*** Horsefly Films ***

THE BUZZ. STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSEFLY’S MOUTH. NO HORSESHIT.

or preparing for a horsefly films shoot....

photograph: john smith

"This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother."
----Ted Walsh, Horse Racing Commentator

Once you have checked the label and are certain you are using genuine Horsefly Films brand (and have booked a video shoot with Horsefly Films), we will discuss with you our ideas and options to make the shoot a success. A rousing fantabulous, heart-stopping, glorious, thundering epic success. Time of day, time of year, weather, condition and growth spurts in your horses and your location are all factors, as well as your advertising and ranch promotion goals.

Before we arrive, you will need to scout locations on your property that will make suitable backgrounds. Take a good look around. Make sure your ranch looks as good as your horses. “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” might be good for Oklahoma but it’s bad for you. Get out the mower, tend any landscaping and remove all the clutter. If you can’t find a suitable spot, consider taking your horses to a different location.

“I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. Demille”. In other words, have your horse bathed, clipped and immaculately groomed before we arrive. Of course, last minute touch-ups during the shoot are necessary and can include fly spray, show sheen, hoof black, grease on the face, final mane and tail brush out, body wiped down with a towel or any grooming specific to the breed (for example special braiding for hunter-jumpers etc.), but we don’t want to waste valuable time (yours, ours and the horses’) or picture perfect light. Apollo is on a tight schedule and those chariot horses of his haul the sun faster than you think. Obviously you will need to be much more prepared for a session of beauty/conformation and action shots of your stallions and sale horses than if you want candid and casual mare and foal or pasture type footage.

“You can lead a horse to water but he has trouble working the water fountain by himself”. Help your horses out. Do whatever you can to make them happy. Make sure that your horses have eaten and try and create a stress-free environment on the day of the shoot. A happy horse is just that, a happy horse. That and he’ll be more cooperative. Make him really happy and he’ll vogue all day long. This is also true for you, the handler, so keep an upbeat and relaxed attitude, because this will be reflected in your final product. When Mom sang “We’re all in our places with bright happy faces, good morning to you!” she was right.

“How many horseflies does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” One. But he is really enormous. As for you, there is safety and efficiency in numbers. When your horse is ready to be filmed, you will need an assistant (or two!) to help keep the horse positioned in a controlled area and on the move for action shots. Keep your horse animated—you know what works with your horses. Do whips with plastic bags or shaken cans with pebbles get him excited or do they just scare the hell out of him? The area should allow us to shoot action from several directions without being trampled-- safety first for horses and humans! Make sure the location allows for easily re-catching your horse.

Be patient. Shots may need to be filmed several times. Trust that we will capture that special moment through the lens.

Make your horses fly! The Horsefly is infinitely wise so follow these simple steps to prepare yourself and you will ensure that your video footage will showcase your horses at their best.