Mike Laver, Award Winning Filmmaker

EDITOR - VIDEOGRAPHER

EDITING:

I'm an experienced video editor and I have worked for:

BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet

Al Jazeera, UKTV, Insight TV, AOL and Sainsbury's.

I have helped create engaging TV documentaries and exciting content for top brands and educational institutions.

I am fully proficient in the leading editing software packages:

Premiere Pro, Avid and Final Cut

TV and Online Credits

TV & Online Credits

'AOL Build UK: Mel C Interview' - Web Series (2017) - AOL

Credit: Editor

Responsibility: Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, creating short clips, adding ashtons, uploading live content to website, adding search tags for content

'Addicted Parents: Last Chance to Keep My Children' - (2017) - BBC

Credit: Assembly Editor

Responsibility: Following producer notes by pulling
rushes of key scenes into Avid timelines as well as boom mic recording alongside self-shooting PD during observational shoots.

WINNER: BEST FACTUAL SERIES – RTS SOUTHERN AWARD 2018

'Secrets of the Brain' - Series 1 & 2 (2016-17) - Insight TV

Credit: Assembly Editor

Responsibility: Reviewing footage, selecting key elements of the story, and weaving together actuality and interviews with appropriate GVs and cutaways. I organised footage and created first cuts for offline editors
to work from. Editing in Premiere Pro.

'Superfoods: The Real Story' - Series 3 (2017) - Channel 4

Credit: Location Assistant (Additional Experience as a Researcher)

Responsibility: Working on location using a SQN S5 field audio mixer, running equipment, obtaining release forms and driving to locations. I also spent a month assisting producers by researching clinical trials and scientific papers, and chasing Spanish speaking leads in Latin America, and Europe.

'Nicaragua's: Women Coffee Farmers' - (2016) - Al Jazeera

Credit: Assembly Editor & Spanish Translator

Responsibility: Translating Spanish dialogue into English subtitles

& creating rough cuts of short sequences.

'The World's Deadliest Weather' - (2016) BBC EARTH

Credit: Edit Assistant

Responsibility: AVID data wrangling, transcoding and ingesting a wide range of codecs and frame rates from user generated footage, cutting taster and sizzler tapes, Spanish skype interviews for broadcast and organising film kit for crew.

'Mega Shippers - (2016) - Series 1- Discovery Channel

Credit: Edit Assistant

Responsibility: Avid data wrangle, transcode & ingest, cutting taster tapes, creating TX banners, and managing kit room and bookings

'Sage Online Video Collection' - (2014-15) Series 1 + 2

Credit: Editor

Responsibility: Short documentaries, interviews, tutorials. Working independently to quickly review footage, select the key elements of the story, weave together actuality and interviews with appropriate GVs, cutaways, and music, sound mix and colour grade.

Videographer Portfolio

Videography Portfolio

I have individually filmed, directed and edited a range

of professional videos for a variety of clients.

These include promotional videos for restaurant

chain Casa Brasil, as well as interviews for student services at the University of Sussex.

I also find time to collaborate with other filmmakers in order to submit innovative ideas for film festivals.

In 2014 I won 'Best Documentary' at the UK's largest independent film festival - London Portobello

for my film 'Squaring Up: Chessboxing'.

BBC & ITV News featured clips

from my film in their programmes in 2015

Below you'll find clips of my videography work as well as films I have collaborated on.

'Michael Laver Showreel' (2018)

A montage of my best camera work and editing over the years. It's a mixture between videos I made for clients and films I entered into festivals

'Squaring Up: Chessboxing' (2013) - Trailer

Credits: Director, Producer, Camera Operator and Editor

A joint collaboration between Dominic Hamilton and Michael Laver

we made a short 16 minute documentary about the

fascinating London Chessboxing club. Shot on the Sony FS700

Winner of 'Best Documentary' 2014 at London Portobello

'We Are Them' (2017) - Trailer

Credits: Editor and Co-director

In collaboration with Alistair Livingstone (Owner of BlackBee Films) and poet Rebecca Fenton we produced a drone video about hectic London life. It made the official selection for Earls Court Film Festival 2017.

'Undergraduate Courses' (2014) - University of Sussex

Credits: Videographer

I was commissioned by the University of Sussex to make a series of videos that help prospective students choose which courses to study.

Shot on Sony FS700

'Dead Mountain Mouth' (2015) - Student Film - Trailer

Credits: Camera Operator

In collaboration with post-graduate student Matthew Oliver,

I filmed his eerie drama on the Sony FS700.

'Day of the Dead ' (2015) - The Mesmerist, Brighton

Credits: Videographer

I was commissioned by the Mesmerist Bar in Brighton to film a special yearly event that celebrates the Mexican holiday 'Dia de los Muertos'.

Shot on Nikon D5300

'Borderless Beats' - (2015) - OneTaste

Credits: 2nd Camera Operator

In collaboration with the One Taste arts group, I assisted the DOP in filming an exciting musical performance. Shot on Canon C300

'Facing Fixer' (2015) - Student Film

Credits: Camera Operator

In collaboration with post-graduate journalism student Jessi Gutch,

we travelled to Egypt to tell the shocking stories of local journalism fixers who risks their lives to produce western news stories.

Shot of the Nikon D7000

About

ABOUT

My television career has been in both technical and creative roles for documentaries and factual entertainment programmes. Across the range of productions I have worked on I have developed a broad range of skills which help me maintain a professional standard in my videography work.

