The Foxes

Magical Moments first wedding video.

The Foxes, July 2017 

We have lots more wedding booked in and we are SO excited to capture more special days!

The late editor

Yes, it's February and I'm posting a Christmas video. I've been busy with a new job, freelance editing and moving house so thats my excuse.. Life happened!

I originally planned to edit my Christmas video with a certain style, heavily concentrating on pull focus. However as I gathered all the footage together, I noticed the atmosphere in the clips. I felt the simplicity, homely, family environment and I couldn't bring myself to remove the audios or try and perfect the shaky clips. 

Moving away from my creative ideas and perfectionism, I stepped back and let the rustic, rough cuts speak for itself.

Heres my very homely Christmas day in 60 seconds

Onto the next adventure, which I hope won't take me as long to edit and update. 

In a few days I move house and planning on filming our moving day. 

I am also taking a day trip to Brighton with Becs tomorrow so I gotta get my cameras charged for an eventful weekend!

BM

6 things I learnt in 2016

Two thousand and sixteen

As each year draws to an end, I always become very nostalgic. I've never quite liked saying goodbye to a year and welcoming a new one, whether it has been good or bad, I just become very attached to the last 365 days and their memories. For me 2016 was the year of maturing and whilst sitting on the train (what a surprise, where I seem to get most of my ideas lately) I decided to share the 6 things I have learnt during 2016.. Here it goes!


1. Achieving goals is possible but also damn hard
It has been a dream of mine for many years to move from wee Northern Ireland to England and this was the year I achieved that! 2016 mostly revolved around planning and saving for my big move. I could write a long list of reasons why I moved to England, one of them being more career opportunities. And this is where the 'damn hard' part is explained. Even though I have achieved my goal of moving to England, another massive goal of mine is to get a film/media career/job. This year I have learnt this is much harder than I thought. Some days I think that I will never get the film career I so desperately desire but I also thought the same about moving to England and here I am, writing this in my first little flat in Eastbourne, miles away from home. At the moment I am feel very disheartened by this goal but I am determine to continue to work hard and maybe, possibly, please God, can 2017 be the year I get a full time film job. 

As we are on the topic of jobs, this relates to point number 2..

2. Every step is a valuable step to your future
Retail is not for me! I've always known this but sometimes you've got to do what you gotta do! At the start of 2016 I needed to find a retail job to work alongside my freelance work, to help me save for my big move. I hated applying for retail jobs and lying in applications, pretending I really wanted to work with tills rather than cameras. I have had retail jobs throughout the years and hated most of them. I eventually got offered a job in *insert big retail store here* and I was dreading it. I just didn't want to do yet another retail job, as past jobs made me miserable and I expected this one too would destroy my soul. Well how I was so wrong! This year I learnt that not every retail job is awful and this was just the next step in my life. It turned into the best little retail job and my work mates became my second family. Sometimes we have to do dreaded things but not to judge a book (job) by its cover as it may not be as bad as we think! Everything has a purpose; I worked my butt off in that job and every pay day I moved hundreds of pounds into my England savings account. Even though retail is not for me, working that job helped me to progress forward in my life.

3. Relationships - You don't know what happens behind closed doors  
That happy looking couple on instagram might not be so perfect behind closed doors. This year I found myself as a shoulder to cry on as my friends opened up and told me about their unhealthy relationships. I saw some of my favourite Youtube couples break up and thinking 'but they were so perfect for each other?!'. This year has opened my eyes to how many people are actually in unhealthy relationships and you really don't know what is going out despite what their social medias say. One friend told me that their partner makes them feel good about 70% of the time!!? Everyone should feel safe, secure and 110% happy in every relationship and friendship in their life. Being with someone who truly loves you is so important. They should never, for a second, make you doubt yourself or their love. That person who makes you feel controlled, leave them. That person who makes you question your beauty, bye bye. That person who makes you feel less than 110% happy, not worth it. With all this is mind, I have realised that I am beyond lucky to have a very healthy relationship with someone who makes me feel truly loved and appreciated.. and who tells me I look beautiful even though I just ate a full pizza to myself and look about 6 months pregnant! I hope 2017 is the year people realise they deserve the very best.

