Experiencing Interruptions?

This Bee Movie, Our Future

I had lots of footage of bees which I filmed over the course of many months. I found the process of filming them very calming and somehow therapeutic. I was quite surprised how over the course of a few days the bees would get used to me and my kit and just get on with their lives, completely ignoring me.
I spent many weeks adapting camera mounts, supports, sliders and gimbals until I had each rig just about as good as I could get it. I was extremely fortunate that our last house had a garden with different areas that attracted a wide range of bee. Mostly on tiered borders which aided the camera setup.
My friend and actor Dane Foxx agreed to help me by recording a short narration which I wrote. I had no previous knowledge of the subject, and made a few phone calls to people I found on social media who helped me out.
Together we can do our bit to stop more varieties of bee from becoming extinct. This is a real issue for all of us.

  • Mick Child
    Director
    Volunteering, on the Line, Villa
  • Mick Child
    Writer
    Volunteering, on the Line, Villa
  • Mick Child
    Producer
    Volunteering, on the Line, Villa
  • Dane Foxx
    Key Cast
    "Narrator"
    TV & Radio
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    1 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Canon C500 MKII & Macro Lenses
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mick Child

Mick Child has been a photographer since he was 12 years of age albeit until recently an amateur. He has also written as an amateur writer and produced short films with his son George for 13 years, helping him to learn to use the equipment and think about the structure of production within film.

After 30 years as a railway electrification engineer Mick retired and set up a photography business with a view to helping his son, then 14, to improve his skills with a camera. In 2017 George decided that his interests lay in film production, so their company Forge Photography Ltd started to invest in professional videography equipment. In 2020 the company changed its name to better reflect their ambitions; Forge Photography & Film Production Limited.

George is now 20 years old and in his first year at Leeds Beckett University studying a degree in filmmaking. George is DP for our company.

In this production however, Mick goes it alone with the filming and writing of the narrative. In the background though, they are working on a number of short documentaries, the first, And Then There Were Two has attracted the attention of the BBC and is destined for film festivals in 2023, the second yet to be shot will be entered into 2024 festivals.

Mick and George are mostly self taught and recognise that they have a lot to learn, but this does not curb their enthusiasm or determination and appetite to produce better and bigger things. 2021/22 was an exciting year for the pair with a number of projects coming to fruition, as well as jointly completing a soundproof studio and editing suite build.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I love bees, I love macro photography, I love Brighton Rocks International Film Festival and I'm an ex-engineer that loves to tinker, so why not.