Leave No Trace Production
Making beautiful things with what’s already here.
It Started With an Application
Most independent artists don’t have big budgets for music videos. And honestly? They shouldn’t need them. The world is already beautiful.
A Leave No Trace Production is about working with what’s already here — real spaces, found objects, borrowed props, and lived-in environments.
When Media Cymru opened up development funding, it gave me the push to think about the idea more deeply — to ask if there’s a formula for making music videos that are both efficient and creative. One that treats the location as part of the story, not just the backdrop — and uses the limitations as an advantage.
The Rap Video That Sparked It
The idea really clicked last summer. I had a bit of unexpected time and thought, “Why not make a rap video?” It needed to be quick, low budget, and fun to make.
So I asked myself: what’s low budget and still looks beautiful?
Answer: found locations.
I set a £200 budget and spent nearly half on Mr. Boom — a big old hi-fi speaker with a great face for animation. Everything else was filmed in places I already knew, using stuff I already had.
It came together fast, and it worked. That’s when I realised this could be more than just a one-off.
What Leave No Trace Is About?
Leave No Trace is a way of making music videos that’s creative, flexible, and low impact. It’s about using what’s already there — real locations, reused props, natural light, and simple setups.
It doesn’t mean no props or no style. It just means we don’t fake the world around it. If we bring a rug, a speaker, or a picnic table, you still see the rest of the room. Or the hill. Or the forest.
It’s not just sustainable — it’s a way of working that invites play. Real environments offer things no set ever could: texture, history, surprise. And by working lightly, we don’t waste time or money — we just focus on making something good.
The Aleighcia Scott Video
After I wrote up the Leave No Trace idea for Media Cymru, I reached out to a few artists to see if it was something they’d be into. Fourteen said yes straight away.
One of them was Aleighcia Scott. She happened to need a video, and we only had a week to make it happen — so I used the framework.
We did a studio shoot and a location shoot. We used reusable curtains and props, made the most of the daffodils and blossom that were in bloom, styled a picnic on Garth Hill, and filmed in a sunlit woodland. We also used cutaways of Cardiff landmarks to give it a strong sense of place.
Let’s Do More
This way of working feels good. It’s flexible, creative, and kind to the places we film in. It’s not about cutting corners — it’s about putting the creativity into the choices we make, and using time as our biggest resource.
Leave No Trace started as an idea, but it’s already working in practice.
Even with quick turnarounds, we’ve made videos that feel thoughtful and full of life.
With more time and space to plan, we could take it even further.
I want to keep going. More artists, more stories, more beautiful, simple videos that don’t cost the earth.
If you’re an artist and this sounds like something you’d be up for — or someone you know would — get in touch.
Let’s make something truly fantastic together.