4. Spotify and Halloumi 
This year I discovered Spotify and hallouim cheese and they both have changed my life for the better. Yep.. that's all for this point!

5. Northern Ireland vs England
Being a Northern Irish gal living in England, I have learnt a lot about my new country. For example, SOUTHERN RAILWAYS. Southern is the Donald Trump of railways. Yep.. Enough said. England's food does not compare to Northern Irelands. Whilst living here I have realised just how amazing Northern Irelands restaurants, takeaways and food actually are. I miss being able to drive a few minutes down to road to Ramore or go to the shop and buy potato bread or taco sauce. Instead I have replaced potato bread with english muffins and Ramore for Five Guys. I always knew moving away from NI would make me appreciate home more but wow, it has made me fall in love with Northern Ireland. This year I've learnt that Northern Ireland is my beautiful home and even though I adore living in England and I can't wait to spend many years here, I feel so lucky being able to fly back for visits and see the beautiful North Coast coastline, hear the awful but brilliant accents, eat all the food and have all the craic and banter with the locals! English people really are lacking craic and banter, sorry guys!

6. Everyone has their own time
This photo explains what I tried to learn this year and will continue to remind myself throughout 2017.

And there you have. My 6 realisations of 2016. I've had a wonderful year of love, growth, friendship, family, travel and so many memories. At the moment 2017 looks like the year of job searching and bill paying! but hey, at least I have halloumi cheese now!

Beth

The Big Move

When the Northern Irish girl moved to England..

I am currently sitting in a new library to nervous to ask for a library card or ask how the printer works. I moved to England two weeks ago and it has been a surreal yet life changing experience. I have dreamt about moving to England since 2012 when I started University. I stayed at home during my University years and felt so much envy towards those who were going to Universities across the sea, meeting new people and exploring new towns. I was jealous that I never got to experience what it’s like to live in halls and not knowing what stranger had the bedroom next to you. As a very ambitious person I told myself that one day I would achieve my goal of moving to England after I graduated so I too can live in a country where they sell Pimms cocktails and you don’t have to pay 5p for a plastic bag.

For me, moving countries was easy. I have wanted this for years and dreamt of decorating my own place and have responsibilities like bills, rent and hoovering! I reassured myself that Northern Ireland isn’t going anywhere and it will also be my home where I grew up and became the person I am today. But I lust for new adventures, cities and towns and to be around new, open minded people. It's the little things that I am excited for the most! I'm excited for English accents, Bill's cafe, London underground and Pimms cocktails. This place has more people, more jobs, more activities, more experiences ready for me to explore. I want to go to the new towns, new beaches, new coffee shops in my new town.  And as sad as it sounds, I want to walk down the street and see same sex couples holding hands. This is something you rarely-never see where I am from. England seems to be 5 steps more forward than Northern Ireland in terms of social issues and politics and I've always been on the 6th step. I live so close to Millie’s cookies! The little things eh!

Week 1

It has just started raining outside the library, the first sign of rain I have seen since I moved here. It never stops raining in Northern Ireland but since I’ve been in England I’ve been wearing shorts and skirts every week and showing my pale irish skin. The first week felt like a holiday. I went to the aquarium, the beaches, ate fish and chips along the seafront and walked the piers. I bought a Go Pro before I left NI and I excitingly started using it the week I moved. I filmed V Festival as we camped in big muddy fields, ate junk food and watched lots of our favourite artists perform. I filmed my first few days exploring the new towns and unpacking my life into my new flat. I collected all these video clips and I'm editing them into a montage video, which I’ll post asap. It’s really for me to look back on and watch the first week of settling in, being at a music festival and my excited face. I think I will continue to do this. Filming is all I want to do and I think living in a new place will encourage me to do so.

