Spotlight: Jeremy Humphries
Jeremy Humphries is an award winning Director of Photography and highly respected cameraman, whose prestigious career spans 26 years working both for the BBC and a multitude of independent production companies. An individual at the top of his profession, he has worked on such highly acclaimed programmes as the BBC’s iconic drama Edge of Darkness, to more recent shows such as Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, The F Word, Ladette to Lady, and Secret Millionaire.
We catch up with him to discuss his new film training company, Skills2Film in Bath, the first of its kind in the West of England.
Why have you set up Skills2Film?
I saw a gap in the market about two years ago when I’d be on film shoots and camera crews working with me just didn’t have the training or experience required; they kept coming to me with more and more technical questions, location issues etc . So I started running bespoke training courses on camera craft and production skills, based in Bath. In the last year, with the market for video expanding into corporate, charity, internal communications and education as well as broadcast, our training courses are being used by companies wishing to get the skills to produce new, attention-grabbing, memorable experiences so they stand out from the competition.
What makes one of your Skills2Film courses worth the money?
We offer a huge range of courses and each one is unique, mainly because I make a point of discussing with the delegates their relevant topics, areas of interest and concerns beforehand. They always go home after the course with their questions answered, and I hope they feel confident to go out on location and put their ideas into action. We run scheduled or bespoke courses here in Bath (so avoiding overnight costs in London) or we can come to a company’s HQ, which is also cost-effective. Delegates can always nip back to their desks in the lunch break to check their emails!
What is The Reel of Experience you have set up?
This is my team of fellow trainers, all of whom are practising professionals who are likely to be shooting one day and training the next. Together, our expertise covers all filming related areas, including directing, location managing, sound and presentation skills.
How old were you when you first started making films?
Aged 11, I filmed a re-enactment of the Battle of Waterloo with Airfix soldiers on my first super 8 camera! By the age of 17, I was hooked on wildlife filming, to the extent I spent many hours secretly filming the inside of a nest box for my first film Acrobats of the Garden. It got a Special Mention by the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers!
What were two of your most memorable filming experiences?
I was privileged to film and direct Nelson Mandela, two years after he had been released from prison, in the BBC documentary Fair Game which investigated the misappropriation of land against black farmers in South Africa. I went on safari with the great man, and enjoyed some memorable moments.
I had my baptism of fire in 2007 on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Luckily I immediately hit it off with Gordon and thrived on his high octane, unpredictable, fast moving, emotive style. We had a laugh in the episode of The F Word when he attempted to smoke a salmon in the back of a Renault Reliant!
We know you are a history-lover. Tell us how you have managed to indulge that passion through your work?
Two instances spring to mind…. I worked on the Starkey series The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth and was literally able to hold history in the palm of my hand when filming the bible Anne Boleyn sought comfort from as she was executed. It was a very moving moment. In contrast, whilst shooting the BBC film Stalin Inside the Terror, in Russia in 2005, we were in Lenin’s dacha, and I decided the best vantage point for a camera angle was by standing in Lenin’s bath. I was amazed the Russian curators didn’t object, and as result we got the shot!
What’s your next big project?
I am working with the Old Vic Theatre School, Film, TV & Radio Studio in Bristol as a Director of Photography mentor, working with their 3rd year graduates. We are also commencing in May a series of workshops that Skills2Film and the Old Vic will be running together.
What words of wisdom can you offer people in the film world?
Film-making is an endless learning journey, driven by new ideas and facilitated by new and ever advancing technology and whether you are an enthusiast at home or a professional film maker, receiving the best training makes a dramatic difference to the end product.
