Will Oates

It actually happened! It actually bloody happened! I’m incredibly happy to share some of the behind the scenes from my 3rd short film (D.U.S.T). This was a very long process until it wasn’t, once more people got involved, the project picked up pace and before I knew it we wrapped and now begins the long road of editing. Massive thanks to @nico_van_loggerenberg , my fellow camera operator at work and now my DoP! Wouldn’t have looked anywhere as beautiful without him! There would have been nothing to film if it had not been for the incredible acting of @masqueradesautumn I’m so grateful to have had his Labrador energy on this film! The one, the only, @strongfiction_dave_armstrong , having one of the most experienced filmmakers on the Isle of Man not only encourage me to make this film but also be on set as the AD! No better safety net! The dynamic duo of @reecedinsdale_ and @georgieking98 meant I could relax, enjoy and focus on directing as I knew sound and Camera were covered… watch out for their next short too! @brendon_alford , there is no way this film would have been made without him. The excitement and willingness to help in anyway has without a doubt made this shoot possible! @psychedelicpriestess From making the place look incredible to painting the front room with me till 1am 2 days before filming, it’s impossible to imagine this film looking the way it does with out your creative touch! @keiramackey , the woman of the hour, thank god for the make up department! But also thank you for capturing some amazing BTS over both days! @modelmakermorgan has read so many drafts and listened for hours on end me rambling on, thank you! At this point may as well give you a writers credit too! @cayton_blue has added his acting influence to this project and I’m immensely grateful to have him in every project I do! @julie.oates has scanned every script and highlighted every typo and grammatical error to a fault and I appreciate every red pen mark! Lastly a massive thankyou to @dot_performance for allowing me to use all the camera, audio and lighting equipment I could ask for, there’s no way this film would of looked or felt anywhere near as beautiful!

Little bts from my week filming nature around the Island #fujifilmxseries #fujifilm_xseries #fujifilmuk #fujifilmiom #fujifilmxh2s #lenspimp #manxwildlifetrust #sealsofinstagram #fujifilm #bts #manxwildlife #sealpup

I think the Point of Ayre might be one of my favourite spots on the Isle of Man, even though you can see Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 wrapping round the horizon and Ireland 🇮🇪 on the other side, it still feels like the edge of the world to me. And I’m really happy how this side quest ended up! The good old Fujifilm XT4 with the 24mm Anamorphic lens was a great combo to capture the landscape #fujifilmuk #fujifilmxt4 #fujifilmxseries #isleofman

Everything’s a learning curve and sometimes things don’t go to plan, from the over use of an ND filter to not enough clouds and many more little things. Tonights side quest was a failure and I’ll need to wait a few days till the weather is as good as it was this evening but it was a great excuse to use my 24mm anamorphic lens and at the very least it was a good research trip for next time! #fujifilm_xseries #fujifilmxt4 #anamorphic #fujifilmuk

(Turn your volume up) Wrapped my 3rd short film a few weeks ago and I’m already on my 3rd draft! The shoot was smooth as butter and the process of editing has been just as delightful and honestly it’s the power of the storyboard! Those rough sketches were the solid foundation of the whole thing. Flip a page on set and the DoP, sound recordist, AD and cast all just... know. No long explanations, no second guessing. Everyone’s looking at the same thing and we move. I think there’s a pressure, especially when you’ve illustrated it, to make the boards look polished. But in reality they just need to work. A wonky figure with a rough eyeline is worth more on set than something pretty but abstract. The power of a 4B pencil and some time to think will save hours off each day filming and I do mean hours! #Manxfilm #shortfilm #storyboarding #filmmaking #behindthescenes

Up close and personal with this peacock butterfly seemly plotting the downfall of humanity as it stares into the bowels of our 240 Watt lightbulb from B&Q #fujifilm_xseries #fujifilmxt4 #macrophotography #TTartisan40mm #peacockbutterfly #

The best birthday in a long time and a great way to say hello to being 30! Gab and I didn’t get a single photo together the entire night however we did get a video together of some amazingly horrendous squid ward dancing

Taking the ole camcorder to Niarbyl, and honestly filming with this is so much fun, even though it’s going to an actual mini DV tape it’s surprisingly freeing, with this rough 720p image there’s no internal voice even trying to get a perfect shot, or even a good shot. With this new found freedom I ended up just pointing the camera at what I liked and then moved on, watch out for the crab at the end #canonxl1 #analogtape #minidvtapes #canonuk #manxwildlife #isleofman #manxnature #davinciresolve #1998

Finally taking the camcorder on more adventures! I will not stop showing off the Canon XL1 as it’s the coolest and weirdest looking camera I own. On top of that the process of conversion from analogue to digital is getting smoother each time! Also that last shot was so staged, I’m usually looking for insects to poke and Gabs off looking for rocks to add to her collection. #canonxl1 #isleofman #camcorder

It was a busy TT, however, I did get my free Bushy’s pint courtesy of the marshals sign up bundle… this was one of two videos I took on my phone over the fortnight, the other was my Double cheese burger being prepared in the Bushy’s gardens… #tt2025 #bushysttvillage

Taking the 50mm Anamorphic lens out for a trip to the sea, it’s an incredible lens that I will never get bored of, even watching the waves come in is so much better with a wider aspect ratio and some oval bokeh’s for good measure! #fujifilmuk #isleofman #fujifilmxseries #fujifilmxt4 #manxnature #anamorphic #siruianamorphic #sirui50mmanamorphic #wavesfordays

Nothing more calming than an a seal floating amongst the waves, can’t wait to get my hands on the 150mm - 600mm lens again and start shooting some more nature! #lenspimp #manxnationalheritage #manxwildlifetrust #iombiosphere #fujifilmuk #isleofman #biosphereiom #fujifilmxseries #fujifilmxh2s #sealsofinstagram Should I try film more insects or mammals?