Week 2

I’m very lucky that in my 2^nd week here I have had job interviews and bagged myself two jobs! I got accepted as an intern at a film production company in London, which I start on Monday for two intensive weeks. Excited and as nervous as I am, I can’t quite believe I am going to be commuting to London, Monday – Friday, to learn from professionals and learn the ropes of video production in a city where media is booming. Only down fall to this is the amount of money I am going to be forking out for transport each day, but I know it will be worth it. I’m hoping I won’t get too overwhelmed by the big city and can handle the London transport stress free and on time. Following my two week internship, I will be starting a new retail job, just to pay the bills (like council tax.. I didn’t even know that was a thing!). The work plan for this year is to continue to do what I was doing in Northern Ireland, juggling freelance videography, film jobs and retail jobs. I am happy to do this as my new flat is more than perfect and I couldn’t ask for a better house and location. I miss my car, I miss driving and knowing the roads like the back of my hand. I think in the new year I would like to drive my car over and see if I could handle the stress of driving new roads and getting a parking permit!?

My stomach is rumbling in this quiet library, I think this might be my que to leave. Maybe I’ll even puck up the courage to ask for a library card before I go! If the librarian understands my accent! It has been nice to sit down and reflect on the last two weeks and I feel inspired to write more on my blog.

Now it’s onto week 3 in England.. working in London!! Wish me luck.

Until next time, #achievethemgoals!

BM

James Cordon eat your heart out!

4 Go Pros, 2 audio sources, 2 cars, 4 speakers and a drone.. 

This year I filmed carpool karaoke with the speakers of New Horizon, inspired by James Cordon!

Best video to date!

Check it out for lots of singing and jokes

BM

Just Like Magic

Thursday 23rd June 2016

Magician Rodd Hogg shared his incredible talents at The Lodge Hotel Coleraine, raising an amazing £1000 for charity. Heres the video of the evenings best bits!

It was a very magically and very hilarious evening. 

Thank you to everyone who attended and very kindly donated!

BM

Keswick 2016

The countdown has begun and it is 9 days until Keswick in back in Portstewart

I met with Chairman, Darran McCorriston, here's a video of him talking about this years event!

We also need as much help as we can to help run this brilliant event. If you're interested you can check out this short video linked below!

Volunteers 2016

I'll be attending Keswick @ Portstewart this year, with my trusty camera of course, as their videographer and photographer. So there will be lots more videos on their way!

BM

Mini Legends 2016

I produced and filmed the official DVD for the Join The Mini Legends charity event,

3rd - 5th June 2016 @ Grace Hill House.

After weeks of planning, hours of footage and days of editing, the DVD has been a success! Capturing scenes from each day. From the Mini scrutineerting on Friday to the big rally races on Saturday and finishing with scenes from the family fun day on the Sunday.

Friday shows the Mini cars at Grace Hill House, going through tests and preping for the rally the following day. The rally races began on Saturday morning at Grace Hill House and travel around Torr Head and along the beautiful coast line to Cusdendun. Saturday is filled with excitement and beautiful scenes including the Minis driving through the famous Dark Hedges. Sunday fun day was the most fun to film as Grace Hill House was filled with stalls, music, activities, food, people and of course, lots of Minis!

The DVD is still available to order, by contacting myself directly on 

07894859000 

Special thanks to my fellow videographers who helped me film the weekend and also the organisers of Mini Legends for the opportunity. 

BM

Practicing what I preach

Why I decided to put my relationship status on Facebook and practice what I preach

Yesterday, me and my girlfriend Amy pressed 'public' on our relationship status on Facebook and here are the reasons why I wanted to do this.

Firstly, this is not 'a big deal' nor is this 'new' news, as me and Amy have been together for over a year now and 90% of people who saw our post already know. I thought it was appropriate time to share our relationship status on Facebook after the shocking news of the shootings in Orlando, USA. "An American-born man shot 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando" and this is now "the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since 9/11". This is such heartbreaking news and it has greatly affected the LGBT+ community across the world. 

I have always openly supported LGBT+ on my social media and in person. I have constantly preached that everyone should unapologetically be themselves and be proud of who they are and who they love... yet I have never posted my relationship status on Facebook in fear of what some people may think/say/react. 

Innocent members of the LGBT+ community went to a nightclub to enjoy each others company, in a place where they felt safe enough to be themselves. This is something that everyone strives for; love, acceptance and security. A lot of LGBT+ individuals don't have this, however I am one of the lucky ones who does have this. A small example of this happened last weekend. During my first night out with my new work mates, I confirmed my sexual orientation and my work mates reacted in the same way they would have if I told them I had toast for breakfast! This made me wonder why I ever worried about telling them in the first place!? Again yesterday I watched as all social medias were flooded with support for Orlando and the LGBT+ community.. and again, I thought, why am I so worried!?

