Experience Jamaica with Jamieson

Many have embarked on the quest to capture the culture, historical value and beauty of our beloved Jamaica in a variety of ways. The essence of our island can be heard through the hum of the basline in our music and seen through the expressions of classical paintings, photography, and new-age cinematography. Jamieson Daley's patritotism for Jamaica fuelled by his passion for the arts has allowed him to develop a livelihood which embraces what it means to truely be Jamaican. His dynamic short films are set in various parts of the island ranging from the mountains to the white-sand beaches we love.

"I always look at everything in life a bit differently from others," said Daley, who prides himself on being a visual content creator. Daley started meddling with photography when he was in the sixth grade. "My parents had given me one of those cheap wind-up film cameras that you would have to take the film to the store to be developed and only then would you see the end result of a photo. Needless to say, back then, it was hit or miss, and I personally did a lot of missing," he laughed.

By age 16, his father introduced him to a digital camera which had the ability to record. "People where still using Nokia 3310s with no colour screens. I experimented with the camera - including the video mode - and eventually I figured out how to edit the videos I recorded on my computer using Windows Movie Maker,"he explained.

He started to make videos featuring my friends and extreme sports in Jamaica, which really pushed him to advance his cinematography skills as many of the videos were what they call 'run-and-gun' which required quick thinking and reaction times with a camera. "There was no financial or social reward for a very long time. My only motivation was the enjoyment for the art itself. I would say if I had to identify one thing about filmmaking that I love the most, it is the ability to make viewers feel something," said the self -taught filmmaker who is actually a computer science major at the University of the West Indies.

"I definitely can appreciate the fact that my studies in computer science enhanced my ability to problem solve and learn things from the ground up," he said.

He also admitted that it was one of the hardest degrees you can study without a natural love for maths and programming - both of which were not his cup of tea. "That experience made learning anything else feel easy," declared Daley.

Currently, Daley has been focused on using his work to motivate and inspire his Jamaican brothers and sisters to feel love, hope, and pride for our home, while showing the world Jamaica's beauty and value in a positive way. "You will notice a lot of my personal work is very Jamaica-centric and very positive in nature," said Daley.

This current mission goes deep within his personal beliefs that we all have a role to play on our island and views this as a way for him to give back to the island in a meaningful way.

However, following his dream and honing his craft is not an easy feat for Daley. The general Jamaican economy and mindset when it comes to the value of artists and their work is a constant challenge which he has to endure. "Many people still do not see the work of artists as actual work. Many do not appreciate that this is not just a hobby or something we do on the side," he explained. He further stated that the artistic community, will always feel a lack of respect for their time and an unwillingness to pay for what the artist deserves.

"I would also say that as a passion or love, everything I work on, regardless of budget, payout, or reward is personal to me. I put all of myself into every video project I work on to make sure it's the best I can produce within the timeframe given. I think my clients and the viewers see this in my work," said Daley.

If trapped on a deserted island where he had to make a film using five pieces of equipment to be rescued, his top five choices are:

1. Lumix GH5, coupled with a 12 -35mm Lumix lens for Dual IS capabilities

2. Glidecam steady cam system

3. Phantom 4 Pro

4. A PC (not a Mac) with an i7 processor and a decent video , making it 4K-video-editing ready. With a fast enough hard drive.

5. Premier Pro

Check out Daley's productions on Instagram @jamiesondaley

latara.boodie@gleanerjm.com