Playing VST Modules on the Synth Through Gig Performer

Bringing software instruments to life with real performance controls

One of the most exciting upgrades in the Philip M Russell Ltd music workflow has been integrating VST instruments directly with the Wersi organ, synthesiser and MIDI controllers using Gig Performer.
Instead of treating software instruments as something you click with a mouse, Gig Performer turns them into playable, expressive, performance-ready sounds — just like hardware.

The result is a hybrid setup where the warmth and feel of a real synth meet the limitless sound palette of modern virtual instruments.

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Why Use Gig Performer?

Gig Performer acts as a live VST host, allowing you to:

• load multiple VST instruments and effects

• switch sounds instantly

• route MIDI between keyboards and modules

• build performance “panels” with knobs, sliders and buttons

• map physical controls to software parameters

• set up complex splits, layers and pedal assignments

• run everything with extremely low latency

For science video soundtracks, organ accompaniments, experimental sound design or background beds for educational clips, it’s a huge upgrade.

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The Magic: Software Sounds, Hardware Feel

Instead of playing a VST from a laptop keyboard, Gig Performer lets you:

• use the Wersi manuals to trigger soft synths

• use the synth’s pitch bend and modulation to shape sound

• assign expression pedals to filters, volume or effects

• blend hardware voicing with Kontakt libraries, Arturia synths, or Serum

• layer digital pads with organ tones

• create evolving atmospheres for science videos

It makes digital instruments feel natural — as if they were built into the organ or synth itself.

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Typical Setup in Our Studio

1. MIDI from the Wersi or Synth

We route MIDI via USB or a MIDI interface into the studio computer.

2. Gig Performer Hosts the Instruments

Inside Gig Performer, each sound becomes a “rackspace”.
A rackspace can include:

• one VST instrument

• or a combination of instruments + effects

• or a layered performance patch

3. Physical Controls Assigned to Software Parameters

For example:

• Drawbar-style controls → filter cutoff / resonance

• Foot pedal → expression / dynamics

• Buttons on the synth → patch switches

• Aftertouch → vibrato depth

• Mod wheel → shimmer reverb or delay mix

This is where the performance feel comes alive.

4. Output Back to Audio Interface

The final sound runs through the studio interface into speakers or into the mix for videos.

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Why This Is Useful for Philip M Russell Ltd Videos

1. Unlimited Sound Palette

Science videos often need subtle, atmospheric music.
VSTs offer textures that hardware alone can’t always produce.

2. Fast Composition

Need a gentle underscore for a chemistry demonstration?
A warm pad for a sailing montage?
A dramatic introduction for a R&D update?
Gig Performer lets you load and play instantly.

3. Consistent Playback

Unlike standalone DAWs, Gig Performer is designed for live reliability — perfect for filming sessions with no time to reboot between takes.

4. Organ + Synth + VST Hybrid

Blending these layers gives a unique sonic signature across your YouTube content.

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Creative Possibilities

With the hybrid setup, you can:

• build evolving ambient beds

• turn spectra into music for your “Molecules Musical” videos

• recreate classical organ-like textures using sample libraries

• design sounds that follow experimental footage

• create percussive hits for science transitions

• use granular synthesizers for atmospheric sailing clips

It’s a playground for both teaching and creativity.

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The Takeaway

Using Gig Performer to play VST instruments through your synths and organ creates a flexible, expressive, and professional music setup — without needing racks of hardware.

It brings the best of both worlds:
the performance feel of real instruments and the infinite palette of software.

Perfect for educational videos, science soundtracks, sailing content, and organ performances.

 

Experimenting with UV Photography

Trying Out the Multispectral Camera with a ZB1 Filter to Block Visible and IR Light

Multispectral imaging opens a window into worlds we simply can’t see with the naked eye. Recently at Philip M Russell Ltd, we’ve been experimenting with UV-only photography, using our multispectral camera paired with a ZB1 filter — a specialist filter designed to cut out all visible and infrared light, leaving only ultraviolet wavelengths to reach the sensor.

The result is a fascinating blend of science, technology and art. What looks ordinary in daylight suddenly reveals hidden textures, markings and materials that only show up under UV illumination.

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Why Use UV Photography?

UV photography is ideal for science teaching because it exposes properties that students often only read about:

• Fluorescence and absorption in organic materials

• Surface coatings on plants, plastics and minerals

• Sunscreen effectiveness (fantastic demonstration!)

• Biological features like veins in leaves or pollen patterns

• Damage or repairs invisible under normal light

• Security markings on currency and documents

A multispectral camera allows us to make these invisible features truly visible.