"Nobody in this world should feel afraid to be who they are or love who they want to love" ❤️

As mentioned I have always stood up for my LGBT+ friends but now I think it's time 

I stood up for myself. As a sign of solidarity with Orlando, I write this with no fear..

I am proud to be in a very happy, healthy, beautiful relationship with my beautiful girlfriend (and best friend) Amy. Love will always win and this attack will not stop us from being true to ourselves!

Beth x

(ps sorry this is so cheesy Amy!)

In front of the Camera

So the geek behind the camera got infront of the camera today and here's what happened..

And there you have it! I do in fact have a face and this is the face is going to stay happily behind the camera.. where she belongs.

Photography credit to Hope Macaulay.

Northern Ireland Elections 2016

Alliance Party NI approached me and asked if I could produce a promotional election video for East Londonderry candidate Yvonne Boyle. We shot in various beautiful locations around the North Coast area. Despite the wind and short time limit, the video is simple with points portrayed positively and concisely.

I do not wish to get political on my blog as this is where I share my film life, however I do encourage people to take a few seconds out of their day to vote on May 5th, for whoever you feel best represents you! It is an important decision and we have the power to decide, create and change politics in Northern Ireland. Anyways, happy elections!

Here is the election video for Alliance candidate Yvonne Boyle, (who is a very sweet and lovely lady!)

Beth

'Decisions' (2016)

'After the murder of his wife Michael tracks down the man who did it. Suddenly two scenarios play out, one if he takes revenge and the other if he doesn't. Michael knows each path leads to a dark place but the question remains which path does he take?'

A short Film written and produced by Peter Ohara, directed by Philip Henry. With myself and partner in crime Gareth McGurgan as Directors of Photography. This short film was planned over multiple months but shot in just two days by passionate filmmakers from the North Coast area.

The film premiered at Devour Film Festival in Belfast on 18th April 2016, with possible more showings at different film events by local filmmakers.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this short. With a gripping and intense storyline, professional directing and talented actors, every individual put 100% into their roles and truly believed in what we were creating!  

Decisions (2016) IMDB

Watch Decisions here

Decisions (Short Film)

Yet another film, yet another success, yet another experience to learn and grow from. That BAFTA is getting closer, my friends!

Beth 

Media Courses

Over the years I have attended many lectures, seminars, masterclasses and training days.. and if you know me well I am sure you can guess what for... film production of course! and I can't get enough!

Taking courses are so valuable if you want to expand your knowledge and it is a great way to hear the honest truth from industry professionals. Unlike what you may hear during a University lecture, during a masterclass you get to hear real, practical advice on what it takes to work in the media industry. From the good and the bad to what personality traits and clothing you will need for your first day on a film set. I recommend to anyone interested in film production to make the effort to go to as many training days and courses as possible. Most of them are very inexpensive, for example the latest one I have signed up for was only £6 of the day!

Below I have collected a list of courses I have attended and would recommend to friends. I attended these course in Northern Ireland but most of them have similar events throughout the UK.

Recommended Film Courses

·      The Production Guild Film and TV Runner Training Course

productionguild.com/training/runner

·      NI Screens Trainee AD Training Course

northernirelandscreen.co.uk/trainee-ad-course

·     Honeycomb NI ‘VlogIt’ Training Seminar

thehoneycomb.net/events

·      Shoestring Media, Publicity & Communications class

downanddromore.org/events/Publicity-and-Communication-on-a-Shoestring-Budget 

·      Cinemagic Film Production master class

cinemagic.org.uk/film-production-masterclass

·      Future Learn Online Film Production course 

www.futurelearn.com

·      LW Creative Pre, Production and Post Production Masterclasses 

www.lw-creative.org

Grab every opportunity to learn more, you can never know too much!

Beth

Tea and Scones

This time last year I published my photographs from Galgorm Resort & Spa, as we celebrated my Grandmothers 83th birthday. A year later, we celebrated in the same way, our favourite way.. over tea and scones!

