Leigh’s mum who kindly offered to help throw some paint!

White Room Studio is based just outside Birmingham City Centre and with 2500sqft of space it houses an open plan high key studio with a huge infinity curve; perfect for shooting music videos or large groups. The size of the infinity curve really is a great addition to the studio and sets it above many of the rest which make do with half size coloramas (White Room Studios also has plenty of these).

Adjoining the main shooting space is a green area with sofas and a pool table for those not shooting to chill out in along with an in built audio system so you can plug in your own tunes. Connected to the shooting area there is a large make-up room fitted with a luxury make-up chair; full sized, lit mirror as well as unique features and decorations to make the room itself a potential shooting area if it takes your fancy! Facing opposite there is also a large changing room for the models to have some privacy and I also hear rumour that this may be getting kitted out with a shower for any messy shoots!

Kit-wise, the studio boasts 7 lights including both flash and continuous bulbs for those of you wanting to shoot video instead of stills, along with a huge selection of umbrellas, soft boxes, snoots, beauty dishes and ring flash accessories amongst a myriad of others. Designed with video in mind, it also has audio equipment including a Rode shotgun mic; lav mic and a Tascam recorder as well as a voice over area, ideal for productions needing a bit of ADR. Ever the thoughtful studio manager, Dan also has a large inflatable pool and tarp on standby for people like me, intent on making a mess in the studio as you can see from my recent shoot with Lucie Webster:

Shooting Lucie Webster at White Room Studios

As you can see, from the photo, this was a hugely messy shoot and I’m so appreciative of Dan for letting me do it and for the help in tidying up all the paint (which he didn’t have to do but that just goes to show how lovely he is)!

Check out my next blog entry for more info on how this shoot went, what we learned and the results we achieved!

With great rates, great facilities and great equipment, I cannot recommend White Room Studios enough! Check them out for yourself at http://www.thewhiteroomstudios.com

VESTIGE

VESTIGE is a historical adventure film which takes place in the very dawn of medieval Europe, the Dark Ages.
After a 9th Century Frankish count learns his wife has been murdered, he goes on a deadly quest to find her killer, which becomes a journey of spiritual awakening.

Shoot Date: 1st Jun 2012 – 21st Jul 2012
Shoot Location: France
Production Company Name: Heliosphere Pictures
Budget: Up to £1,000,000
Genre: Drama
Form: Feature
More film details: http://shootingpeople.org/castcrew/project/view/1574

Positions on Film:

Producer
We are looking for a passionate, reliable and trustworthy producer with personal connections in the film industry to help find investors and raise a budget of €300,000 for a feature film.

Pay rate: €4500 for the project
Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/crew/view/4895

Online Tech Show

We’re looking for talent to host an online tech show. We’ll be regularly posting content online about the latest trends and gadgets, from mobile phones to games and apps. The content will be used in a space that already has a large online following, so there’s potential for some great exposure.

Shoot Date: 1st Feb 2012 – 1st Jan 2013

Shoot Location: International

Production Company Name: ibrow

Budget: Up to £100,000

Form: Short

Is project insured: Yes

More film details: http://shootingpeople.org/castcrew/project/view/2109

Roles on Film:

Presenter/Reporter

We’re looking for a presenter/reporter to front short sketches about all the latest products and trends in the tech world.

Role will involve interviewing people, chatting about the latest innovations in a informative but humorous manner.

This could be a long term role

Following criteria essential:

- Rich online social following (twitter followers and or run a blog that gets good traffic)

- Friendly, approachable presence

- Sense of humour

- Good at ad-libbing vs reading from a script

Pay rate: £250 – £400 per day

Appearance details:

Playing Range: 20-30

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4825

Get Funded
Get Funded sees the adventures of three determined filmmakers, Chris, Katie and Mark, as they take their blockbuster screenplay to investors, only to get the door slammed on their face constantly. Determined not to give up and follow their dreams, our heroes are forced to question their morality as they embark on a life of crime… robbing little old ladies tearooms and robbing small banks in the remote parts of the country!

