The Media School

Smile for London

24 January 2011

Clip from James' film of the robot and Earth

TV student brightens the January commute with one off footage from a helium weather balloon.

Bournemouth University BA (Hons) Television Production student, James Trosh, is bringing a smile to the faces of London commuters this week with unique footage from a helium weather balloon.

James is the first person in the UK to attach a Go camera to a helium weather balloon, and the outstanding footage of the earth’s curvature is being screened on tube station platforms as part of ‘Smile for London’; a campaign to brighten up the January journey to work.

James describes his piece as ‘a music video following a toy robot's journey from an ordinary bedroom’. The selected clip is the film’s closing sequence when the robot finds a make-shift rocket and takes off 95,000 feet into space.

“We attached the rocket and robot to a helium filled weather balloon,” James explains, “with a GPS unit and mini HD camera to track and film the flight. It then flew off into 'near-space' to film the footage of the robot against the blackness of space and the curvature of the earth. The balloon then popped and fell down to earth with a parachute, where we found the robot and camera 11 miles away in a farmer's field.”

Originally from Teddington, near Kingston in London, James is thrilled that his work has been chosen for ‘Smile for London’: “It's really exciting to be on the same screen as loads of talented artists,” he said. “And to think of all the commuters who will be watching my film on their way home from work is incredible. I hope that my film, along with the others selected, are able to entertain people.”

James is currently in his third year of the BA (Hons) Television Production. Once he graduates he’d like to pursue a career making music videos with the eventual goal of owning his own production company.

The film is also being exhibited in the foyer at the Museum of London.