Cinematographer, Multiple Award-Winning Commercial & Royal Premiere.

I was cutting a film in my edit suite late one evening when Andy called. He had only ever called late in the evening once before. Not entirely coincidentally that was exactly a year earlier.

Andy was a long-established client and one of the nicest and most creative people I have ever worked with. The date did not register with me. I was focused on my editing.

Andy sounded very happy, maybe a little drunk, too.

"Ian, we did it again."

"Andy, what? We did what again?"

"Take a Stand won Best Broadcast Promotional. I am at the RTS Awards. We did it again."

I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Take a Stand?"

"Oh yes, of course, we changed the name. One in Ten, as you know it."

"Never! Oh wow! It got Best Broadcast Promotional, The same award Fear got, last year?"

"Yes, exactly."

"Wow! That's freaking amazing. Well done mate. I am thrilled..."

"Hey, I was going to call you about this film anyway. You are invited to the Royal Premiere. Princess Anne will be the Guest of Honour."

"Royal Premiere? You're winding me up! Where? When?"

"At the big new cinema in Sunderland."

I had shot several films with Andy lately, and a few were on mental health-related subjects but this film felt extra special to me. It felt very creative but also like an important film with the potential to do much good.

The target audience was young teenagers.

The film was designed to help youngsters understand that mental health issues affect many people, most of us know someone affected directly, and many of us will also be affected at some point in our lives.

The point was to help to de-stigmatise the subject of mental illnesses in the minds of children who are old enough to understand and young enough to have their opinions informed and enlightened.

It was a 2-day shoot. On day 1, we filmed in a Wearside secondary school, and on day 2, in a house in Newcastle. The cast were all students who took it very seriously, were superb to work with, and did a fantastic job.

As always, Andy's directing and his storyboard were very tight. We shot some powerful mini-sequences that made the points eloquently, graphically, and impactfully.

We quickly knew we were making something special.

It was only much later, well after the edit, that I was told Andy was having a digital intermediate made, to deliver it for cinema release. I was stunned. I explained to Andy, that if I had known, I would have shot it on a very different camera, an ARRI or a RED.

I had shot numerous commercials and other films with Andy. They were all for some form of broadcast TV. So, I had no reason to think this production had a very different future. I shot it on my best TV camera (of the time, 2004), a Sony DVW-790 WSP. This was a state-of-the-art, standard definition, interlaced, digital video camcorder, which was far from ideal for cinematic work.

So on the day of the Premiere, I was apprehensive about the quality. How would it hold up when projected on a 33ft screen?

After HRH and her regaled escort arrived and were shown to their seats in the theater's largest cinema, we took our seats. The house lights dimmed, the chattering faded to black, and a few moments later, there it was, big, bright, and beautiful. 30 seconds later we had all seen the finished film. It was superbly directed and edited, and so creative. The kids were fabulous! More importantly, it was extremely impactful, and much to my relief it looked far better projected than I had dared to hope. Thank goodness!

Then, it was time to meet the Princess. We all lined up in reception and exchanged a few polite words with HRH as she worked the line.

So, two firsts for me. My first cinema shoot screening, and my first Royal Premiere. A big day indeed.