Arsenal FC

The following week started with Pete making a trip to Arsenal FC in London Colney to run a shoot for our good friends at Dair Agency. Being avid sports fans, we always love the opportunities we get to work with some of the world's leading sports teams. He spent two days providing production for interviews with players and coaches at the club. Always a great privilege!

HEROS

Later that week, our team headed to film with HEROS, a racehorse rehoming charity and a new client for us. Our visit was a heartwarming one, seeing the care they give to ex-racehorses and how they find homes where these horses can thrive is truly wonderful to see. For me, it was particularly moving because one of my former racehorses- one I owned a share in a few years ago- was there. He looked happy, healthy, and absolutely loving his new life. I’d highly recommend supporting this charity if you’re a racehorse owner, or just someone who loves the racing industry. Of course, in addition to rehoming retired racehorses, HEROS also provides education. We were filming lots of interviews with the pupils there and met some really talented young people who have really thrived in an alternative form of education.

Paddy Brennan

Next up was Paddy Brennan’s Owners Day. Paddy is a good friend of mine, so filming with him is always a pleasure. Since retiring, he’s set up the Paddy Brennan Racing Syndicate, focusing on bloodstock and ownership. The day was all about showcasing some beautiful syndicate horses he’s got, some of which are for sale, and they looked fantastic. The atmosphere was buzzing, I went on my own and managed to capture some great content for him. If you’re interested in getting involved in racehorse ownership, definitely reach out to Paddy and his team, he’s got some lovely young horses for sale.

BASC

Thoughts quickly turned to The Game Fair and before filming the actual event itself, our first priority was filming for BASC ‘Women in Shooting’ at the stunning Stowell Park Estate. This video was to be turned around quickly to be displayed at The Game Fair. The message behind the video was important and it was a breathtaking location to film in. The script was cleverly composed by Felicity Marshall (BASC) and we created some lovely visuals to accompany it. It was a thrill to see it displayed on the big screens at the main event.

From there, we headed to The Game Fair itself, filming for BASC this year. It’s one of those events that’s absolutely packed with energy and tradition, we loved every second of capturing it. We had a great setup: Pete and I on the cameras, Abby on BTS and running, plus two fantastic freelancers, George on camera and Joe editing the content together to post it out just hours after shooting. It was a fast-paced day, but it felt good to be in the middle of it all. We certainly all caught the sun and got the steps in!

New Kit

On the kit front, July was an exciting month. We’ve been getting to grips with our new drone, the DJI MAVIC 4 PRO. This allows us to get even closer to the action with its telephoto lens. We also tested the DJI Ronin 4D 6K on a passion project with our friend Cam. Cam works in the film industry in the ‘grips’ department and has worked with us on many projects over the years. Another friend of mine, Lewis Samuels, wrote an engaging script and played the leading role. Did the DJI Ronin 4D live up to its reputation? Yes would be my answer, however I'm not fully sold on buying one quite yet.

National Hunt Racing

We wrapped up the month with two shoots that brought us back into the National Hunt Racing world we know and love, filming at the yards of Olly Murphy and David Pipe. At Olly’s, we were filming a syndicate horse for a great client of ours, Old Gold Racing, which we always enjoy doing. The last time we’d been to Olly’s was for a Great British Racing shoot with Laura Collett jump schooling his horses, so it was great to be back and see more of the yard. On the note of Old Gold Racing, the lovely Lara who we’ve worked with for the last 4 years is moving on from Old Gold Racing to pastures new, taking on a new role at JSC Communications- we wish her all the best on her next adventure and will miss her very much, especially on all of the shoots!

Great British Racing

Then it was straight down to Devon. After leaving Olly's yard, Warren Chase, we did a quick kit change and backup at the office before driving down to Taunton to stay overnight ready for a shoot at David Pipe’s for Great British Racing the next morning. Although not planned, I got to meet and chat with racing royalty, the legend that is Martin Pipe. He told me all about the detailed records they keep- blood samples, temperature logs, jockey feedback- for each horse. Martin Pipe formulated the way NH horses are trained across the UK and Ireland. He is a maverick, innovative, clever and always ahead of the curve. It’s brilliant to see David carrying on those methods in his own training career. It’s lovely to see Martin still keeping an eye on events at Pond House, I could have chatted to him for hours. Stay tuned for that video on our social media.

Extras

Of course, it wasn’t all work this month. Billie celebrated her birthday (Happy Birthday, Bill!). Pete ticked off a bucket-list gig by seeing Oasis live – he came back saying, “It was so good I would’ve paid double if I had to.” I think it’s safe to say he enjoyed it. I spent time with my horses, including my yearling filly Beans, who is growing faster than I can keep up with, she looks over my head now, not hard I know!

A big moment for the team this month was welcoming Abby, who has settled in brilliantly. She’s brought fresh marketing ideas and a ton of enthusiasm to the table already. On top of that, she’s the proud new owner of Boss Man Fred, an absolute legend of a horse that I used to own. He gave me some of my best days as an owner, and knowing he’s in the very best care, enjoying a loving retirement with Abby and her family, makes me really happy.

So that was July – full-on, but in the best way. August is already shaping up to be just as exciting, with some brilliant shoots on the horizon. Keep an eye on our socials for more behind-the-scenes moments, and hopefully you’ll see some of our work out and about.

Catch you next month,
Louis