Kirk Watson films
I am a freelance filmmaker, based in Scotland. I can self shoot promotional, documentary, educational and narrative content and edit into a final film. I am also a fully licensed, CAA approved drone pilot and cinematographer. Perfect View Productions has all their own equipment to complete a project.
Whatever your story be it commercial, documentary or fictional we can help you get your message across in a high quality and professional manner.
Another day filming for a BBC TV Show’ Paramedics on Scene’. This time filming in a room in the fire station as its bigger than ambulance station in Banff:) Was a good crack and had some pretty good weather to get some drone shots of the area too.
On this shoot the interview was done through my laptop and hotspot on the phone while I did the 3 cameras, 3 lights, sound and after the drone:)
A super windy day up here in Thurso but managed a bunch of drone shots early morning. Then had a laugh meeting the Ambulance teams and setting up for an interview. The interview was about previous incidents that had been filmed and the interviewer was on my laptop hot spotted from my phone:)
Involved setting up in a small living room type area and moving chairs and getting 3 lights up then three cameras and sound:) A fun day out.
Here working with Martin (Producer director with ITV This Morning who I have done many shoots with) and Dr Scott an Aussie vet presenter and my first time with.
We had a great week filming about rewinding and travelling about areas, planting trees, feeding squirrels and swimming in a freezing river. Great to be back up at Alladale too.
Our great team at Alladale:)
A trip to Holy Island for a bit of filming of an archeologist dig for the program “Europe from Above” can see last years on the Disney channel. Super interesting learning about this very early healing island and early Christian place and who lived there.
Also ome interesting weather to deal with. Was rewarded for both my early mornings filming the Sunrise though. Especially liked the castle framed through the church spire:) Had to occasionally fly the small drone due to the number of tourists around. Nice and quiet when the causeway is closed lol.
Castle framed through the Spire in 25mph winds and a bouncy drone:)
A 600 or more year old day person eeek.
Holy Island castle at dawn:)
Abbey and the dig from the mini 3 pro drone
The dig
Green Space Dark Skies Light Art Project all over the UK
So for this whole month I was on this project with my good friend Rupert Shanks. Rupert was directing and I was Director of Photography for the month. I mainly filmed with the Inspire 2 during each shoot alongside Phil and Tom of Pivotal films from Northern Ireland. We then had a variety of camera folk. Fred, Mike Webster, and good mate Andrew O’Donnell. Then Jason, Olly and Amy from production done by CC-Lab who were great to work with.
This light show was a concept by John and Mark to make an art installation on the highest peak in each country in the UK. A pretty hard thing to do mainly thinking of the weather on these peaks and whether you could actually film it. Also if volunteers will be keen. But all worked out amazingly. We had a few exciting days with weather but got there in the end.
The first shoot on Scafell Rupert was on another job so I had to fill in directing. This was fun as none of us new each other and was the first time filming together and figuring out how the light team and camera team can all work together. And a few plans changed at the last minute and a camera team looking at you for what we should do different. Was quite a bit of adrenaline but all worked out well and got some great shots with the 550 people on the mountain!
The finished film below which aired on Countryfile and has been seen by 5.5m people at time of writing this. Opening shot is mine:) Plus the sunrise shots on the thumbnail and at the end:)
Another great trip aerial filming for BBC ALBA . This time with new team member Owen we head to the Isle of Rona near Skye to see if we can climb any new rock routes😁. Pretty interesting trying to find routes and how safe they maybe as you climb up. Might even see a drone in this show? Was great fun few days somewhere new😁. Kenny presenting, Hamish directing and A Camera and editing (most things really), Rich Parkermountain safety and myself on aerial filming😁🎥. Production by Solus Productions
The ace Dana team on the way:)
Rona Bay
Great to return to another Dana TV show this time on the isle of Arran. Again here I am doing the aerial filming while Hamish does the directing and A camera. Kenny presenting and Rich doing the mountain safety. We are now all good friends after several trips together and these are a total pleasure to do. Day one I think spent 14hrs on our feet and half of this carrying all our camping kit, food and drone kit. Fortunately we set up camp in the morning then headed to film the main part of the Arran ridge. I hadn’t climbed here since I was a student and I’d forgotten how amazing the mountains here are.
We were lucky with the weather after a midgy and damp start it cleared to an amazing day as we walked up. Then the ridge itself was spectacular and we got a great sunset. As in almost all Dana episodes we arrived at our pre set camp on the ridge in the dark with head torches. No minutes of the day wasted without filming lol.
The next day we awoke in the clouds and rain after a blustery night. Then we walked on into another clearing day that was very atmospheric:) Rona next
Kenny at his bivvi site on the ridge:)
The Epic Team:)
This was a fun trip getting to fly a drone on Orkney and North Ronaldsay. We had about a week or more up here to create a few light shows and get a bunch of shots of the islands. North Ronaldsay was a new Island for me with 4.5hrs further north from Orkney where myself and Rupert did the filming of the light shows up there. then Richard Elliot and several hundred volunteers joined us in Orkney at the stone circles for a great light show there! Again great editing and directing from Rupert Shanks.
