Page title Name
Colin Laidlaw
Producer/Director (Self-shooting), Camera Operator
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Colin's Biography

I operate as a self shooting producer/director or within a small creative unit. As an individual I am hugely patient, resourceful, multi-skilled and am a great communicator, having worked in India as well as the UK.

My skills include:

Camera: I operate the Red One camera as well as the Sony EX3 with Letus adaptor and Sony Z1. Further to this I have studied lighting and am a highly proficient stills photographer. I have acted as DOP as well as cameraman on several films and am an expert with the glidecam stabelizer.

Scriptwriter: I have written and produced several short films, taught scriptwriting at Birbeck College and am currently writing my fourth feature length screenplay to be self produced in India.

Editor: I own a suite South London and specialise in Final Cut pro and Color film grading.

Producer/Director: As a selfshooting producer and director I have great confidence and sensitivity to the material. I am constanly looking at what the final output of the project is and will adapt and change very quickly to the circumstances as required. This makes me highly flexible and able to gain access to any subject.







Employment History

media4charity in assosiation with The Railway Children charity
October 2009
Self shooting producer/director and editor - Producing their latest website video.

Short film
October 2009
Camera assistant - Using the Red One

London Shakespeare Workout
October 2009
Director of photography and cameraman on a 3 camera studio shoot of performing artists, using PD170.

Short Film
September 2009
Cameraman - Using a glidecam and Sony Z1.

Filmworks Trust in association with Westminster Council
July/August 2009
Cameraman and editor - producing a film about the council's environmental and community initiatives using Sony A1E.

Henley and White
July 2009
Cameraman - filming a social event using Sony Z1.

media4charity in association with: The Railway Children, UK
June 2009
Still's photographer - on the charity's 3 peaks challenge. Further to this I developed an e-commerce site (http://railwaychildren.zenfolio.com/3peaks) for sale of the photographs.

London Shakespeare Workout
June 2009
Director of photography and cameraman on a 3 camera studio shoot of performing artists using Sony PD170.

The Railway Children.
Feb 2009 Eshaas - (self shooting producer/director): A film about the charity's training scheme in India.

Sept 2008 Saathi - (self shooting producer/director): A film about the charity's home placement scheme in India.

Imagination Ltd
May 2008 The Orifice - (writer, producer, director): A 5min corporate film, parody and comedy based around the work place.
Dec 2005 Office Ninja - (writer, producer, director): A 5 min film, comedy based around the work place.

Self Produced
2006 Pizza Man - (writer, producer, DOP, editor): A fim short about the life of a pizza delivery boy.

2006 Fly on the wall - (writer, producer, DOP, editor): A film short, a parody about fly on the wall documentaries.

Birbeck College, London
Sept 1997 to April 2000 - (lecturer in scriptwriting): Teaching courses 6 and 21 weeks in length.

LWT The London Studios, Southbank, London.
Apr 1998 to June 1998 - (researcher and self shooting producer): Working on Sacha Baron Cohen's television show FTF.

Live Television
July 1995 to Sept 1995 - (self shooting producer/director): producing 5 min films for the late night shows. Topics included doctor who and science fiction fans, microlight fying, witchcraft.


Education

London Guildhall University 1996
BA Degree in Communications

Salisbury College of Technology 1993
A level physics, communications, psychology and politics

Industry Qualifications

Camera

VMI certificate in:
  • Red One and DIT
  • EX3 and Letus adaptor
  • High Definition video
  • Lighting for film

Editing

  • Apple Pro certification in in Final Cut Pro

Technical Equipment

Editing: Octocore suite with Final Cut Pro studio 2

Camera: Nikon D200, Olypus c5050 and underwater housing



Referees

Mrinalini Rao (Railway Children, Indian Director) mrinalini@railwaychildren.org.uk


Jonathan Laventhol (Director of Technology) Jonathan.laventhol@imagination.com

Skills

Software skills:

Final Draft, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, DVD studio Pro, Color film grading, Microsoft Office, MS project, Dreamweaver

Camera skills:

Red One, Ex3 and letus adaptors, Sony Z1,  Sony PD170, ; Stills photography - Nikon D200, Olympus c5050 and underwater housing.

Other skills:

Web 2.0 embedding
Web design
Writing
Research
Journalism
Padi Divemaster
Underwater photography
First aid certificate
Full car and motorbike licence
Project management

Additional Information

Industries

  • Corporate, 
  • Film, 
  • Mobile Content, 
  • Online, 
  • TV

Licenses

  • Basic Driving (PLG), 
  • Motorcycle