Featured Voices: James & Rob Newby - JRN Visuals

This month's Featured Voices are James and Rob Newby, the twin brothers behind JRN Visuals production company. Based out of Hereford, Herefordshire James and Rob have had the opportunity to film for the Great Britain triathlon team and local artists such as Coosie.

How long have you both been making films and what inspired you to get into the industry?

We've been making videos since we were about nine years old but we've been creating professionally for about two years now. Our inspiration was sparked when we were given a point and shoot camera for Christmas one year. As we grew as artists, we decided to upgrade our camera and make videos about skateboarding at our local skate park - Hereford Skate park. This allowed us to practice and gain precision - especially when capturing quick action shots when you only have one take.

As twin brothers, what's it like owning and running JRN Visuals together? How do you decide who takes on what jobs?

Running a business together is great! Although people ask if we argue a lot, we don’t! We share the same vision together and it makes our lives a whole lot easier knowing each other.

When it comes to deciding what jobs we’d both do, it became apparent that Rob was more into photography and I was more into videography. That being said, I focus more on videography and Rob focuses on photography. Having two of us means that if a client requires both video and photo, we're able to complete the task in half of the time of a single shooter.

It's incredible that you're both so gifted in the visual arts. Do filmmaking and photography run in the family?

Not really! We believe we are the first in the family to be filmmakers and photographers.

What do you love about filmmaking and photography?

The pre-production and the shooting stage. We love putting ideas on paper and then bringing them to life visually. It's also great to work in an industry where you are constantly meeting new people and networking.

Are there any films or filmmakers that have inspired or influenced your work over the years?

We were inspired by the famous YouTube star Casey Neistat. His style is unique but we want to make our own style within the industry!

You've had the opportunity to shoot a variety of different things: music videos, corporate videos, interviews and so on. Which is your favorite to film and why?

We love shooting music videos. Although there is a story-line, there's also the opportunity to go off of the beaten path and get as creative as you'd like. We also like shooting action sports as it is good to practice shooting fast moving objects; it's where we got our start in filming years ago.

How would you describe the style of your work?

We always say that it varies. We want to make it look as professional as possible while also suiting all of our client's criteria.

JRN Visuals 2018 Showreel

What cameras do you shoot with? Do you have a favorite?

For video, our main camera is the Blackmagic URSA Mini. We’d normally use the Canon 24-105L, Canon 70-200L on this camera. For photo, we have two Canon 70D’s. We normally use the Canon 24-105L and the Canon 70-200L. Our favorite must be the Blackmagic URSA Mini as it looks cool and there are so many different functions you can use on it!

What gear can’t you live without?

SD Card and storage devices! Especially as the files sizes from the BM URSA Mini are so big, we need to have sufficient storage!

You both are drone operators as well? What's it like to fly a drone?

It is cool to fly a drone! You have to be careful whereabouts you fly it and we stay within the UK’s Drone Code. Recently we have been offered to shoot out of a helicopter so we're excited to say we should have some cool content on the way soon!

Are you currently working on anything new and exciting?

We're just around the corner from shooting out of the helicopter which is exciting. Also, we have shoots coming up for music festivals, restaurants, clothing stores, music videos, promos and many more!

Do you have any tips or words of advice for filmmakers (or creators in general) who hope to follow in your footsteps?

Get out there and shoot as much as you can. It goes back to the old saying of ‘practice makes perfect’. Also, to build recognition, do free work. Although you’re not getting paid, you are building a solid portfolio for people to look at.

What do you hope to accomplish with the work that you do? What is the ultimate dream come true as filmmakers?

With the work we do, we love to travel. We’d love to see different parts of the world and experience different cultures while having the opportunity to do the work that we love.

Thanks again to Rob and James for being this month's Featured Voices! You can see more of their work on Instagram and on their website.

If you'd like to be featured next, you can read more about Featured Voices and how to apply here.