The work that goes into each and every one of our customer’s events is driven by the genuine passion our award-winning technical team have for their craft. With World Photography Day taking place this Saturday, what better opportunity for us to take you behind the lens and give you the chance to get to know the team you could be working closely with to deliver your next event!
Matt Walker: Senior Technical Producer
Years at First Sight Media: 9
I first got into videography at a young age. My dad had a home video camera that I was obsessed with! I always enjoyed live TV shows, but it was a tour around BBC Television Centre and seeing a TV show set that inspired me to go into videography/TV. The first live event I filmed was my school sports day at the end of year 10. Later, I went to Buckinghamshire New University to study Film and Television Production. For me, photography picked up a lot more in the last 12 – 18 months and I’m now looking to get more lenses to start developing this hobby further!
What inspires me is seeing stunning landscape shots, family portraits and cool travel videos!
Anthony Gibson: Technical Producer
Years at First Sight Media: 3
I got involved in videography back in 2010 for a summer job that involved filming graduations around the UK. I haven’t stopped since! Through my career I have made music videos, short films, shot live events along with interviews and assisted on BAFTA winning full length films. I had actually studied and graduated in Forest and Woodland Management however, I’ve taken a completely new career path that involves following my passion for film.
The ability to tell a story through shots AND especially through the movement of a camera excites me. I enjoy making a frame aesthetically pleasing and balanced. I don’t take pictures for pleasure often, however when I do, its normally nature based as I like to document how I see the natural beauty of the world. These are often the minutiae and complex formation of plant matter, or the granular matter-of-fact approach of a landscape / posture of trees and rocks. I enjoy a wide lens choice close-up to a subject, as the visual makes everything epic and empowering!
Candela Lagreca: Technical Producer
Years at First Sight Media: 2
I have always enjoyed coming up with concepts for videos for school projects and it was when I was given a digital camera when I started to get videos and photos of things that interested me (mainly landscape and loads of pictures of my dog!). When I learnt that you could make a living out of it, all my studies choices leaned towards digital creation which it is exactly what my degree at university was. I am happy to find myself doing what I like for living, I love being around a creative team where you can learn from each other.
I enjoy capturing the beauty of a place or landscape. It can be from something small such as how the sun shines through architecture or the colours of a place. I like things that feel real. I also love content that involves people, vox pop was one of my favourite things to do through my degree. I love to be surprised with the honesty and willingness of random people on the street. You can get lovely content that will make your final creation unique.
Stephen Dominey: Senior Technical Producer
Years at First Sight Media: 7
My love for videography started when I began creating short surreal/comedy films with a friend of mine in my last years of school. I later went on to study Media at college along with Video Production at university, during which time I continued to make short films, music videos and comedy sketches in my spare time.
There are a few things that inspire me. Natures’ beauty, when I notice something otherworldly or when a piece of architecture both blends with and clashes against nature and landscapes. I enjoy capturing a space either with or without a subject or person as the focus, with a perfect or interesting lighting condition. Something that seems like it will never be captured ‘like this’ again…
Francesco Calvano: Creative Video Editor
Years at First Sight Media: 1
I first picked up a camcorder when I was 14, an old VHS one (which gave you tiny electric shocks!) and filmed a goodbye video for a friend who was leaving for Thailand at the time. I’ve since combined videography and photography with model-making, a hobby I picked up in 2017. I suddenly almost hear the drip-drops of water through the ceiling, the smell of wildflowers or moss growing among the bricks, and hear intriguing clanging noises in the distance. I wanted to see if I could create models which really felt like exploring an abandoned place and/or creating feelings of whimsy through the resulting imagery.
I have a lovely Nokton Voigtlander 25mm lens (Micro Four Thirds format) which is wonderful for shooting miniatures, so I want to do more with that. I’ve mostly used camera phones so far. I have also experimented with various lenses (such as the crazy looking Laowa probe lens!) and other cameras, so it all helps with the experience.
In the future I’d like to start doing a lot more interesting still and filmed shots involving atmospheric effects and adding green-screen elements in post involving people, animals, maybe even explosions! Then I’d like to incorporate compositing effects in post to amp up the realism, so adding people, animals and elements like water and smoke. I am also working on a hospital history project and that will require filming a model of a hospital ward being demolished, so fingers crossed that will look eye-catching…