North Ronaldsay Lighthouse
This was the first of several shoots to come of filming lights at night as several hundred volunteers create a light show. Part of Green spaces dark skies series. Rupert Shanks was directing with James shooter doing daytime drone and both doing night shots on the ground. I did some camera and long lens during the day and then Drone at night with the Inspire 2 drone with X7 camera shooting in prores.
Pretty exciting shoot as only have 40mins at night to get the shots. But longer during the day. Camping shots by Rupert and beautifully put together by Rupert and Lindsay the editor.
Practice as the light starts to get right for it:)
Today was filming for a large event with Joe Wicks the body coach at Scone Palace. Definitely some tight Risk Assessments for things like these each time. Was a fun day and all a bit of a blur as happened so fast lol. Flying the inspire 2 but trying to use longer lens to seem like I am closer to the crowds than I am. Had some good shots and the rain stayed off just for us:) This is to create an advert of these type events:)
Standby for the start of the show
Joe Wicks on stage
So this was first for me. Here I was doing a drone demo and letting other people fly my drones eeeek!! Several Journalist from round the country came to do a piece on Europe from Above and to find out more about drones. I was losing my voice a bit from a post cold (not covid this time thankfully) but I think I held it together with my speaking lol.
Was great to meet this group and I set up a little kind of assault course with the drone for them to do. All at the Fairmount hotel which was nice. If the photographer on the ground sees the images below please give me a shout I’ll pop a link to your site as pics are superb.
Some of the articles here:
https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/how-aerial-photography-reveals-scotlands-complex-beauty-in-national-geographic-show-europe-from-above-1790354
https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/17-stunning-pictures-that-show-scotland-from-the-air-3799319
https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1652679/Europe-From-Above-series-4-National-Geographic
A few pics below of the day:)
Pics from photographer that day. Who I can't remember eeek! If you see this remind me I'll pop a link to your website:)
The Fairmount Hotel and golf course
A trip to Barra for the second time this year. This time for ‘Europe from above’ a National Geographic program you can get on the Disney channel. Can see last years series just now, where I filmed about 70% of the Scottish parts:)
Well this was a challenging shoot travelling all the way there with ferries needing booked well in advance and then first day of shooting the winds are 40mph and raining!! Fortunately we got a couple of moments where it cleared and winds dropped and managed to film two planes landing. A few permissions were needed for this lol.
What an awesome airport where the planes only land at low tide on the beach. Great bunch of crew working there to making for some fun filming. the weather was a bit better day two after a morning of rain. Had to squeeze my 2 day shoot into an afternoon. I was like a headless chicken trying to get it done and ticking off the script as i went.
This was an exciting day filming live for BBC and BBC ALBA at Belladrum during the main event evening then shooting the massive fireworks at the end. The fact it is live makes everything more exciting especially the fireworks as they go off just nearby you as you are flying nearish to them and hoping none go off track towards the drone lol.
Pretty interesting and a real shame for the estate and many others in Aberdeen area with the destruction of forests and trees all over Aberdeenshire. This was for a TV show about the storm. Some shots from the air below to see the destruction. Pretty windy day for flying but got some great shots all the same:)
A great few days over on the Isle of Arran with Countryfile as we do a piece on the poor state of the CalMac ferries. Bit of touring round the island speaking to different business’s. Great bunch of locals, from hotels, farmers, shop owners, cocktail bar etc. We got some good weather too so was a fun journey. Tom Heap was presenting, Becky Whitefoot directing/producing and Martin McNair on the sound:)
We also had a bonus day out on a rib filming the calmac ferries by drone. This was great fun and always a bit more adrenaline flying from small boats. But a smooth day at sea:)
A few days as drone operator for Richard Elliott Aerial Filming. Richard was away on a cruise filming ships so myself and Pete stepped in for a few days. A few dual op days and a few solo days and a lot of driving. Finished footage was for use in a TV Commercial for LNER. Always exciting filming trains and trying to find nice spots but also spots so you can see the train coming and actually have the drone rolling in time for it:)
Here we are back with the Stunt horse team to film as they pack up in the Scottish Borders for a journey to Ribchester for the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show. Here they are putting on a Cowboys and Indian show. I am filming with my drone the Inspire 2 when it doesn’t rain and also doing some long lens slow mo action of the riders. A Great day seeing this team riding, they are pretty amazing at what they do:) This is for a BBC prime time program following this team and directed by Ramsay.
Spent a few great days filming with several different people for Wolftrax as put together a few short films for their new website. Below to see:)
A fun challenging day working on this short fictional film. A costume drama with lots of sword fights and a great all female cast. I was filming with the Inspire 2 and trying to get some stable running scenes in winds that slowly increased to about 35mph lol. We managed to get some good shots and everyone seemed happy. A great crew from all over UK here and a fun crew to work with.
Today I was back with Ramsay and Robyn from Caledonia TV for a program about a horse stunt team in the borders of Scotland. Today was a little different where we were filming an annual ride out of 300 or more horse, which was pretty amazing to see. Very busy few hours so not much chance for pics as had to film then run to the next spot lol. Will go out late summer on Prime time BBC.