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What the ZB1 Filter Does

The ZB1 filter is designed to pass UV light while blocking everything else:

• No visible wavelengths

• No infrared spill

• No mixed-spectrum contamination

This means the image captured is genuinely UV-reflective, not a mixture of UV and visible light — perfect for demonstrations in physics, biology, materials science and forensic-style experiments.

With the ZB1 attached, the camera essentially “sees” a world dominated by UV reflectance patterns.

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Equipment Setup

To capture clean UV images, our workflow includes:

1. Multispectral camera

A converted camera without the standard internal UV/IR cut filter.

2. ZB1 filter

Mounted at the front of the lens to isolate the UV band.

3. Strong UV lighting sources

UV LEDs or lamps — never sunlight alone — because the ZB1 blocks everything except deep UV.

4. Safety equipment

UV photography must be done responsibly:

• UV-protective goggles

• gloves when handling strong emitters

• careful positioning to avoid reflected UV

• a photodiode UV monitor (our own in-house build)

Safety is part of the lesson.

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Early Experiments

Some of the most striking early tests include:

• Flower petals — patterns invisible to human eyes but obvious to pollinators

• Leaves — UV absorption revealing internal structures

• Fabrics — dyes reacting differently under UV, helpful for forensic teaching

• Sunscreen — instantly visible as a dark, UV-absorbing layer

• Skin texture — showing sun damage or pigmentation variations

Each of these makes a wonderful visual teaching moment for students studying light, materials, biology or photography.

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Challenges in UV Photography

It’s not as simple as pointing and shooting.

• UV light levels are low → exposures must be long

• Focusing is hard → many lenses shift focus in UV

• Noise increases → sensors aren’t optimised for UV

• Light spreads differently → some scenes look flat

• Filters cut so much light → strong illumination is essential

But these challenges are part of what makes it a perfect teaching tool — students see that physics principles really matter.

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Why UV Imaging Is Valuable in Teaching

UV photography bridges multiple subject areas:

• Physics: electromagnetic spectrum, energy, filtering

• Biology: pollination, plant structure, skin response

• Chemistry: fluorescence, absorption, molecular interactions

• Media: multispectral imaging, specialised lighting

• Forensic science: hidden patterns and markings

A single UV session generates material for lessons across several subjects — and some beautiful, surprising images for social media and video.

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The Takeaway

Experimenting with UV photography using a multispectral camera and a ZB1 filter reveals details that remain hidden in the visible world. It’s a captivating way to bring science alive and teach students to think beyond the ordinary spectrum.

More tests to come — and plenty of ideas for how to use UV imagery in upcoming videos and lessons.

 Perth at Night

Night Landscapes for Teaching

Using long-exposure photography to illuminate science concepts

Night photography isn’t just beautiful — it’s one of the best ways to teach real science.
Whether we’re photographing skies over the Thames, city lights, or quiet countryside scenes, night landscapes reveal principles that are harder to demonstrate in the classroom.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, we use night images in physics lessons, environmental science topics, and even art-science crossover sessions. A single long-exposure photo can teach far more than a diagram on a whiteboard.

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What Night Landscapes Teach

1. Exposure Triangle in a Real-World Context

Night scenes force students to understand:

• long shutter speeds

• wide apertures

• higher ISO settings

• noise vs detail trade-offs

• stability and tripod technique

It’s the perfect demonstration that photography is applied physics.

2. Light Pollution and Environmental Science

City glow makes an excellent teaching tool for:

• light pollution

• energy waste

• ecological impacts

• skyglow mapping

• sustainability links to the Going Green podcast

Students can compare rural vs urban night shots and quantify brightness with histograms.

3. Star Trails and Earth’s Rotation

Long exposures showing star movement make Earth’s rotation visible.
It’s a magical moment when students realise that the stars didn’t move — we did.

Great for GCSE and A-Level astronomy topics.

4. Motion and Time in a Single Frame

Car trails, aircraft paths, passing boats, clouds drifting — night photography compresses time into a single image.
It opens discussions on:

• persistence of vision

• frame integration

• sensor response curves

• how film differs from digital

Perfect material for science-based media lessons.

5. Sensor Performance and Noise

Night scenes clearly illustrate:

• thermal noise

• long-exposure noise reduction

• dynamic range limits

• colour shifts and white balance errors

• the importance of RAW filming/photography

This links directly to teaching video production and camera technology.

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Practical Tips We Teach Students

• Use a tripod or rock-solid support

• Shoot in RAW for better correction

• Low ISO first, then adjust as needed

• Enable long-exposure noise reduction only when you can wait

• Manual focus — autofocus struggles in darkness

• Use a remote shutter or timer

• Check histograms rather than the screen

• Bracket exposures for teaching comparisons

When students experiment with these settings themselves, the learning sticks.

