James Buck

Pro - Active Sponsorships

2012-01-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

Title: ITV Flora Pro-activ sponsorships

Formatt: Cannon 5D

Africa Investigates

2012-01-06T03:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Africa Investigates
Formatt: Red Epic

Title sequence for Al Jazeera programme 'Africa Investigates'. It was shot in a studio with a Mark Roberts 'Cyclops' motion control rig with a Red Epic.

Super Yachts. Heesen

2011-07-01T03:58:00.001-07:00

Pringles

2011-05-24T05:02:00.000-07:00

Title: Pringles Russia tag

Format: Super 35mm

Shot on blue/green screen on Mitchell with primes on Mark Roberts motion control rig. Flame work at Rushes.

Surviving Burkitts

2011-05-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've put together this trailer for a documentary I shot last year in Malawi - 'Surviving Burkitts'. It was shot on a XDCAM PDW700 which proved as reliable as always. For more information on this film please see my earlier post.

"Well, Surviving Burkitts is such a powerful and quite extraordinary document and documentary. Prof Elizabeth Molyneux comes over as a remarkable doctor and human being. The humanity just pours out of her. It feels like such a fitting tribute to Scott and I hope that it is seen by tons of people. It certainly deserves to. It is informative, poetic and profoundly moving. It will stay with me for a long time".

Ruth Caleb O.B.E
Executive Producer for BBC Television
Acting Head of BBC Drama Group 1996
Head of BBC Drama 1992 - 1995

"Thanks so much for sending the copy of your truly wonderful documentary: Surviving Burkitts. The way you use a camera is so exciting; you are a true visual artist and in this case, you chose two remarkable woman to be your focus. There were no talking heads in this brief masterpiece".

Pat Silver-Lasky (Mrs. Jesse L. Lasky, Jr)
Author, Script Consultant and lecturer. Writers Guild of Great Britain, Writers Guild of America, American Society of Authors & BAFTA

“Surviving Burkitts is a vitally important, moving and thoroughly unsentimental documentary. We meet the key characters, get to know them and how much they care, the passion that drives the doctor and nursing staff, the plight of the people. It must get the widest possible television audience.....and soon”.

Graham Benson
Chairman, Blue Heaven Productions
Chairman, Screen South
Executive Producer, BBC

"Just an unsolicited message of congratulations (to you all). I thought that Surviving Burkitts was brilliant in every respect, and very moving. It deserves the widest possible exposure".

Anthony Butterworth
AE Butterworth, BA, MA, MB, BChir, PhD, FRS
Honorary Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Honorary Professor, College of Medicine, University of Malawi

"Well done for producng such a sympathetic and visually inspiring film. I have given several copies to people who have spoken very enthusiastically about it. Very many congratulations".

Elizabeth Molyneux OBE, FRCP, FRCPCH, FRCPCH (Hons), FCEM
Professor of Paediatrics - Queen Elizabeth College of Medicine, Malawi

"Surviving Bukitts is a credit to all the people who have died, fell ill or are suffering from Burkitt's cancer. At times it made me happy, sometimes sad and at one point I wanted to cry. I think this film shouldn't just be shown in the country it was filmed, or just Africa. This program is good enough to be shown internationally and would definitely be enjoyed in Europe and the UK".
Charlie Killick
The Citizen Herald

Showreel 2010

2011-05-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Pack shot and lighting effects reel.

2011-04-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sekonda

2011-01-13T05:24:00.001-08:00

Title: Sekonda Sports Chrono

Format: Red

Ive been shooting idents for Sekonda which will be shown on ITV.

The idents were shot with a Red camera on a Cyclops motion control rig above a water tank at 120fps.

Aston Martin - Project One-77

2010-08-11T03:29:00.000-07:00

Title: Aston Martin One - 77

Format: Sony XD Cam / Cannon 5D

I’ve been working on a promotional film for Aston Martin’s new flagship super car ‘One-77’.

As the name suggests only 77 of these cars, costing £1.3million, will ever be built and will be the ‘ultimate creative interpretation of the renowned British marque.’

‘One-77 fuses advanced technology with stunning Aston Martin design to create possibly the world’s most desirable automotive art form. Based on a sophisticated carbon fibre chassis with a handcrafted aluminium body, this 7.3 litre V12 super car will deliver exhilarating performance for a strictly limited number of discerning customers.’ (Aston Martin, www.astonmartin.com)

'In the fourth part of the One-77 film series Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin and Marek Reichman, Director of Design discuss the fundamental elements of what makes the One-77 so unique. The film shows the first complete engineering car in motion on the test track'.

