talks to OF about Walks Around Britain
A while ago, all the raw footage was on HDV tapes. But,
since we moved to using the DSLRs and now the Sony/
Ursa, all the footage has been recorded on SD cards,
which are transferred across onto three separate external
hard drives. This means that not only is everything we’ve
filmed safe and secure, but also available fairly fast to be
used.
Q How important is the editing process and how long
does it typically take?
A Editing is incredibly important, not just to bring the
programmes in at the allotted duration, but also to
affect the style, pace and tone of the programmes.
Lots of modern TV is fast-paced with quick cuts and
many shots, all designed to ‘capture the viewers’
attention’. But when you are dealing with walking, a more
considered, moderate pace suits the subject. It’s about
taking time for shots to develop; for the viewers to take
in a scene as if they were there and not to bombard them
with stuff. Walks Around Britain has a reputation now for
‘Slow TV’ and I’m really proud of that… and that is from
the editing.
The programmes are produced using a template -
which aids faster working and also allows the editing to
be done by anyone whilst still maintaining a consistent
look and feel. On average it takes around four days
starting with a blank template to completely finish a
22-minute programme.
Q How do you promote the series when it’s ready for
broadcast?
A Well, this is where all the time spent building up a
profile on social media really pays off! Right now, Walks
Around Britain has over 32,200 followers on Twitter -
which makes it the most followed short walks account
in Britain - and a regular weekly reach on Facebook
of between 15k - 30k. In fact, we’ve more followers
on Twitter than I think all of the TV channels which
show the series… and certainly more than most of
the outdoor brands like Berghaus, Craghoppers and
the like. The Walks Around Britain website has around
20,000 unique visitors a month - only 5,000 fewer that
buy Country Walking every month… so it’s this profile
Walks Around Britain has which makes it a hell of a lot
easier to promote the series and make money from it.
But I wouldn’t have that if I hadn’t developed a strategy
for social media to make it work for me - and of course
spent many, many hours tweeting!
Q Walks Around Britain is essentially a self-publishing
venture. How did you decide which media outlets
would be most sympathetic and supportive to what
you wanted to do with the show?
A Yes, the TV series Walks Around Britain is essentially
self-publishing on television, as I’m not commissioned
by anyone to make the series. I’ve gained ‘promises
to broadcast’ from a variety of television channels,
all of which I’ve researched over time would likely be
interested in showing the series. Then, once the channels
agree to show the series, they have to agree to show
each edition at least once every year for the duration of a
three-year deal. This gives me the security to be able to
go to kit manufacturers and say I can guarantee at least
a certain number of showings across various channels,
and that provides the funding for the series. Currently,
the series is on twenty-two UK TV channels, available
around the world on Amazon Prime Video and on Virgin
Trains and London Midland trains via their on-board
entertainment services. With every new outlet, be that
broadcast or non-broadcast, I’m adding more and more
viewers to the series, and increasing my desirability to
sponsors and advertisers.
Q Traditionally, whether writing a book or creating
a TV show, another party such as an editor would
provide an objective viewpoint to help shape the
final product. How do you stay objective as a self-
publisher?
A It could be a problem, what with me still pretty much
doing everything – but right at the start of the series
on television, I created a ‘Style Guide’ which sets out
everything Walks Around Britain is and isn’t. It’s designed
to enable someone else to pick up and instantly know
how to make an edition of Walks Around Britain, for such
time as I hand over the series to someone else. But in the
meantime it is a great way of making sure what we are
doing is true to the format and the brand.
For example, one of the guiding principles of the
series is the presenters can’t do anything anyone else
doing the walk can’t do - so we don’t climb to the top of
closed towers in Walks Around Britain just because we
are on telly. That principle means a presenter can’t go
on the footplate of a steam locomotive for a segment,
unless a member of the public can book on a footplate
ride. But that doesn’t stop a cameraman filming from the
footplate – so long as the presenter isn’t doing something
someone else can’t.
www.walksaroundbritain.co.uk
Andrew will be leading a practical video workshop
at the OWPG AGM weekend (13-15 October). The
aim of the workshop is to shoot and edit a short
film suitable for a blog or Youtube. Contact Ronald
Turnbull ([email protected]) for more
details about the weekend.
autumn 2017 | Outdoor focus 11