Tree Week for the RHS
I’ve worked with the RHS through Grey Moth for several years now and they’re by far one of my favourite returning clients. I’ve shot a series of 16 films covering the changing seasons across their gardens nationwide, covered The Chelsea Flower Show two years running, directed their Hilltop Centre Welcome video and more. Through Grey Moth (the company I left in September) I was asked to direct a small series of videos in preparation for National Tree Week, with author Kate Bradbury.
The three films focused on why it is important to think about trees now, how you can use trees in your garden, and trees throughout the year. Trees and woodlands are close to my heart, growing up on the outskirts of a National Trust forest in Devon, the woods are my happy place and making films about them is basically as good as it gets.
With just one rainy day for filming we prioritised getting the presentations from Kate plus anything else we could do together - we looked through her collection of tree seeds, repotted a sapling, looked at some dried autumn leaves I had brought along for the occasion and went for a walk in the woods. We were then able to use Grey Moth’s archives from our previous work in the RHS gardens, so we had plenty of beautiful footage to use in addition to what we could gather on the day.
Kate read an excerpt from her new book, “The Tree in My Garden”, which I asked her to do while sitting in the woods. It was a lovely setting and having the wind in the trees under her reading felt like the perfect backdrop.
As a director, I’ve made a lot of films now about topics I’m unfamiliar with, and its my job to research and learn enough to get to grips with new ideas and areas of expertise, a wonderful challenge to engage with. This project was wonderful however, as it felt very close to home. I felt relaxed in my pre-existing knowledge and confident in my creative abilities. I’d absolutely love to make more work surrounding conservation, nature, re-wilding, land, forestry and horticulture. All topics that I have personal connections with.
You can watch all three films here: Why Trees, Why Now? The Tree in My Garden Trees Throughout The Year