To see a teaser film follow this link.

.......and the final film below.

Malawi

2010-08-10T02:59:00.000-07:00

Title: Surviving Birkitts

Fomatt: XD Cam

This summer I traveled to Malawi to film a documentary on a rare cancer called Burkitt’s Lymphoma which affects more than 200,000 children a year in Equatorial Africa.

The cause of this cancer (named after British doctor Denis Birkitt who first recognised this tumour based cancer some 50 years ago), is not known although the treatment success rate, if caught in its early stages, is high. The problem lies with its extremely aggressive nature which can double its size within 24hrs and can kill children within a few months.

This documentary will provide doctors, health workers, and medical students with a resource to further advance understanding, thus enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment in the West, and for Africa it will be used as a tool in schools, universities and hospitals to raise awareness of the need for aftercare. It will also be used to engage pharmaceutical companies to provide affordable drugs to hospitals firstly across Malawi and then in the longer term across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Cannes 2010

2010-05-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

For the second year running our film 'Honour Me' has been chosen to screen at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in the short film corner. It will be part of a programme of films that showcase the best of previous years entries.

For more information about the screening please follow the link here.

Honour Me - continues to impress.

2009-12-09T04:29:00.000-08:00

"On behalf of the Expresión en Corto International Film Festival I am delighted to present the Special Jury Mention of the third edition of the Speak Out Against Domestic Violence Short Film Competition to your excellent documentary "Honour me", which displays the problematic and complex interplay of diverse forms of violence: social, religious, cultural, economic and physical, which are all experienced and related by Sameem Ali in this shocking and touching personal account. A technically impeccable documentary with outstanding cinematography and editing, "Honour Me" offers an unusually sensitive and personal view at a rarely told, but unfortunately not rarely experienced, situation in an incredibly courageous testimony of a strong woman documented in a most honest and captivating way by an excellent film maker".

"We are confident that this important document in the fight against all forms of violence will continue to speak out to many audiences around the globe and make a difference. Thanks to Sameem and Alex for bringing this story to our attention".

Nina Rodríguez
Directora de Programación
Expresion En Corto IFF

Royal Television Award Win

2009-11-16T06:08:00.000-08:00

'Speed Dating' a Viral film I shot early this summer has won a Royal Television Award for 'Best Digital Innovation'. This hard hitting road safety film has had over 4 million YouTube hits to date.

Sekonda

2009-09-30T03:32:00.001-07:00

Title: Sekonda - 2 x 15 second sponsorship idents

Format: Red

Raindance Film Festival 2009

2009-09-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

After screening in Cannes this year, 'Honour Me' has been selected to be shown at the 2009 Raindance Film Festival. This is my fourth collaboration with writer, producer and director Alex Tweddle from Angry Man Pictures. Please see below for further details on the film or click on the link for more information on the Raindance Festival.

Michael McIntyre Promo

2009-06-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Title: 'Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow' Promo

Client: Red Bee Media

Format: HD Animation

From the team behind BBC One's Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow travels around Britain visiting six of the UK's most prestigious and iconic venues, unearthing a raft of comedy's brightest new talent and finest comedians en route.

Yesterday Idents

2009-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Title: 'Yesterday' Channel Idents

Client: Red Bee Media

Format: HD VariCam

Continuing its successful partnership with UKTV, Red Bee Media, the global leader intransforming media brands has created a new identity for Yesterday, currently known as UKTV History. Drawing on a range of awe-inspiring world events, social movements and fondly remembered moments, the new channel will launch on 2nd March.

Carrying the strapline, “Where the past is always present”, UKTV tasked Red Bee Media to redefine what ‘history’ means by creating a powerful channel identity. All of the rebrand work is designed to engage viewers with the channel’s factual content, as well as the social and dramatic aspects of the past to make it more immediate and relevant to viewers.

The six idents, called Debutants, Football, Hoodies, Suffragettes, War and the final ident, Wright Brothers, are a symbiotic fusion of footage and music from two contrasting eras that encourage its audience to view the past with fresh eyes. For example, the Football ident shows a sea of die-hard football fans in unified glory decked with Saint George flags and painted faces at a football game that looks and sounds like a battle.