Beth

P.S a blog post about my experience with film training course next week!

Father + Daughter in the Belfast Telegraph

Last month myself and my Dad, Tony were interviewed by Belfast Telegraph. The theme of the article was 'personalities and their special family relationships in their lives'. We had such fun answering questions about each other and I wanted to share it here on my blog. 

Have a read!

Graduation July 2015

"Belfast dad and film-maker daughter share the special relationships in their lives

Veteran peace campaigner Tony Macaulay, from the Shankill area of Belfast, is author of the popular memoirs Paperboy, Breadboy and All Growed Up. He has two daughters with wife Lesley - Beth (21), a freelance film-maker, and Hope (19)."

Tony Macaulay, Author and peace campaigner

How did you feel when Beth was born?

The day that Beth was born was the happiest day of my life. It was a few days before Christmas and I remember feeling thankful for the most precious Christmas gift I had ever received. When I held her in my hands in the first few seconds of her life, I felt a deeper love than I had ever experienced before. I also felt a huge responsibility to keep her safe and to be the best father I could be.

What was she like as a young girl?

Beth had blonde curly hair and a gentle, sweet personality as a girl. She was almost perfect - between tantrums. She was shy and a little unsure of herself at times, so it's been wonderful to watch her grow into a sociable, level-headed and confident young woman.

Where did you raise your kids?

When she was a baby, we lived in Antrim. We moved to Magherafelt when she was two years old and then to Portstewart when she was 11. Beth found this move really hard as she didn't want to leave her friends behind. I felt guilty for uprooting the children, but they're grateful today, as the north coast has been a great place to grow up.

How was their upbringing compared to your own?

Beth never had the experience of having to go without, and thankfully she hasn't experienced the fear and heartache of growing up in the midst of a bitter sectarian conflict. She attended integrated schools from the age of four to 18 and, as a result, the old prejudices that I grew up with are completely absent in her. She has friends of all backgrounds and a lovely respect and appreciation for people who are different.

Is Beth your eldest/youngest? What is her relationship like with your other kid(s)?

When Beth and Hope were younger, there was the usual sibling rivalry and I had to do a fair amount of peace building in my own house. But at ages eight and 11, they became very close. Hope now has her own fashion channel on YouTube and Beth has filmed some of the videos. She made a film about Hope entitled 'Portrait of a YouTuber', which won a slot on BBC3 Fresh. 

When you began to write and over time become very successul, how did Beth react? Initially, Beth was pretty nonplussed about my writing. She would say, 'It's just dad going on about the olden days again'. Now, though, she comes to some of my book readings and has been with me on a few trips. She even made a film about my writing entitled 'The Books of a Belfast Boy'.

My latest book, 'All Growed Up', includes the story of how I fell in love with 'lovely Lesley from up the country'. When the book was published, I gave Beth a signed copy with the message 'How I Met Your Mother'.

Beth Macaulay, Freelance videographer

What is your earliest memory of your dad?

My first memory of my dad is of him standing beside me as we watched my mum come into the hospital room holding my newborn sister Hope. I was 2 and a half years old. 

What were you like as a teenager - and how did you dad react?

I wasn’t the stereotypical teenager who rebelled a lot. I did have the odd teenage strop but I was a very hard worker throughout my teenage years. I was very motivated to do my best in my schoolwork. This trait definitely came from my parents.

What do you feel about his literary career?

I am very proud of Dad for following his childhood dream of writing a book. Every time I’m near a bookstore, I always go on a mission to find his books and push them to the front of the bookshelf. I was recently working on a film crew in Derry\Londonderry and on my break I went into a book shop and proudly showed my fellow workmates where my dad books were sitting.

He travels an awful lot these days. Have you gone anywhere with him, and if so, what was your highlight and why?

I went to Edinburgh with my dad as he was reading at Edinburgh Book Fringe. I share his love for traveling and seeing new places. I also traveled to America where he spoke at Camp Friedenswald, Michigan and Le Heigh University in Bethlehem PA. This encouraged me a few years later to return to America and volunteer as summer staff at Camp.

