Coterie Barbers: Free cuts at Skate East

Coterie Barbers is a local barber who wanted some early content of himself at work, cutting hair and being himself. He had a good idea for it too. He was giving free haircuts as part of a skate shop event, Skate East, and that was very much him: a community guy who loves skateboarding and was there to help people. So we turned up and filmed it.

We kept it social-first. We filmed him with his customers, putting people at ease in the chair, and mixed that with the skateboarding going on around him. The hair product brand he works with, Uppercut, is big on skateboarding, so the skate shots were a nod to them as well. We did what we always do at events: chatted to people, got them smiling and joined in with the day. Nobody wants the awkward person in the corner pointing a camera at them.

He had the first cut the next morning, and a second version with more skating in it later that day, along with all the rushes and stills so he could make his own clips. We don't always turn things round that fast, but with event content it matters. Event content is most useful while people still remember the day, and its relevance fades quickly after that. A quick turnaround after an event is something we always aim for, whether it's a small business package or a bigger job.