Profile: Alex Ayre

Why did you pick this subject for Fresh?

First and foremost because the sport of martial arts is a growing passion among many young people today. Through being inspired by the TV and internet coverage it gets, more and more young people are stepping into gyms with the hope of becoming a future world champion. John’s story was a little different - through him I knew I could tell the story of someone who never really went in with any dreams of being a successful fighter, but who simply tried something new and ended up making it a huge part of his life.

What motivated you to make this film?

I first decided to visit Millennium Martial Arts gym with the intention of bettering myself as a cinematographer. My brother trains there and he’d asked the owners if it would be okay for me to come down and do a bit of filming. I thought following the fast paced action would hugely improve my self-shooting skills.

Once I arrived at the gym, John immediately stood out to me as a character in the group with his instant likeability. We chatted briefly and he told me about his start at the gym four years ago after being bullied in school, and that he had his first professional fight coming up. I thought he would be a great person to follow because through the respect I’d seen dished out between coaches and fighters within the gym, I knew that no matter the outcome, John’s journey to the fight would be an uplifting story.

What equipment did you use to shoot the film?

I shot the film on a Canon 7D and sound was recorded through a variety of Rode and Sennheiser directional microphones and radio mics for the interviews. We lit the interviews with three Dedo lights.

Tell us about post-production.

I edited the film myself on Final Cut Pro. I graded the pictures and mixed the sound.

Who/what inspires you?

I’ve always been inspired by the works of British directors such as Shane Meadows and Ken Loach because of their gritty realist style. In terms of documentary, I really like the work of Alex Gibney. I’m also a huge Michael Mann fan - Heat is my all time favorite film.

What are your plans for the future?

I currently work full-time for Northern Stars Production, based out of the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne. The company specializes in training and developing the talents of young filmmakers and creates digital content for cultural venues and organizations in the North East. Through working here I have been able to train in all areas of filmmaking, from scoping to the final edit, while being given the time to lead my own short documentary projects. For the foreseeable future I would like to continue working here and find new opportunities to create and publicise my own short documentaries.

What is the most important thing you have learned so far?

When making a documentary, access is everything.