Coffee Roasting in Blackball – West Coast, New Zealand

Here’s a short video I made about a roastery in Blackball featuring master coffee roaster & blender Will Cleaver.

Not really a planned shoot, more like holiday snaps, but turned out to be a bit of fun. For the curious I’ve created some FAQs below relating to background and process.

FAQ

Q: What camera & lens did you shoot this on?
A: Panasonic GH5 and mostly the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm F2.8-4.

Q: Some shots suggest you’ve gone to a bit of trouble to get a bit of b-roll etc – was this a commercial shoot?
A: No – on holiday in Blackball and I went out on a few mornings and evenings to shoot some local scenery in this iconic town for a bit of fun. I’ve incorporated a few of those.

Q: So it wasn’t a ‘commercial shoot’ as such?
A: No, in fact, I wasn’t sure if we were actually going to make a public video from the roastery footage. Again, mostly shooting for fun & practice while hoping some of it would be usable for something. Why do you keep asking that question?
A: I quite like the video and it seems a bit like something you could use for marketing but at the same time there are some technical imperfections in there and it probably lacks a few things you might expect in a promo vid.
A: Well spotted and good on you for asking about that. I wish I’d had some more kit there but being on holiday I lacked some key items of gear and Will wasn’t mic’d up so the audio is a bit dodgy. Lighting needed some fixing etc. If we were doing a ‘proper’ shoot, rather than a spur-of-the-moment thing, there would have been some actual planning & preparation, more work in post, some of that footage probably wouldn’t have made it into the final cut and we would have shot quite a bit more that would have.

Q: Oh right. Are you happy with the result though?
A: I think the natural and confident way Will explains his craft carries the whole thing along. There’s a bit of a story there and that’s always a key element. So, despite the slightly rustic feel and lack of shot variety, overall I quite like the feel of it. Having said that, you’re never sure if it’s a good idea to publish videos that most people will assume are your commercial work. For better or worse, I seem to keep making videos from off-the-cuff shoots. One day I’ll start being better prepared these kind of things.

Q: Right. Thanks for answering my questions.
A: Thank you for asking those questions. As Carl Jung used to say, ‘The ability to ask questions is the greatest resource in learning the truth.’

Q: Wow, that’s deep, really deep. And so true. Oh, which reminds me – I forgot to ask – what’s Will’s coffee like?
A: Great! Check out the latest happenings on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/blackballroastery/