If you are planning to film outdoors, the best time to do it is usually in the summer. True, that might not work if you are focused on winter sports, but longer daylight hours, usually drier weather and warmer conditions generally make situations much friendlier.
Good examples of this will include filming of outdoor activities such as hiking (in the manner of a Julia Bradbury), major cross-country runs, off-roading events or wildlife shoots based on capturing specimens that are more visible in summer, such as migratory birds that will have flown off to warmer climes come winter.
This is when all terrain vehicle hire can be vital in helping you get to the location. While some rural locations might be reachable via country lanes, there are times when it helps to go off-road, especially if there is heavy filming equipment to bring along too.
However, it is important to remember there are some significant environmental considerations to take into account. Off-roading can be very convenient, but it can also be environmentally damaging.
A common issue arises in the area of green laning. Green lanes are defined as unofficial roads, often comprised of gravel or dirt, where a typical vehicle would not go but a four-wheel drive vehicle would.
However, there are potential issues. These can include vehicles straying off lanes and damaging the landscape, or a lack of consideration for other users of the route (such as walkers, cyclists and horse riders). Occasionally there can be legal tussles over motorised access to some routes, such as the Walna Scar Road in the Lake District a few years ago.
All this shows that it is vital to act in a responsible manner. A key problem – one of the issues that led to the Walna Scar issue becoming so heated – was that damage to the route made it a difficult path for walkers crossing from Coniston to the Duddon Valley, or ascending the Wainwrights of the Coniston range. This can occur in other instances as well.
It should not be forgotten that it is the unspoiled and the picturesque that people come to the countryside for, which is why it is vital that all-terrain vehicles are used responsibly.
The other key point to note is that even all-terrain vehicles can get stuck in the mud sometimes, so make sure you don’t push your luck too much. The last thing you want is to need another vehicle to have to come up and tow you free.
Ultimately, if you are out filming in the wilds, it is vital to be part of the solution, not the problem, helping to promote the countryside and all it has to offer with an appreciation that unless we look after it, we could lose something very precious.
That is why we hire out environmentally-responsible generators with lower emissions, which is all part of making filming greener. But that has to extend to how all equipment is used. You may not quite be able to extend to the ‘leave only footprints, take only pictures’ mantra, but let the tyre tracks you leave be no more and no deeper than are necessary.