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Using Night Landscapes in Videos and Lessons

We integrate night shots into:

• intro sequences for science videos

• backgrounds for green-screen teaching

• discussions about environmental light

• physics lessons on optics and time

• drone-night-flight safety sessions

• pmrsailing.uk posts about river conditions at night

• art–science blended lessons

They also make excellent examples when teaching DaVinci Resolve colour correction, noise reduction, and dynamic range.

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The Takeaway

Night landscapes aren’t just dramatic photos.
They’re teaching tools — visual, memorable, and rich with science.
With a tripod, a patient approach, and some clear explanations, night photography becomes a bridge between art and physics, creativity and curriculum.

A single night scene can illuminate a whole lesson.

 

Set Building for a Small Company Isn’t an Option –
Why Green Screen and B-Roll Are the Cost-Effective Solution

Large studios can build custom sets for every video.
Small companies — especially those balancing teaching, science communication, sailing content, and corporate work — simply can’t.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, space is valuable, budgets are sensible, and every square metre of the studio has multiple jobs.
Building and storing sets for each video would be impractical, expensive, and time-consuming.
So instead, we rely on two powerful tools:

✔ Green screen
✔ Extensive B-roll libraries

Together, they give us flexibility without the cost of physical construction.

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Why Set Building Isn’t Realistic for Small Teams

A proper physical set requires:

• materials and construction time

• physical storage

• painting and dressing

• lighting adjustments for every shoot

• money that could be better spent on equipment or teaching resources

Even a simple backdrop becomes expensive once you add props, lighting, and redesigns for future videos.

By contrast, a green screen setup takes seconds to deploy and adapts to any topic or environment we need.

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The Power of the Green Screen

Green screen allows us to drop presenters, experiments or instruments into:

• a virtual lab

• a sailing chart room

• a wind tunnel

• a lecture theatre

• a digital whiteboard

• a multispectral display

• a clean corporate background

• branded teaching layouts

With consistent lighting and a good key, the results are professional and endlessly reusable.

Benefits:

• Unlimited backgrounds

• No physical storage

• Branding or diagrams added instantly

• Perfect for online lessons and science demos

• Ideal when the real environment is noisy or messy

• Portable when filming on location

Green screen lets us build sets with pixels, not plywood.

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The Role of B-Roll

While the green screen provides the environment, B-roll provides the texture.

Our library includes footage from:

• lab experiments

• sensors and equipment

• sailing on the Thames

• organ and synthesiser controls

• drone aerials

• wildlife and macro shots

• behind-the-scenes workflow

• sustainability clips for the Going Green podcast

Instead of building a set, we cut to visuals that support the explanation.
It saves time, prevents dead air, and makes content more dynamic.

Why B-roll matters:

• covers edits

• adds detail and context

• keeps students and viewers engaged

• allows demonstrations without resetting the whole studio

• is infinitely reusable across lessons and projects

A strong B-roll library is one of the most valuable assets a small production company can build.

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Where the Two Meet

A typical Philip M Russell Ltd shoot might use:

1. Presenter on green screen

2. Digital background matching the topic

3. B-roll illustrating each step

4. Picture-in-picture overlays for equipment or diagrams

5. Graphics added in DaVinci Resolve or Fusion

This produces a polished, professional video — with no set building, no storage, and no need for dedicated rooms.

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The Takeaway

For a small company, sets are luxuries.
Green screen and B-roll are practical, flexible, and much more cost-effective.
They allow us to teach science, explain technology, demonstrate equipment, and tell stories from the river — all without building a single wall.

When space and budget are limited, creativity and workflow make all the difference.

 

“It Really Can’t Be That Hard…”
Where to Start When a New Printer Installs Perfectly — Then Vanishes

You unbox the new printer.
You follow the setup wizard.
The PC detects it instantly.
The test print works.

And then — ten minutes later — it’s gone.
No device found.
No connection.
Nothing prints.

Every small business, school, club or home office has been here: the printer that installs flawlessly… and then disappears whenever you actually need it.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, where printers handle everything from worksheets to shipping labels to studio planning documents, reliable printers are essential.
Here’s where we start when a “perfectly installed” printer suddenly refuses to be found.

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1. Start With the Basics (They Fix Most Issues)

Is the printer actually awake?

Printers sleep so deeply these days that they might as well be in hibernation.
Wake it, press a button, or restart it.

Is it on the right Wi-Fi network?

Printers often revert to 2.4 GHz only, not 5 GHz.
Or they jump between SSIDs if you have mesh Wi-Fi.

Has the router changed channels?

