I was a serial herb killer, until I learned these great tips from the Gardener's Question Time team. Turns out, it's not that complicated... With these simple tips you'll have beautiful fresh herbs that last with minimal effort.
Viewing entries tagged
thom hoffman
Dancing in public can be scary, but letting go, and busting moves is a great release. Working with my pal and ace movement choreographer Polly Bennett, we made a film to get people dancing in that most intimidating environment... the wedding disco! Thanks to an ace group of fake wedding attendees, who brought their dancing A-Game in the sober light of day.
I was asked to make a short film about conversation for Radio 4. I chose to focus on 'The Listening Project'. An inspiring programme where ordinary people interview their friends, and loved ones. It's quite a unique form of media and can create some very inspiring, real, moments. I'm fascinated by layering visual elements on audio stories, and wanted to create an animation made from audio wave forms. For me this represents how we all have these conversations inside us. Hopefully this film celebrates the act of sharing. So go on, give it a share! It's good to talk, and even better to listen.
I've been a vegetarian for a few years now and really wanted to make a film to show that it's not hard, and definitely not dull Using a mixture of unusual ingredients, bold colours and text we made a Facbeook-friendly film that hopefully will inspire some chefs to mix up their food, and lower their Carbon footprint.
I love the guys at 10:10 they are a really cool small charity making waves, and taking on the biggest problems facing the planet. I enjoyed making this short film, and I got to weatherproof my draughty windows in the process.
I've been collaborating with ace multimedia journalist Meera Senthilingam on some multimedia features for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Piece one on Chemsex in the MSM community:
Meera has spent a longer time researching the topics, and writing the features. I have three days budgeted to work on coming up with some visual concept for the films, film them and execute the edit. It is a very tight turnaround, and I’d obviously like more time, but there is also great creative power in having boundaries. You can get a lot done in three days.
There are plenty of people like Arif and Duncan whose stories deserve to be heard. It’s possible to do these quickly, particularly when collaborating with someone, like Meera, who has had more time to get deeply involved in the topic, and who understands multimedia. Anyway I’m pretty happy with how they turned out.
It was a real privilege to tell Arif’s story of forced migration from Afghanistan, and to be allowed access to Duncan’s world, who opened up about the struggles and difficulties he’s faced with Chemsex. It’s essential to show the human side of these stories, to help people engage with the research questions that go alongside them.
I want to make more of these short portraits, so get in touch if you have a story you want to tell. But more than three days is preferable THANKS!
The second of my 'how to' films for BBC Radio4 is now live. It's been going down really well on Facebook and was one of the most popular on the Radio4 website in it's first week. It was a fun one to direct, talented bunch of actors, and I'm really pleased with how it's come out.
Go and watch some Passion in Practice Shakespeare if you get a chance, it's really cool.
"Thou weedy, fat-kidneyed, bug bear..."
Posted by BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, 1 March 2016
I spent 30 days embedded on the ship R/V Falkor, a scienctific research vessel sailing around the pacific ocean. I was documenting a group of scientists seeking out underwater volcanoes known as hydrothermal vents. It was a really cool project. The deep ocean is a uniquely challenging environment to work in, from battling seasickness in a typhoon, to competition for wifi. The trip was a huge success, the scientists discovered some really cool stuff, and will be returning next year with deep dive cameras to film and sample the incredible life that thrives at these newly discovered vents. We made lots of films, wrote blog posts, took photos, did stop motion animation (on something that never stopped motioning) and ran a competition to engage audiences with the project. Part 2 coming in 2016, stay tuned!
I made a couple of short films for The Human Zoo on Radio4. One was the most viewed feature on the website that week. The plan was to make a 1 minute concept explainer/teaser for the radio show. It did really well on Facebook and hopefully brought in a different audience to enjoy this ace social psychology radio programme. I had to star in this video as well as direct, as the turnaround time was so tight. A lot of people thought my shirt was irritating, one guy said I looked like Stephen Merchant. I have a strange job sometimes.
How irritated do you get when somebody reads over your shoulder on public transport? Enjoy this short video of life's unwritten rules being broken...
Posted by BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday, 24 June 2015
I directed this short film for Physics World looking at how light affects our health. I got to meet a professor who made a profound discovery about the eye, and a blind psychotherapist who completely changed how I think about light.
Additional Camerawork: Mark Billy Svensson, Cal Thomson
I got commissioned by Nature to direct and edit a film about epigenomics. The idea was that the human genome could be thought of like a music score. It isn't just changing the notes that change how the music gets expressed. We managed to bring a talented group of musicians together and make the piece come alive. CP Snow tried to claim science and art were two separate cultures, well roll over Beethoven... we spliced together a mash up to challenge that idea.