The Hoodies ident follows a stereotypical group of teenage boys in typical attire, congregating in a shadowy urban environment. This ident is accompanied by a monastic chant.

Andy Bryant, Director, Creative, at Red Bee Media, comments: “Our creative challenge was to capture the essence of history in 30 second moments and to present historical scenes in a surprising and poignant way that would resonate with the audience. Once again the creative achievement of this project is testament to Red Bee Media’s long- standing and successful relationship with UKTV.”

Sara Holt, UKTV’s Factual Marketing Manager, adds: “These amazing idents make the past an exciting and enticing place, where history is brought to life through great and unifying moments in time. They demonstrate a history channel can be about so much more than just mechanical history and the second World War."

Following the successful rebrand of UKTV’s entertainment portfolio as Dave, G.O.L.D., Watch and Alibi, Yesterday will be the third of the pay TV broadcaster's factual channels to be rebranded, following Eden and Blighty's launches on 26th January and 17th February 2009 respectively.

Yesterday will go live at 9am on 2nd March in 17.5million homes nationwide via Freeview, Sky Digital and Virgin Cable.

Extracts from Red Bee press release 24th February 2009.

Kingdom Street

2009-02-28T05:46:00.000-08:00

Title: Kingdom Street 'Creeping Prow' promotional film

Format: HD VariCam

Please got to twokingdomstreet.com to see the film.

More information on this project coming soon.......

Laser Project

2009-02-24T09:17:00.000-08:00

Title: 'UPC Broadband' TVC

Format: 35mm Motion Control

Here is a project I shot for UPC the broadband provider. The client wanted to use an actual laser for the ad as they didn't want to go the 3D route. Initially we were going to shoot on Red but as some of the shots required the laser to pass across the lens (thus burning out the sensor) we went to 35mm. Finally to get the most precise movement and exposure needed we shot on a Milo motion control rig at 6 / 3fps.

Honour Me

2009-02-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

Come and see the film at Cannes. Click here for information.

Title: Honour Me - Documentary

Format: HD 2K Red Cam

The film follows Sameem Ali, a Manchester Councillor and author of the best selling book of her life entitled ‘Belonging’.

Sameem spent six and a half years growing up in a children's home. When she was told that her family wanted to take her back she couldn't wait to start her new life with them. Instead, she returned to a dirty house where she was subjected to endless chores. Her mother began to beat her and her unhappiness drove her to self-harm.

Sameem was excited when she boarded a plane with her mother to visit

Pakistan

for the first time. It was only after they arrived in her family's village that she realised she wasn't there on holiday. Aged just thirteen, Sameem was forced to marry a complete stranger.

When pregnant, two months later, she was made to return to the

where she suffered further abuse from her family. After finding true love, Sameem fled the violence at home and escaped to Manchester with her young son. She believed she had put her horrific experiences behind her, but was unprepared for the consequences of violating her family's honour...

'Belonging' by Sameem Ali (John Murray, 2008, G.B)

The Forgotten Children of Congo

2008-01-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Title: The Forgotten Children of Congo

Format: HD

In 2006 I travelled to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with friend and colleague Alex Tweedle to make a documentary 'Forgotten Children of Congo'. This was a self funded project to go to one of the most troubled countries in the world to see and film for ourselves the impact decades of war, dictatorship and colonialism had on this country. We were particularly interested in the country's children - many of whom have become conscripts in an army. Others, believed to be witches, have been thrown out of the family home to join an estimated 25 thousand street children who live in the capital city of Kinshasa.

Please see the trailer to the film.

Our journey took us from the far west of the country in the Congo basin to Kinshasa then across the rain forests to the far east of the country to the Rwandan border and the city of Goma.

Congo is the size of western Europe and is one of richest countries in the world in terms of its mineral wealth i.e; gold, copper , diamonds, coltan and uranium and yet its people remain one of the poorest. Congo is still fighting the largest war since WW2 - an estimated 5 million people have died through war, disease and famine since 1998.

One of the more recent phenomenas of the country, and one indeed that is sweeping Africa, is that of 'child witches'. This is a term that is given to a child who has supposedly brought bad luck to the rest of their family.

The label 'witch' is given to the child usually by the local pastor, who then will ask the family for what little money they have to exorcise the demon from the child.

