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When I have trouble kicking off a post like this one I constantly have to remind myself to go with what comes to mind. Well the greatest thing about Double Vision is being able to work with my brother. Together, we’ve been through it all even when business is tough we stay focused and carry on to produce great projects because that’s the reward. It proves we have what it takes to get the job done and were both very proud of the work we do particularly when we’re granted creative control. Having the creative director’s cap doesn’t mean we abuse the situation, we regard it as an opportunity to showcase the versatility of our skills.
Kiarash spars with his Trainer backstage before the fight.
So, it’s no surprise we favor Cinema DSLR and when it comes to Cinema DSLR production my brother and I have this ability to extract numerous ideas, visual concepts and styles, only momentarily we’ll experience a lack of imagination. Cinematographers know its a sure sign things will progress at a comfortable pace when a steady supply of creativity is available from the start especially before an outline is drafted or storyboard is sketched.
For this video assignment we took our Canon 5D MK II into filming Versus Training Center (VTC) a professional fitness, personal training and MMA institution located in Downtown Vancouver. Their mandate is to guide members to achieve a well-being lifestyle, that instills self-confidence, focus and determination to become strong and successful in everyday aspects of life. This distinction sets them apart from the template health and fitness fads of commercial gyms.
We shot this promo video at the height of the DSLR Revolution.
Double Vision was called to create a special video project for their BC Muay Thai Champion – Kiarash Moghaddam. In this video Kiarash is fighting for the Canadian Muay Thai Championship at Fraserview Hall in Vancouver. At the time we were constructing a video to incorporate both Versus and Kiarash, but due to a change in ownership at VTC the project experienced a delay and was put on hold indefinitely. Luckily, the new owners who were part of the original VTC and were familiar with the photography project we did prior to this assignment. VTC received positive feedback from that project so they asked us back again, this time to create a video. For details on the Versus RED Campaign photos follow the link here to the Portfolio.
Versus had asked if we could construct a video to help motivate the Team and Kiarash before his upcoming fight. At the time it was less than 2 weeks and coinciding with the launch of our website. A lot of work and pressure was dropped upon us but we were happy to help them out. Some of the workload was alleviated by using a portion of our archive footage from the initial shoot and reassembled while adding more cuts from our library.
“John and Jamie did an’ amazing job on the video. Not only did it make me feel proud but also built confidence. It also assisted in reviewing my fight strategy.”
— Kiarash Moghaddam – BC Muay Thai Champion
The first video had more scenes from the gym and this suited it because it became an extension of Kirash and Team Versus. It projected dedication and training and how VTC played an important supporting role to give that video the depth it needed. We carried some of those elements into this new video as it was necessary for the storyline.
As I recall on fight night I had to deal with my brother not being able to attend for reasons that were out of our control. Just because Jamie wasn’t there to Co-Director doesn’t mean that he didn’t contribute; while I was running and gunning, we communicated via mobile phone to discuss and plan what was captured and certain compositions. I made do with only the gear I had as Jamie had the other essentials, luckily I took enough in my share. My gear for that night: 5D MK II body, two lenses, two battery packs and a digital LED mounted on hotshoe.
Kirash and Team Versus after the win.
When it came time for Jamie to edit all the footage we were able to find the linear connections between the ‘A’ and ‘B’ storylines. At the time we shot VTC without any clear direction but knew we would be able to mould the footage together when needed. Our intention was to incorporate the role VTC and Team Versus provided for Kiarash in this fight. In doing so it reveals the crucial relationship a professional fitness center plays to the athletes and the culture of sport for MMA.
It was a cool experience to be there and document the fight and see the champ win the belt.
We hope you enjoy the video and remember if you’re a fan of MMA to come down and show your support for Kiarash, Versus and all these incredible athletes at the Fraserview Hall fights. If you have any feedback for the video or questions on how we went about putting this together we welcome you to drop us your comments below.
