Fin Films Ltd

11/07/2025

Hey everyone, Last week's film was a behind the scenes of my quest to film badgers! Sadly, no badgers. But I had a hunch there was something magical to film, if I was patient. Here are the results after some hard work - I've been to this site multiple times to capture this wee moment - and I was soooo unbelievably delighted when it happened. These fox cubs are miniscule; you could pretty much hold them in the cup of your hands. This was a wee while ago, as I felt they were too young and too vulnerable to post about straight away. Foxes get so much bad press, so heart-warming footage is important. You’ll remember I posted foxes are on the decline– this is reported by the as a result of their annual bird surveys, which track other species on surveys. You can support foxes by visiting or or . Just to say, this is one of the setts I monitor across the year and it is logged and known by relevant organisations - I am now monitoring it very closely, at a distance, with as little human intervention as possible, to keep its inhabitants safe. Hope you enjoy this moment as much as I did! (yes it's dark, but I really don't care, it made my heart so happy, it was a very special moment).
If you’d like to support this work so that I can protect species with on the ground monitoring and recording — please share, comment, or consider buying me a coffee at www.ko-fi.com/janinef.
Thank you, as ever, for watching and engaging.

10/07/2025

This week's film is a wee behind the scenes clip involving my search for badgers to film - by following badger 'signs' in the environment. (I’ve done training in the last couple of years to survey badgers). I will caveat this week’s film by sharing that many filming trips are fails in terms of getting something useful on film! In terms of ecological surveying, well, I seem to survey night time creatures, (badgers, woodcocks, bats), so I find myself out on my own standing in the woods ALOT! Weirdly I kind of enjoy it, even if I don't see anything. No sighting is also data in terms of scientific research. Anyway, hopefully there are some useful tips in this short film about badgers regardless. Enjoy! If you enjoy my films please do share them, like them, and comment. Come over to to my personal instagram page if you haven't already . Or join my newsletter at https://communityecology.co.uk. Have a great weekend!

10/07/2025

The woodpeckers have been mesmerising to watch and listen to recently. Mum, Dad, and I’m pretty sure just one fledgling all visiting my garden. They’re such a striking bird to look at. Next year I’ll be hunting out their nests. I found an occupied one a couple of years ago, whilst doing a mindful walking exercise as part of a silent retreat. Amazing what you find when you slow down. If you’d like the walking practice post in the messages. I learned it from my mindfulness trainer, who has sadly now passed. I know she’d want it shared with the masses ! Have a great weekend everyone. Footage all shot by me and copyright Janine F, Fin Films Ltd. Music copyright to Epidemic SoundIf you like my work please like, share, and comment ! Check out my film company and join my community ecology newsletter if you’d like to keep up with events and what not. - thanks for all the work you do to celebrate and protect UK birds.

10/07/2025

Some spidery love for you today! Been tracking this tiny wee spider (only a few millimetres long) in my garden for the last couple of weeks. One thing I've observed is that it eats LOADS - it catches multiple insects a day and when I visit the web the next day the insects are GONE. Fortunately alot of these insects are pesky biting midges - hurrah! (Sorry midges - it's really hard to form a loving relationship with midges - for those watching in New Zealand - midges are a lot like sandflies, except they are miniscule, also with huge biting jaws like this spider, which pack a punch for a tiny insect. Anyway, this spider was confirmed by the Facebook group 'British Spider Identification Group' 🔗 facebook.com/groups/1408251212762615. 680 spiders have been identified in Britain thanks to the volunteer British Arachnological Recording Scheme but distribution can be patchy, so spider I.D is a brilliant and helpful activity to get involved in if it takes your fancy! I'm really enjoying my macro lens, but I've also been out filming with my new 100-500mm long lens too. Some really cool, videos of some super cute animals are coming soon! (Not to say spiders aren't cute, but you know what I mean!).

I'd be super grateful if you like, follow, or even share this film. Come over to www.instagram.com/thegoodnatureproject for more. Or like my page www.facebook.com/communityecology. Or sign up to my newsletter at www.communityecology.co.uk. Thanks for watching and for all the messages of support I've received recently!

10/07/2025

This is a charming animal who visits us around this time every year. I think this is the dad of a family of foxes. Right now Mum will be feeding their cubs in their den and soon they’ll probably start bringing the members of the family out into the big wide world too. This guy’s had a bit of a rough life (watch the video to see what I mean!) You’ll find out in the video why foxes are important and why they deserve better protection. We’re so lucky to have small mammals living side-by-side with us here in the UK. I’m always in total awe when I get a chance encounter with them. There’s more to come on foxes … watch this space! Hope you enjoy. (Posting early as I’m in France paddling and soaking in nature with new friends). To support foxes there are a number of great projects. Here’s two I follow: 🎥 All imagery copyright JanineF / Fin Films Ltd🎶 Music by Epidemic Sound📣 Sharing great! — but no downloading or reuse allowed without permission.