What is your relationship like with your siblings and mum?

When do you all come together?

I have a younger sister Hope, who is also my best friend. She is currently studying Fashion and Textiles at University for Creative Arts. I always get excited to see her when she comes home for the holidays. My relationship with my mum is also very strong. She is a very supportive, positive role model in my life and she also has a great fashion sense!

What pastimes, cultural offerings etc bring you together. Your dad, for example, is a well-known Dr Who fan. Do you share that obsession?

YES! Where do I begin? I grew up with Doctor Who. As a child Dad would play the old black and white Doctor Who episodes in the living room and he taught me all about the different monsters and planets. Every year for Christmas, Dad buys me the latest Doctor Who DVD boxsets and this tradition has continued for the past 11 years, which also means I have 11 boxsets sitting in my bedroom. Every Saturday night we watch it as a family. We’ve been so many exhibitions together and also won tickets to attend the 50^th Anniversary in London.

What drew you toward filmmaking?

Doctor Who actually. As I have mentioned every Saturday as a family we watch Doctor Who and there used to be a programme on after called Doctor Who Confidential, which showed behind the scenes footage of how each episode was made. The directors, cameras and special effects always amazed me and after every episode I would say ‘I want to do that someday!’. 

What do you hope for your dad in the future?

I hope that one of my Dads book gets the opportunity to be made into a film as then we could collaborate on it together. 

Belfast Telegraph online article: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features

Thanks Belly Telly!

Beth

Life of a Set Runner

'Property of the State' aka POTS

In September of this year (2015) I was given the incredible opportunity to work on the first feature film shot around the north west of Northern Ireland. This was my very first time working as part of a crew on a feature film. I have previously been an extra on a feature, Dracula Untold, but this was my first time as crew, as a devoted set runner! I have been to many training courses and lectures about what its like on a film set and what it takes to be a runner. Because of this and my extra experiences, I felt I knew what to expect.. but it was exactly what I expected and much more! 

We worked 6 days a week, 12 - 14 hour days for 5 weeks.. which may sound crazy but when you're doing something you love, it's most definitely worth it.

As a set runner, you are at bottom of the ladder as the film industry definitely has a hierarchy. Because of this I definitely belittled myself, 'oh I'm only a little invisible runner', but I've learnt that is definitely not the case. As a runner you do a lot of errands for the different departments and some can be very important. For example, I regularly took hard drives back and forth between set and the editing office. At the time I didn't think much of it, I just wanted to get the job done as quick as possible for my colleagues but thinking back, it was quite a big responsibly. The film footage was in my hands and if I lost it.. well let's not think about that! Everyone starts somewhere and I'm grateful I am finally on my career ladder and I can't wait to work my way up (to get me that bafta I dream about!)

This experience improved my social skills and I developed thicker skin. At every training day they always said 'you need thick skin in this industry'. This has always been a weakness of mine and I knew I might struggle as I'm a wee sensitive soul (haha). During POTS, I dealt with a film crew of 70+ individuals and spent a lot of time with the general public. Film sets can be stressful environments at time and runners be at the end of people's bad moods, but you have to constantly remind yourself that it isn't personal. I was so lucky to have such an amazing support system throughout the 5 weeks.. my other fellow runners! Who I now also call my friends :) I feel so lucky to have spent 5 weeks on a film set and being able to watch all the departments doing their thing. My favourite thing to do was watching the monitor, which shows you exactly what they are filming. I was in awe at how everyone/everything came together and looked so great on screen. 

Crew photo!

My experience working on POTS had its highs and lows. From cold, rainy days in a forest to sunbathing between scenes with ice creams. I learnt SO much, I grew in confidence and knowledge of film production. I became a pro tea maker, I became obsessed with tidying film sets, I drove what felt like millions of miles. I was responsible for locations but most importantly, biscuits! I saw many 6am sunrises, I made some amazing friends, I cried, I laughed lots, I saw some beautiful sceneries and camera equipment, I ate a lot of sausages (thanks catering!), I spoke the film lingo, I sadly ran over a pigeon..

and finally, I worked alongside a very talent crew who produced a great film

and I loved every minute! 

That's a wrap!

Beth