A reboot or firmware update can knock the printer off.

Have you recently moved anything?

Even nudging a printer can loosen network cables or reset wireless settings.

These obvious checks solve more problems than people admit.

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2. Check the Printer’s IP Address

A common cause of “works once, then disappears” is the printer getting a new IP address each time it wakes up.

Fix:

• Print a network report from the printer

• Compare the current IP with what Windows/Mac thinks it is

• Log into the router and reserve a static IP for the printer

This alone stabilises 90% of flaky Wi-Fi printers.

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3. Firewalls and Security Software

New printers talk over different ports and protocols (IPP, WSD, AirPrint, Bonjour).
Security software may quietly block these after installation.

Check:

• Windows Defender Firewall

• third-party antivirus

• router firewall rules

• network isolation modes on mesh systems

Fix:

Allow IPP, Bonjour and WSD traffic on the local network.

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4. Make Sure the Drivers Didn’t Revert

Windows Update and macOS updates love reinstalling their own “generic” driver.

Symptoms:

• printer appears but prints nothing

• missing features

• “communication error”

Fix:

Reinstall the manufacturer’s full driver package (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother).
Disable automatic driver substitution if needed.

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5. USB Printers: Check Power and Cables

If you’re using USB:

• try a different port

• try a different cable

• avoid USB hubs

Low-quality USB leads cause intermittent detection because printers draw bursts of current.

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6. Network Range & Interference

Wireless printers hate:

• microwaves

• thick walls

• large appliances

• solar inverter noise

• metal shelving

• being placed on the floor

Move the printer higher up or closer to an access point.
Check signal strength in the printer’s network menu.

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7. Restart Sequence (The “Golden Reset”)

When everything looks right but nothing works, restart in this order:

1. Printer

2. Router / Access Points

3. Computer

This often re-establishes the discovery protocols and clears cached device lists.

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8. Check if the Printer Advertises Itself Properly

Discovery protocols like mDNS/Bonjour can fail.
If the printer’s web interface works but the OS can’t find it, discovery is the problem.

Fixes:

• enable Bonjour/AirPrint on the printer

• turn off AP isolation on your router

• ensure devices are on the same VLAN/subnet

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9. Fallback: Add the Printer Manually by IP

If automatic detection keeps failing, install the printer manually:

• Add printer → “The printer I want isn’t listed”

• Choose Add by IP address

• Enter the reserved static IP

• Choose the correct driver

This bypasses discovery completely and usually gives a rock-solid connection.

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The Takeaway

When a printer installs correctly but then disappears, the culprit is almost always:

• changing IP addresses,

• Wi-Fi instability,

• firewall interference, or

• driver confusion.

With a structured approach — network first, drivers second, OS third — you can restore a reliable connection every time.

A printer that works once should work always.
It just needs a little detective work.

 

Fix It in Prep, Not in Post

Production decisions that save hours in the edit later

There’s a saying in filmmaking: “We’ll fix it in post.”
And yes — modern editing software can do incredible things.
But at Philip M Russell Ltd, where we film science experiments, 1:1 lessons, organ performances, sailing trips, and corporate videos, we’ve learned that the fastest, cleanest, and most professional results come from fixing problems before you press record.

Good preparation saves far more time than clever editing ever can.

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Why Pre-Production Matters

When you get the basics right on set, you avoid:

• colour mismatches

• noisy audio

• blown-out lighting

• shaky camera work

• confused multi-camera sync

• messy backgrounds

• incorrect framing

• repeated takes

• endless attempts to “rescue” footage

Post-production should be about polishing — not surgery.

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1. Sort Your Lighting First

Bad lighting destroys footage long before you reach the timeline.
Good lighting creates:

• clean skin tones

• accurate scientific colours

• fewer shadows on lab benches

• better detail for organ consoles and sailing kit

• less noise = easier colour grading

We always test lighting with a colour checker and reference chart before filming.

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2. Get the Audio Perfect at Source

You can boost volume in the edit — you can’t un-record distortion.

Fix in prep by:

• placing microphones correctly

• using the Tascam CA-XLR2d on the Canon R5C

• monitoring levels with headphones

• running dual-system audio where needed

• recording backup audio on a second mic

• eliminating hum (DI boxes, clean power)

If audio is clean in-camera, editing becomes effortless.

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3. Frame and Set the Background

A messy background wastes time in post cropping, masking and stabilising.

Before recording, check for:

• stray cables

• bright signs

• cluttered lab benches

• people walking into frame

• reflective metal that catches light

• unwanted posters or branding

One minute of tidying saves 20 minutes of editing.

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4. Lock Down Camera Settings

Mixed exposure or colour settings across cameras create headaches.