10/07/2025

Bumblebee ID is the best! Recently, I attended an I.D and surveying course on bumblebees with Annie Ives at - and I realised the Common Carder Bee can be tricky to identify, because it’s really similar to the Moss Carder Bee - and we have pretty perfect habitat for the Moss Carder Bee here where I live - eg. classic Scottish conditions - wet, boggy, marshy! ha ha! However, another way to confirm or at least back up findings, is to go to the NBN Atlas (National Biodiversity Network) to check if it's been recorded in the area in the past. The Moss Carder Bee is a relatively scarce bee, and whilst it's been recorded in my county, it's not been recorded here, or rather, no one has reported it from here (there are huge gaps in data, and that's why I love doing this work and submitting records to national databases). So – just a simple and sweet film this week - a Common Carder Bee, on its own, with a few details on identification. Hope you enjoy it and the marvellous slomo macro shots! If you love my videos please share them! Also come over to Instagram.com/thegoodnatureproject or support me via www.ko-fi.com/janinef

10/07/2025

Just a cute wee short clip for you this Tuesday – a male Eurasian chaffinch feeding his young in a rowan tree! What a cool moment.They’re a pretty common bird in the UK – but for my relatives in NZ, I reckon they’ll find it as exotic-looking as I do. The male’s colours are really striking – I never get bored of watching these birds.Please share if you like this – and come over to instagram.com/thegoodnatureproject if you haven’t already.You can also follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/communityecology.🎥 All footage and imagery © Janine Finlay / Fin Films Ltd.🎵 Music copyright: Epidemic Sound – Sunshine After Rain by Adelyn Paik.

10/07/2025

This week I fell in love with a fly…no really! This Friday I’m letting the little things in spring speak for themselves (apart from a wee bit of identification using graphic titles). ID has been tricky – I found out there are 6,500 parasitic wasps in the UK, 550 species of sawfly, and over 280 species of hoverflies! I’m particularly enamoured by the hoverflies I captured on film. With the naked eye you can’t see much. But with a macro lens they are astonishingly beautiful – shiny with incredible markings, and I love the way they ‘hover’ which is perfect for having time to focus the lens! They’re pollinators – so a good thing to have in the garden! I definitely needed some help with some ID though – one of the white-footed hoverflies had to be identified by the ‘shape of the front tarsi and the tangle of hairs on the front femur’, according to . Luckily I did a bee surveying workshop this week at Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms, with and , otherwise I might not have been able to easily identify just what I had captured here in terms of bumblebee shots! That said, if the identification still needs corrections, let me know! Insects are really hard to identify – especially as many types are under-reported, like the sawflies, partly due to the fact there are so many and there is no definitive ID guide for sawflies, according to . There is always so much to see out there, guys! So much life! And it all needs to get into biological recording databases so we know exactly what lives amongst us, and how to celebrate and keep these amazing species around. That’s why I’m doing this important work. If you love nature like I do, or like my films, please share them, comment or give me a follow. And come over to join my newsletter at www.communityecology.co.uk. Enjoy!

10/07/2025

Spring filming - what a buzz! I’ve been capturing Scotland’s wildlife with a new macro lens, to help us identify and appreciate the little creatures that live amongst us. Such extraordinary detail captured of these amazing pollinators!

With thanks to Conservation Trust Love Nature The Change Garden for their amazing pollinator work 🐝

29/03/2023

Hi everyone. My shooting course for APs, DV Directors, and PDs is now live on ScreenSkills. Fin Films Ltd has been accepted as a course provider. Check it out! Early bird runs out this Friday!

ScreenSkills

14/03/2023

I'm about to run two self-shoot courses in April called 'SH*THOT SHOOTER' 😅 for film and broadcast industry professionals. (For some time I've been asked to share my skills, and I'm really looking forward to doing so). The first course is for shooting Assistant Producers, DV Directors and Producer/Directors who want to improve their skills shooting actuality, obs doc & scripted factual sequences; as well as get a better understanding of lenses and settings to achieve stunning images. The second is a course for beginners (Researchers APs, or Runners, or those in training with some understanding of film & video production). I'm also offering 1:1 training on mutually agreeable dates. Let me know if you have any questions! Looking forward to hearing from you. And please help me by sharing widely in your networks. Thanks! https://finfilms.co.uk/sh*thotshooter

06/02/2023

Hello, Fin Films doesn't use this page much. Please visit finfilms.co.uk for up to date projects, clients and news!