Be Your Personal Best
Summary my feature of the video campaign

I was asked to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strengthen a positive legacy for Birmingham.
 
Despite I have been featured on videos in the past, it is usually related to being featured or involved in projects by other people or organisations. This is the first time being featured in a film totally about me.

Background
This is for a digital campaign on social media. Titled "Be Your Personal Best' and featuring selected individuals who are making a positive difference in the community. My involvement is linked with the "Be Bold, Be Birmingham the marketing initiative by Birmingham City Council to showcase the host city for the commonwealth games.

Preparation
This involves me being interviewed on video with many questions to answer. This took many weeks to prepare. What many people don't realise with preparing is to summarise and gathering lots of involvement and experiences in a simplified form is very intense and time-consuming. Even though I provided initial answers the production team replied with many simplified expressions. Converting into initial scripts any points I have expressed were taken out. This means it is not possible to include all the key areas I wanted to express. A narrative has to be effective with a limited time duration. After receiving the initial scripts I then revised them a few times before finalising filming. The confirmed scripts were then converted into a large display reference.

The next preparation of selected examples of my projects then converting each image example to high-quality output. This takes selecting examples and shortlisting images which would be effective. Also, two original showcases of creative projects were seveloped in time for the video interview.

During the preparation, I have been in regular contact with the production team. Due to my salsa involve they would like to feature my dancing salsa. So I discussed this with my friend Pauline who I assist regularly in dance classes the idea. This leads to a suggestion to use the venues used to dance classes.

The filming
This filming was located at Broadway Dance Centre, a dance Studio who have a major heritage and legacy for dance teaching for many generations.

It started with being filmed dancing salsa which included line demonstration and partner dance moves. As well as Pauline my friends Justin & Suzi join us with salsa and Bachata dancing.

The second part of the filming was an image profile of me standing looking at the filming camera with certain scenes with the camera zooming towards me.

The filming concludes with an interview, it was a very intense experience, especially with the large lighting close to me. However, the large script display I have to develop helped able to communicate my interview answers effectively.
 Also due to references I created, the amount of refilming or retaking the interview was reduced. Because this also leads to the reductions of any filming breaks. The filming team was supportive and held my script display while filming.

Overall the experience was a combination of energy, intensity and a lot of adjustments to make sure the filming satisfying to the production team.

The production team was very impressed with the strong expression and the over messages, especially with the legacy direction which my city needs to consider.

So my verdict is on my fixtures and being filmed, this is extremely new for me being profiled in this way. When I told my friends and family about being featured all of them mentioned I was far too overdue. For most of my life, I have been low-key and focused on developing project content and don't put myself in the limelight because of a very competitive and perceptive society. However, there are occasions like this where I have to step up to the plate and deliver on the work I have done and my insight.

I know recognition doesn't come to me by accident, I have to work for it and this applies to everyone else. Don't expect anything positive to come to you quickly. It is about commitment & dedication in a respectful way and without toxic attitudes or resentment.

Special thanks to Birmingham city council and the marketing agency liquid to get involved with this unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Also special thanks to my friend Pauline, Justin and Suzi who have shown my support and appeared with me in the campaign video. Also thanks to the team of Liquid for their high level of proffesionalism and for Alison Roberts from Birmingham City Council for inviting me to get involved.