EDITING Premiere Pro, Avid and Final Cut
In my various television editor roles I have been responsible for: editorial decisions, choosing music, audio mixing, colour grading, transcoding media, labelling tapes, storage, managing multiple projects, and cutting taster tapes. In my videography work I have been edited every part of the video.

VIDEO & AUDIO Sony PMW200, FS7, Canon C300, SQN S5 Field Mixer

In my television location assistant roles I have been responsible for taking photographs, recording audio clips, interviewing, lighting, boom mic operating, shooting second camera, backing up rushes. In my videography work I have taken full control of the recording and directing process.

TELEVISION RESEARCH Superfoods Series 3 2017

In my role as location assistant role I was also responsible for arranging international film shoots in Spanish and English speaking countries, responding to production requests, liaising with project leads on objectives, script and storyboards.

EDUCATION 1st class honours 'Media Production & Theory' (BA) Uni. Sussex 2013

LANGUAGES English and Spanish

EDITOR - VIDEOGRAPHER

EDITOR - VIDEOGRAPHER

​

EDITING:

​

I'm an experienced video editor and I have worked for:

​

BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet

Al Jazeera, UKTV, Insight TV, AOL and Sainsbury's.

​

I have helped create engaging TV documentaries and exciting content for top brands and educational institutions.

​

I am fully proficient in the leading editing software packages:

Premiere Pro, Avid and Final Cut

​

​

TV and Online Credits

'AOL Build UK: Mel C Interview' - Web Series (2017) - AOL

Credit: Editor

​

Responsibility: Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, creating short clips, adding ashtons, uploading live content to website, adding search tags for content

'Addicted Parents: Last Chance to Keep My Children' - (2017) - BBC

Credit: Assembly Editor

​

Responsibility: Following producer notes by pulling rushes of key scenes into Avid timelines as well as boom mic recording alongside self-shooting PD during observational shoots.

​

WINNER: BEST FACTUAL SERIES – RTS SOUTHERN AWARD 2018

'Secrets of the Brain' - Series 1 & 2 (2016-17) - Insight TV

Credit: Assembly Editor

​

Responsibility: Reviewing footage, selecting key elements of the story, and weaving together actuality and interviews with appropriate GVs and cutaways. I organised footage and created first cuts for offline editors to work from. Editing in Premiere Pro.

'Superfoods: The Real Story' - Series 3 (2017) - Channel 4

Credit: Location Assistant (Additional Experience as a Researcher)

​

Responsibility: Working on location using a SQN S5 field audio mixer, running equipment, obtaining release forms and driving to locations. I also spent a month assisting producers by researching clinical trials and scientific papers, and chasing Spanish speaking leads in Latin America, and Europe.

'Nicaragua's: Women Coffee Farmers' - (2016) - Al Jazeera

Credit: Assembly Editor & Spanish Translator

​

Responsibility: Translating Spanish dialogue into English subtitles

& creating rough cuts of short sequences.

'The World's Deadliest Weather' - (2016) BBC EARTH

Credit: Edit Assistant

​

Responsibility: AVID data wrangling, transcoding and ingesting a wide range of codecs and frame rates from user generated footage, cutting taster and sizzler tapes, Spanish skype interviews for broadcast and organising film kit for crew.

'Mega Shippers - (2016) - Series 1- Discovery Channel

Credit: Edit Assistant

​

Responsibility: Avid data wrangle, transcode & ingest, cutting taster tapes, creating TX banners, and managing kit room and bookings

'Sage Online Video Collection' - (2014-15) Series 1 + 2

Credit: Editor

​

Responsibility: Short documentaries, interviews, tutorials. Working independently to quickly review footage, select the key elements of the story, weave together actuality and interviews with appropriate GVs, cutaways, and music, sound mix and colour grade.

Videography Portfolio

I have individually filmed, directed and edited a range

of professional videos for a variety of clients.

These include promotional videos for restaurant

chain Casa Brasil, as well as interviews for student services at the University of Sussex.

I also find time to collaborate with other filmmakers in order to submit innovative ideas for film festivals.

In 2014 I won 'Best Documentary' at the UK's largest independent film festival - London Portobello

for my film 'Squaring Up: Chessboxing'.

BBC & ITV News featured clips

from my film in their programmes in 2015

​

Below you'll find clips of my videography work as well as films I have collaborated on.

​

​

'Michael Laver Showreel' (2018)

​

A montage of my best camera work and editing over the years. It's a mixture between videos I made for clients and films I entered into festivals

​

'Squaring Up: Chessboxing' (2013) - Trailer

Credits: Director, Producer, Camera Operator and Editor

A joint collaboration between Dominic Hamilton and Michael Laver

we made a short 16 minute documentary about the

fascinating London Chessboxing club. Shot on the Sony FS700

Winner of 'Best Documentary' 2014 at London Portobello

​

'We Are Them' (2017) - Trailer

Credits: Editor and Co-director

​

Responsibility: Following producer notes by pulling
rushes of key scenes into Avid timelines as well as boom mic recording alongside self-shooting PD during observational shoots.

Responsibility: Reviewing footage, selecting key elements of the story, and weaving together actuality and interviews with appropriate GVs and cutaways. I organised footage and created first cuts for offline editors
to work from. Editing in Premiere Pro.