Our guards for our time in the capital city of Kinshasa.

One of our stops on the way to Goma. The UN base deep in the rain forest of Kisangani.The United Nations (UN) have the largest peace keeping force in the world in the DRC with 17000 troops permanently based across this vast country.

Such is the hysteria about this phenomenon that in most cases the family agree to try and rid the child from being a witch though the pastor's exorcism. This ceremony can take from hours through to days and, from our experience, includes the child being drugged and made to confess that they are indeed a witch - failure to do so only increases the amount of suffering the child will go through. Ultimately if the child does not confess, or the family cannot pay the pastor, the child will be thrown out of the home for fear of attacks from villagers who believe the child will curse the rest of the village. Again in our experience we found many children who had been brutally maimed or killed for such a reason.

The Frontline Club

2008-01-10T03:59:00.000-08:00

I thought I would add an entry about a place that has not only helped but also inspired some of our work in documentaries and further afield. The Frontline Club in London is a meeting place for film makers, photographers, writers and journalists providing a comfortable, relaxing and exciting place to discuss issues and ideas.

Take a look at the film below to find out more and follow the link to the Frontline Club.

Alex (Angry Man Pictures) and I have had two films shown here, both have played to a full house in the clubs screening room followed by a Q and A.

"I've worked with Alex on two public screenings of Angry Man Pictures productions and have found his films to be penetrating, informative and offering real insights into stories that go beyond the mainstream. I admire the work that Angry Man Pictures undertakes and believe that they perform a valuable service in helping us to better understand the workings of the world"

Phil Brown
The Frontline Club - Documentary Programme Manager

El Paso Texas - Ciudad Juarez Mexico

2008-01-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

Title: Juarez - City of Dreams - Documentary

Format: HDV

Here are a few stills from my trip to Mexican Border town of Juarez - one of the largest border towns on earth which is situated across the Rio Grande from the US city of El Paso. I was there to film a documentary about life on both sides of the border but especially to film what life is like for those living in one of Mexico's most violent and unstable areas. Juarez is the most dangerous city in the Americas and probably the world - already this year (2008) 1300 people have been killed on it's streets mainly due to the Mexican narco cartels fighting for the plazas or corridors of narcotics flowing into the US.

Please see the trailer to the film.

Juarez, formally called El Paso del Norte - The Northern Pass - is a smuggling route as old as the border. According to the DEA in its heyday the Juarez cartel was the biggest drug trafficker in the world, shifting more than 50 percent of all narcotics consumed in the U.S.

Juarez was always a city of transit and became infamous for the mass murder, after torture and violation, of 400 young women in the Nineties. Julian Cardona author of 'Juarez - Laboratory of our Future' says 'There are allot of world class businesses here and these worlds entwine. Young families come north, the girls get a job in the maquiladora (factory)and the man is economically impotent but sexually potent. If the man has no income he can earn working for them (cartel). And if he has a habit, which he probably has, he tuns to crime and drug dealing to maintain it'.

Juarez - The City that exists, so they say, between something and nothing. ' If Juarez is a city of God,' goes another saying ' that is only because the Devil is scared to come here.'

Three Green

2008-01-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

Title: Three Green - promotional film

Format: Phantom HD

Stills from 'Three Green' . Please click to enlarge.

Product Shots

2008-01-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd put some product shots up here. I've worked on many... here are just a few.

Idents

2007-12-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

Title: BAFTA Sponsorship

Client: BAFTA

Format: 35mm Motion Control

Title: Radio 3 'Ear' TVC

Client: BBC Presentation

Format: 35mm

Title: Rugby World Cup 2007

Client: BBC News Graphics

Format: 16mm

Title: Kerrang! Channel Idents

Client: EMAP Performance Television

Format: HD

Title Sequences

2007-12-24T03:06:00.000-08:00

Title: Snow

Client: Magic Eye Productions

Format: 35mm Motion Control

Title: Brain Story

Client: Skaramoosh Ltd.

Format: 35mm Motion Control.

Title: What The World Thinks Of America.

Client: BBC World

Format: 16mm

Title: Newsnight

Client: BBC Graphics

Format: 35mm

Promos

2007-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Dead or Alive. Sky Promotion

Format: 16mm

Title: The Dogs

Format: 16/35mm

Title: Sia 'Little Man' music video

Format: 35mm