Shoot Date: 9th Jul 2012 – 10th Aug 2012
Shoot Location: Great Britain
Shoot Region: Scotland
Production Company Name: Silly Wee Films
Production Company Url: http://www.facebook.com/GetFundedMovie
Budget: Up to £1,000,000
Genre: Comedy
Form: Feature
Is project insured: Yes
More film details: http://shootingpeople.org/castcrew/project/view/2020

ROLES ON FILM:

Mark
Mark is still living at home with his disapproving father constantly trying to convince his son that a career in filmmaking is nothing more than fanciful and he should take a job in a call centre “just in case” while his doting mum just wants to keep everybody happy. Mark is the heart of the team and all he wants is to write films that matter to people.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4620

Katie
Katie has just moved into her own little flat to escape the controlling nature of her mother, while her younger sister, Michelle, is doing her best to play the rebel in the family, forcing Katie to step in to keep the peace between her sister and their mum. Katie is the brains of the operation and is the most grounded of the three.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4622

Michelle
Michelle – Katie’s younger, rebellious sister. Left at home with her mum, she wishes she could live with Katie in her one bedroom flat, to escape her over bearing mother. Katie gets roped into helping our heroes in the hope of getting to move out from her family home.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4623

Mark’s Dad
Mark’s dad is a realist. He believes that his son’s career in filmmaking is a pipe dream and he should settle down for a regular job. He finds it difficult to understand what his son is looking for in life.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4624

Mark’s Mum
Mark’s mum is your typically nice mum, supportive, friendly and will do anything to help her son be happy.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4625

Tony
Tony is an over-confident, cocky filmmaker whose directorial debut wins a prestigious award. He is Chris’s mortal enemy and always seems to get on up on him. He’s a very slimy, smug character.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4626

Lara
Lara is Michelle’s best friend who dresses older than she is and has a crush on Mark. She appears at the community centre to support the heroes film night and makes it very obvious that she is in love with Mark.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4627

Moxy McDade
Moxy is the cousin’s neice of William McDade. She’s very pretty, looks like a movie star, confident and wonderful in front of people, but is truly shy and trying to do the best job she can as an actress.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4628

MOUSE is an innovative short about a man trying to escape a giant human experiment where he is only one of a thousand clones of himself.

The fact that this film is being shot on a low budget is an opportunity, not a problem. Shooting with no dialogue and mostly one location makes it all about the craft.

This is sci-fi at it’s best, marrying big ideas with little insights into human nature that show us the world in a way we have not seen it in a long, long time. If at all.

Shoot Date: 1st Mar 2012 – 31st Mar 2012
Shoot Location: Great Britain
Shoot Region: East Midlands
Is this a student project: Yes
Production Company Name: carpediemfilms
Production Company Url: http://www.behance.net/gallery/Mouse/2486621
Budget: Up to £1,000
Genre: Drama
Form: Short
Is project insured: No
More film details: http://shootingpeople.org/castcrew/project/view/1649

Roles on Film:

Anderson
This is a non-speaking part but, needless to say, this does not make it a redundant role. The film has only one character and his relationship with the realisation he is not the only ‘Anderson’ has the potential to be very moving.

We are looking for a relatively generic look, handsome but with no distinctive features.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £110 per day
Appearance details:
Height: 6’0″
Playing Range: 30-40
Hair Colour: Brown

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/3783

Short Film Hearth

Auditions for a short film to be filmed week beginning Monday 23rd January 2012
To be shot on location in COUNTY DOWN in and around Crawfordsburn Country Park and in Belfast.

Auditions 28th and 29th December 10.00-15.00
Digital Art Studios
Queen Street
Belfast

2 actresses required

Shoot Date: 23rd Jan 2012 – 27th Jan 2012
Shoot Location: Ireland
Shoot Region: Northern Ireland
Is this a student project: No
Production Company Name: Civiro Productions
Genre: Drama
Form: Short
Is project insured: Yes
More film details: http://shootingpeople.org/castcrew/project/view/1974

Roles on Film:
Character 1
Middle aged single mother with an only son.
Dragged down sense of self. Interested in spirituality/struggling with life.
Age profile 45-55
Physical appearance- middle aged, a bit dowdy
Northern irish accent
Caucasian
Approx 5′ 4″- 5’6″
Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £100 per day

Appearance details:
Height: 5’6″
Playing Range: 45-55
Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4513

