Filming an Emerging Voice in British Craft: Mac Collins
The first films I made for the Crafts Council were part of a series called What’s Your Craft, a set of six short profiles spotlighting emerging and often overlooked makers across the UK. The second film in the series focused on Mac Collins, who at the time was an up-and-coming furniture designer, and is now, quite rightly, recognised as an emerging artist.
Looking back, it’s one of those projects that feels quietly formative. Not just because of the subject, but because of how the job came about.
I was originally in contact with the Crafts Council through my Made in London series, reaching out to see if they might help promote the work. That didn’t come together in the way I’d hoped, but the connection stuck. When What’s Your Craft entered production, they remembered my work and got in touch. It’s a good reminder that not every conversation leads to an immediate outcome, but it can still plant a seed.
The series was produced by Sara Khan, whose energy and curiosity set the tone across all six films. Each profile was designed to go behind the scenes and give space to makers at all stages in their practice.
At the time of filming, Mac had just graduated from Northumbria University and had already won the Cræftiga Prize. His work sat at the intersection of material experimentation and personal narrative. He was interested not just in how objects are made, but in what they carry. As a designer of dual European and Caribbean heritage, his practice explored identity, lineage, and the histories embedded in furniture making, from Scandinavian traditions through to African and Caribbean references.
I shot the film solo, using the Panasonic EVA1. The approach was straightforward and observational. Let Mac speak, let the materials breathe, and let the process lead the structure of the film. There was no need to overcomplicate it. His clarity of thought and generosity on camera did the heavy lifting.
Since then, Mac’s career has taken off, and his practice has continued to move decisively towards the realm of art. In 2022, he won the inaugural Ralph Saltzman Prize for an Emerging Designer at the London Design Festival, a moment that acknowledged not just his craft, but the cultural and conceptual depth of his work.
This film now feels like a snapshot of potential. A record of someone on the cusp of something larger, still close to the materials, still working things out in public. It’s one of the things I value most about this kind of work. As a filmmaker, you’re not just documenting outcomes, you’re often capturing beginnings.
If you’re commissioning a film about craft, making, or material-led practice and need a videographer who understands how to work quietly and attentively with designers and artists, you can get in touch via my contact page.
