Once in a while I get to work on a film project that just feels good, and this Christmas short for the States of Guernsey is a nice example - it’s not promotional, competitive or sales-driven but a simple statement of gratitude to the people of Guernsey, many of whom can enjoy Christmas this year with relative freedom compared to much of the rest of the world.

The film’s non-verbal narrative, set to a haunting Christmas carol, depicts a returning student having to self-isolate for 14 days while her younger sister counts down the days until they can hug and share a family Christmas.

Freelancing for Spike Productions, my roles were as principal camera operator and editor. With limited time, there was little opportunity to scope-out shooting locations beforehand, so I chose to shoot everything handheld with minimal lighting in order to be as nimble as possible and able to react to unexpected circumstances.

Perhaps my favourite shot in the film is when the student, now free from isolation, meets her friends at a pub. The interior was very dark as was the street outside so I placed a warm panel-light out of shot in the corner and a cooler one outside to give me some light to work with. Panning the camera from outside and through the window pane, I followed the subject as she entered the pub and greeted her friends. Expecting to repeat this difficult shot several times, I was impressed that we completed it perfectly on the first take.

One of the pleasures of making films in Guernsey is the instinctive helpfulness of the population. If asked nicely, most will permit you to film on their property and many will go out of their way to make it as easy as possible. This was evident at every location, from the gift-shop to the pub, the church service and pantomime as well as the big Christmas light switch-on, all of whom allowed us to work around their own busy schedules, often with little notice.

Regardless of the subject, I strive to evoke appropriate emotion in every film I make, whether it’s a feel-good short such as this, or perhaps a more clinical corporate piece. While credit for the concept and story goes entirely to the team at the States of Guernsey and Spike Productions, my job was to translate a specific ‘feel’ to my camera work and edit. Often the chosen music plays in my head while shooting and it also dictates the pace of my edit. The mood was further enhanced with a colour grade that is warm, ‘glowy’ and with soft contrast - a style that I had visualised from the outset. I was amazed to read so many social media comments from people who were brought to tears, for all the right reasons, when they watched the video - clear confirmation that I had achieved my goal.

Finally, I can’t finish without praising the actors themselves and all of those who helped behind the scenes. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to name them, so I won’t, but we couldn’t have made this without the humility, patience and professionalism of everyone involved - particularly the young girl who displayed boundless energy and enthusiasm throughout the whole shoot …no doubt inspired by actually getting to meet the real Santa!

Merry Christmas to all of you who enjoy seeing my work and to everyone who encourages me to continue my creative vocation, despite all of its pitfalls and difficulties.