9. A JFC MOVIE

My love for video really started in 2011 when I made the first Movie for the football club at which I work, JFC. There we deliver coaching sessions to kids aged 4-15 (the very place I learnt how to kick a ball) and our activity includes seasonal trips and tours. In Christmas time of 2010, we visited the Emirates Stadium for a stadium tour with some of the boys, but the story is that we lost all the data for the day's photographs which were of course important to us for documenting the event. One of the Coaches though was recording proceedings on a little Handycam and I volunteered to convert the footage into a short video. With brief hits of happy faces and nice music, it somehow did more than what the photographs would have achieved. It's difficult to pinpoint but there's certainly a more significant emotional journey and better picture of the atmosphere, particularly for those who weren't there (ie. the parents and other members who didn't participate – brilliant).

Since then, I've made 10 JFC Movies ranging from 3-minute shorts to 20-minute features. I don't classify my work here as part of my design work per say, but it is probably fair to say that it's a work of design in its own right. The brief is clear, the creative opportunity is vast and the skills are relevant. I think what I love about the medium is that even the most mundane footage can be transformed into a moment of beauty by simple editing, whether it be the adapted context or the musical factor. I find great joy from it and it's all the more satisfying to know that these make a permanent showcase of wonderful memories for everyone involved. I would have loved to be able to keep my childhood experiences alive and accessible on demand.

Below, I've attached three videos that show an interesting variety of the kind of videos and indeed kind of trips that we've done: a stadium sleepover, a summer camping trip to the countryside and a cold season activity camp.You can watch any one you like but I promise you you won't be able to resist smiling throughout. And I love that.







>> Find all the Movies available to watch on JFC's Vimeo page.