Fix in prep by:

• matching white balance

• setting identical frame rates

• locking shutter speed

• turning off auto exposure

• using the same picture profile

• shooting a colour checker plate

Then sync everything with Tentacle Sync or a clapperboard — instant multi-cam alignment.

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5. Record the Extra Shots Now

Every editor knows the frustration of “I wish I had one more cutaway.”

Fix in prep by capturing:

• close-ups

• wide establishing shots

• reaction angles

• B-roll of equipment

• slow-motion variations

• safety takes

You always need more footage than you think — shoot it now, not later.

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6. Script or Outline the Structure

Even if you don’t script word-for-word, having a clear structure (like Hook → Teach → Sum) avoids rambling takes.

When filming lessons or experiments, this reduces:

• long pauses

• repeated mistakes

• excessive trimming

• awkward transitions

And viewers get a cleaner, clearer teaching video.

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7. Label Everything Before You Start

This applies to:

• batteries

• SD cards

• audio files

• camera angles

• take numbers

• lenses

• props

It avoids confusion later and speeds the edit enormously.

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The Takeaway

The best edits start long before the footage hits the timeline.
A few smart decisions at the start of filming minimise the need for colour rescue, noise reduction, stabilisation, masking, trimming, or reshoots.

Fix it in prep — not in post — and your videos become faster to edit, easier to manage, and far more professional.

 

Batteries & Power Banks – Without These, Outdoor Video and Photography Fails

When filming outdoors — sailing on the Thames, shooting wildlife, running science demonstrations on location, or covering events — one thing is always true:

If your batteries die, your shoot dies.
No power = no camera, no audio, no drone, no wireless kit, no lights.

At Philip M Russell Ltd, we carry a full battery ecosystem for our cameras, drones, audio recorders, lights, and phones. Power planning is just as important as lenses and microphones — because the best shot in the world is useless if the equipment stops running halfway through.

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Why Portable Power Matters

1. Cameras Are Power Hungry

Mirrorless cameras like the Canon R5C or Sony bodies burn through batteries quickly, especially:

• in 4K/8K recording

• when using IBIS

• when powering external mics or XLR units

• when shooting in cold weather

Without spares, a day’s filming collapses fast.

2. Drones Drain Fast

Drone batteries are limited by size and safety.
Each flight might give only 20–30 minutes.
If you want multiple angles, you need multiple batteries.

3. Audio Needs Its Own Supply

Recorders, wireless transmitters, and XLR interfaces like the Tascam CA-XLR2d all take power separately.
If your audio dies, your footage becomes unusable.

4. Phones & Tablets

For navigation, drone apps, camera control, playback, scheduling, and notes — mobile devices must stay topped up.

5. Lighting & Accessories

Small LED panels, monitors, gimbals, follow-focus units — everything drinks electrons.

Outdoor video production is powered by a backpack full of batteries.

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The Power Bank Strategy

1. Carry Multiple Banks

We take:

• high-capacity USB-C PD power banks

• smaller pocket banks for phones

• rugged banks for sailing and wet environments

2. Look for USB-C Power Delivery (PD)

This allows:

• fast charging

• powering cameras via USB-C

• running monitors and LED lights

• top-ups between takes

PD banks can rescue an entire shoot.

3. Charge Everything the Night Before

Every battery.
Every bank.
Every device.
No exceptions.

4. Label and Rotate

Number your batteries.
Rotate them evenly.
Remove any battery that behaves oddly.

5. Keep Banks Warm in Winter

Cold kills battery performance.
For winter sailing, we keep power banks inside an inner pocket.

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The “Full Power Kit” We Take to Shoots

Our typical setup includes:

• Spare camera batteries (at least 3–6)

• Drone batteries (3 minimum)

• USB-C PD power bank (20,000–30,000 mAh)

• Rugged waterproof bank for boat and outdoor shoots

• AAA/AA batteries for wireless transmitters and audio

• Charging cables for every device

• Power strip for indoor top-up

• Battery-powered lights as backups

Everything lives in a single labelled pouch so we can swap quickly.

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The Hidden Benefit: Creative Freedom

When you aren’t worrying about power:

• You film longer

• You wait for better light

• You redo takes for accuracy

• You focus on teaching rather than equipment

• You capture spontaneous moments — the ones that really matter

Power is what lets creativity breathe.

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The Takeaway

Outdoor filming succeeds or fails on battery management.
With spare batteries, reliable power banks, and a clear charging routine, you can film confidently anywhere — on the river, in the woods, on a school field, or at a community event.

Batteries aren’t an accessory.
They are the foundation of any portable media workflow.