Character 2
Middle aged single woman, smart, academic, career oriented from East Coast America on sabbatical from her University. Researching Ulster/Scots roots and writing paper on folk ways and histories including witchcraft.
Well dressed, articulate, confident
American East coast accent, could be NYC
Cauacasian
Slim
Height approx 5’6″-5’8″
Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £100 per day
Appearance details:
Height: 5’6″
Playing Range: 40-50
Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4514

For further details please contact Colin on 07801926600

©Aimee Spinks

Differing from my normal approach to shoots that often involves ridiculous amounts of meticulous planning, this shoot was very organic. Once we had the models getting ready in make-up and wardrobe, Adam and I scouted out the mansion to plan out a rough set of shots we wanted to achieve. One of the main things we wanted to create were a series of tableaux shots offering a bit more character and narrative to the scene alongside the individually posed shots. Having limited lights and a temperamental set of radio triggers, we were forced to set up scenes, mount the camera to a tripod and then take several shots with the lights in different places in order to create a multiple exposure that saw the light where we needed it to be.

©Aimee Spinks

It was a wonderful opportunity to shoot in the building and it’s not at all surprising it’s had lots of local media attention and appearances on TV shows like the locally filmed, ‘Gadget Show.’ All in all it was a good shoot and a great experience working with both Aston Hall and the local talent.

You can view the entire shoot here: http://www.aimeespinks.com/viewimage.php?imageid=212&category=1

Image created by Dip Chandarana

Double-Take Studios, one of the UK’s largest commercial fashion and portraiture photography studios, yesterday closed its doors after 15 years in operation with studios in Birmingham, Manchester, London and Southampton all being shut down.

As a result the local photography markets have just got a lot less competitive. With some of Double-Take’s studios seeing up to 90 clients a day and being open seven days a week, a lot of freelance photographers are now able to tap into the portraiture market, offering their own, smaller scale services with a more personal and affordable approach.

Studio photography is a highly competitive market, particularly amongst portraiture and fashion photographers in Birmingham and London so though Double-Take’s closure means many of their freelance photographers and make-up artists are now without a steady flow of work, it does allow them to make the most out of a market that had been sucked almost dry by the commercial giant for many years.

On the other side of the coin we have many of Double-Take’s clients who now find themselves without the photoshoot and makeover they were looking forward to. With bookings made weeks in advance, that leaves hundreds of people in the Birmingham area alone potentially looking for alternative photographers and fashion studios to create the model portfolios and photographic gifts they may have been hoping to get before Christmas.

In light of Double-Take’s closure, Aimee Spinks Photography is offering clients 10% off a bespoke photoshoot booked before Christmas. All photo shoots are tailored specifically to each client to cover their needs in a way that suits them. Whether you are looking for studio portraits, a fashion portfolio, actor headshots or even promotional photography for your business, Aimee Spinks is available to work at a location of your choice or in the studio in Birmingham.

Costs are discussed with the client up front with no hidden fees or strings attached with each quote tailored to each individual shoot, allowing you to get the most out of your money and experience.
Aimee regularly works as a promotional photographer for film and TV and has had work published in books and national magazines as well have having had work exhibited in galleries across the country.

You can view Aimee Spinks’s portfolio here: http://www.aimeespinks.com/

If you would like any more information, or would like to book a shoot with 10% off, please contact Aimee either on 07765258666 or via aimee@spinxphotography.com !

Well it’s been a big project but finally Vigilante is finished and out in the open!

Several months prep and post work went into the shoot that lasted for 2 days and shot with only a four man crew; myself, actors Rob and Karen along with the fabulous make-up artist Bethany Davies. It was hard work but seeing it all come together is fantastic! Words can’t express my thanks to all those involved!

Matt Walch did an exceptional job on the music and I look forward to working with him again on future projects. A big thank you to everyone who donated mugshots to the newspaper cut-outs and to Ed Siddall-Jones at Nattrass Giles for providing the location (quite possibly the best location I have ever shot in)!

You can view individual stills of the film here and read other related articles relating to the making of the film including a tour of the location here and printing the fake newspapers here.

I hope you all enjoy watching as much as I enjoyed making it!