Paintbox School of Art

Art & Design was my favourite subject at high school, and even today, when asked about my job, I often describe it as having a double period of Art every day. I still experience the same enjoyment in my work as I did in my first-year Art classes at Dunbar Grammar School.

For this reason, I was delighted when Jemma from Paintbox Art School contacted me to explore the possibility of creating online art course content. We met at Paintbox School of Art’s studios at Cockenzie House, just outside Edinburgh, allowing me to gain a full understanding of Jemma’s requirements and to discuss creative filming ideas in person.

I proposed structuring the course into four lessons, with each lesson filmed as a multi-camera production. This included a wide shot to capture the full scene, a mid shot focused on the easel, and a close-up camera to record the finer details of the artistic process. The set was lit using a lantern softbox to provide smooth, even lighting on both Jemma and the easel, while the background was enhanced with coloured gels—one for each lesson—to help visually distinguish the individual sections.

Jemma delivered the lessons with confidence and professionalism, demonstrating a natural and engaging on-camera presence. All four lessons were successfully filmed in a single morning.

During post-production, I created an opening sting for the art school and each lesson, incorporating drone footage of Cockenzie House captured on the filming day. My background and interest in art proved valuable when selecting the most effective shots to illustrate each lesson.

The completed lessons are now available online via the Paintbox School of Art website, and I encourage you to take a look.