Firefighter Ian's Story

Scottish firefighter, Ian McDonald had been with the fire service for 10 years. He was taking part in a training exercise in March 2014 when his hand was pierced by a high-pressure jet of hydraulic fluid.

He had 40 operations after the toxic liquid destroyed the tissue in his right hand but after a 4-year battle doctors were forced to amputate.

This film tells the story of how the amputation impacted Ian’s life and the part Digby Brown played to help with his recovery.

Ian’s Story — Digby Brown

Introducing STROMA Films

After 11 incredible years of Rapid Visual Media, today we’re excited to introduce, STROMA Films.

New name, new brand but with the same Dougie and Brian at the helm steering a somewhat shinier ship and one that we’d like to think better reflects the unique brand of filmmaking that we’ve developed over the last decade.

We hope you like our new website where you can find out a little more about us and view some of our films.

Perfect Harmony

The Royal High School Preservation Trust wants to ensure that one of Scotland's national treasures, the Old Royal High School building by Calton Hill is used again for the best possible use.

The trust was established in April 2015 and set out 5 aims for its proposed development of the former Royal High School:

1. Conservation of the main building
2. Protection of the setting of the site
3. An economically sustainable use
4. A culturally suitable use
5. A substantially public use

We were commissioned to create a video for the campaign to bring together St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh with the Old Royal High School.  The video shows the stunning location of the Royal High School building, the architectural changes proposed by St Mary's Music School architects and a few of the talented musicians currently attending St Mary's Music School.

Perfect Harmony from STROMA Films on Vimeo.

Rapid Visual Media is based in Edinburgh.  If you would like to find out more about our work please get in touch or view some of our work on our video portfolio.

Fashioned From Nature

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, otherwise known as the V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design. It's permanent collection consists of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity.

A current exhibition 'Fashioned From Nature' will run until 27 January 2019. The V&A states that it is 'the first UK exhibition to explore the complex relationship between fashion and nature from 1600 to the present day'. We have had the pleasure of producing 3 videos for 'The Future of Fashion' which is part of this exhibition. The Future of Fashion explores how the fashion industry uses vast quantities of natural resources, and meets some inventors, designers and companies that are making sustainable and environmentally friendly fabrics.

Pulp-It

This video gives a fascinating incite into making a new fabric based on paper that is both sustainable and environmentally friendly. It has been created by scientists and designers in Sweden and the UK.


Fashioned from Nature - Pulp - It from STROMA Films on Vimeo.

Bolt Threads

Bolt Threads is a company based in California. They have developed a fabric that mimics the structure of spider silk. It requires neither the polluting chemicals of petroleum-derived materials nor the land, water and pesticides of conventionally farmed fibres.


Fashioned from Nature - Bolt Threads from STROMA Films on Vimeo.

Diana Scherer

Diana Scherer is an artist, designer and plant root weaver from The Netherlands. She trains the roots of plants to grow in intricate structures, creating a 3D textile. When the roots are fully grown, she removes them from the soil and cuts off the plant stems. The pieces produced are not yet suitable to be worn, but hint at a potential, more sustainable future in which we grow our own fashion in the ground. This will completely change how you view plant roots.


Fashioned from Nature - Diana Scherer from STROMA Films on Vimeo.

These films have been produced by Rapid Visual Media. If you would like to find out more about our work or commission a film, please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Rapid Visual Media's portfolio of videos.
Rapid Visual Media on Vimeo

St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh

Practising and Composing - 2 Films From St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh

We were invited to St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh to produce 4 short films about the talented students, practicing their instruments and composing new music. Here are 2 of those films.

St Mary’s Music School - Practising

Four pupils describe what music means to them and how passionate they feel about their daily practising, leading up to live performance.

"It is not only your fingers that should know your pieces."

St Mary's Music School - Practising from STROMA Films.

‘Composing’ Advice to Young Musicians

Leading Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan, a regular visitor to St Mary’s, shares his composing expertise with a 17 year old pupil in a new film which highlights the personal achievements and frustrations encountered by the young composer as he develops as a musician.

'Composing' Advice to Young Musicians from STROMA Films.

Detailed information about the films can be found on the St Mary's website.

If you are interested in finding out more about our videos and what we can create for your organisation, school or business, then please get in touch to discuss your ideas and wishes.

Drawn To Light

Drawn to Light was an event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of The McManus. The McManus is an Art Gallery and Museum that tells the story of Dundee and gives visitors an insight into it’s fascinating history.

The McManus — Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum

Two of Scotland’s leading young artists, Duncan Marquiss & Jonnie Common, were commissioned to create 2 new artworks for this event. We were delighted to meet and interview both artists, and have produced a short video about each artist where they explain a little about how they have approached this commission.

Duncan produced a video installation that was played on the exterior of the museum building. The video represents the museum and included many of the museum’s collection of objects and artworks.

Drawn to Light - Duncan Marquiss from STROMA Films on Vimeo.

Jonnie is a musician who composed a new piece of music to represent The McManus and has included sounds from the museum itself.

Drawn to Light - Jonnie Common from STROMA Films on Vimeo.

What is the V&A in Dundee?

V&A Museum of Design, Dundee

The V&A in Dundee will be the first design museum in the UK to be built outside London.  It is currently in the process of being built and will be open to the public by 2018. The unique design is by renowned architect Kengo Kuma.

The galleries in the museum will be dedicated to Scotland's design heritage and will show designs from the past and present along with exhibitions from new, young Scottish designers.   

We have been delighted to work with the staff at the V&A Dundee for the past few years. Our job has been to help put this new museum on the map by creating short films about their pre-opening exhibitions and the building of the museum. The work and effort put into the pre-opening programme has been amazing.

What is V&A Dundee?

This film introduces the design museum. We met up with curators, inspiring designers and heard from young people who've already benefited from V&A Dundee's community work.

Building V&A Dundee

How is V&A Dundee being built? In this short video, you will meet the architect Kengo Kuma, and some of the constructors and engineers. It will show you the complexity of the design and how precision engineering is required to complete the build of this stunning museum.




More of our videos about this stunning museum and the pre-opening programme can be found on our website porfolio page or our vimeo page.