I'm a freelance filmmaker, writer, podcaster and some time photographer I’m looking for commissions, collaborations, grants and cool opportunities to make things. My typical beat is art, science, and music; via documentary, comedy, journalism, and education. My strength is in digging for the great stuff that hides in the spaces in between.
I have produced work for the Guardian, BBC, BMJ, Nature, The Southbank Centre, London Live, The Royal Institution, Universal and many others. I've worked in the Pacific Ocean, Mount Everest, in hospitals, theatres and mostly in my attic You can see a recent showreel here:
I also do multimedia consultancy, so if you want someone to come into your organisation to work on your digital strategy, help you tell better stories, or start you off in making multimedia of your own get in contact.
I got commissioned by the Royal Institution to make a film detailing the origins of Xray Crystallography.
It was a real pleasure and privilege to learn about the fascinating work of the father and son team who invented it, a technique that has contributed to 29 Nobel Prizes so far.
Interviewing Lawrence Bragg's youngest Daughter Patience was particularly cool, she was really inspiring, interesting, lovely, and baked me a pie, that's a powerful combination that doesn't happen too often.
It was great to take a somewhat hard to penetrate subject and break it down into its parts; telling the narrative whilst intertwining it with the science.
Hopefully I succeeded. It's my longest short film to date at just under 9minutes, 1/10th feature length, so who knows by this time next year...
Our trip to Everest Base Camp coincided with the 60th anniversary of Hillary and Tenzing making the first summit of Mt Everest. The Guardian and the Ri Channel commissioned me to edit a film from our footage detailing the extreme environment that the scientists are operating in, and the fascinating work they are taking on.
If anyone else wants to send me up a mountain to make a film I am open to offers.
Newsround
I recently got to go to the Himalayas for a month to document Extreme everest 2: a research project looking at the effects of low oxygen levels. We started off with a group of awesome kids, and this is a feature we shot for Newsround. I was Director of Photography Greg Foot was the presenter and Editor and the multi-skilled mountain goat Nick Insley was on sound.
One of the last things we filmed in Nepal was this fun episode of HeadSqueeze looking at: whether humans could ever fly, does stress make our hair go grey, and what Pins and Needles actually are...
We made 12 of these in two days so it was pretty intense. LEARN TO FIRE A BRUSSELS SPROUT OUT OF A BAZOOKA and do HOMEMADE CANDY CANES These are all short films for kids, showing them how to make fun science experiments and games for Christmas. I did the filming, the editing was by Dermot at Big Bang Fair
VISUAL NEGLECT FRONT PAGE
I first heard about this condition during my psychology degree, many moons ago. When I heard about some new research happening at Imperial, I thought it would be a good thing to make a film about. Somehow this ended up with me meeting some lovely couples, a cool neuroscientist, getting a self portrait done and having an arm wrestle.
theaccompanying article is here
This is a slightly unhinged music video I made for Darren Hayman's new album Lido; all about outdoor swimming pools. This film is a bit different from my usual stuff, and it was almost all filmed on a GoPro which was a good experiment. Anyway it's a cool song, and a great album, and I would recommend checking out the Blog http://lidomusic.blogspot.com
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmezvXCKo7Q&w=640&h=360]
The challenge was to remake a movie in 60 seconds, and we made the shortlist! Please take a look and vote for Number 10. http://www.empireonline.com/awards2012/diss/
It's a 'revisioning' of classic early 90's cinematic masterpiece Point Break.
We have been shortlisted for the Best UK entries.
Please take a look at the film, it is 60 seconds long, so no excuses! Afterwards please take an extra two seconds to click vote underneath, we are listed as
'10. Point Break Thom Hoffman'
Click here to watch the video
Directed by Thom Hoffman
Written by cast
Starring [in order of appearance] Ben Harp - Charlie Hall Johnny Utah - Sam Wong Pappas - Thom Hoffman Tyler - Sam Woolf Bodhi - Geoff Marsh
Music
I Will Not Fall - Wire Train Time of your life - performed by Sam Wong
I love science, podcasts, and making films, so was great to be commissioned to make a fun film advertising the Guardian Science Weekly Live show. It's a live podcast being recorded at the Royal Institution on Wednesday 28 March. You can get free tickets, from here...
Guardian pic
It was ridiculously fun to film and edit, and I hope people like it. Take a look and let me know what you think.