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In the weird and wonderful world of videography, there are days you’re filming something so mundane you question every life choice you’ve ever made. Industrial water treatment plants, I’m looking at you. And then there are days you’re filming Rio Ferdinand at a glitzy awards ceremony in Dubai. This, happily, was one of the latter.
The call came just after Christmas. A guy called Jack asked if I could film Rio at the Global Soccer Awards in two days. Sure, I said, as casually as I could muster, while internally doing cartwheels. Because let’s be honest, it’s not every day you get to work with a man who’s won everything at club level and who’s as synonymous with defending as Lionel Messi is with making defenders look foolish. For a videographer and editor like me, this was the kind of gig you dream about.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Did you ask for a selfie? Did you make him sign an England shirt?” No, I didn’t. And here’s why: if you’re working with someone famous, you’ve got to play it cool. It’s an unwritten rule. Celebrities can sniff out a sycophant quicker than Cristiano Ronaldo can check his reflection. If you start acting like a fanboy, they’ll lose respect for you instantly. So, I did what any self-respecting professional videographer would do. I pretended I wasn’t very excited that I was about to film one of the finest defenders the Premier League has ever seen.
Now there’s something you should know about footballers. Despite the wealth, the fame, and the designer watches, most of them come from working class backgrounds and are remarkably grounded. Rio Ferdinand is no exception. He’s friendly, professional, and mercifully devoid of the ego you might expect from someone who’s spent the best part of two decades being mobbed by adoring fans. My job as a videographer editor was straightforward: make Rio look good and get the footage he needed for his YouTube show, Rio Ferdinand Presents. If he trusted me to get on with it, the work would be seamless. Spoiler: he did.
Fast-forward 48 hours, and I’m sitting in a chauffeured limo with Rio and his wife Kate, heading to the Atlantis Hotel on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah. It’s a five-star venue with more glitz than a Strictly Come Dancing finale. Security was tight, but Rio took it all in stride. Fans lined the route, desperate for selfies and autographs. To his credit, he stopped for all of them. Kids, parents, overzealous uncles — he gave them all a moment. Class act.
On the red carpet, Rio was every inch the pro. Journalists fired questions at him; cameras flashed incessantly. My job was to capture it all while looking inconspicuous, which is tricky when you’re holding a Sony video camera and wearing a suit that still smells faintly of the shop it came from. I even got a few side-eyes from the press pack. Who’s this guy? Why is he allowed past the barriers? Are footballers now hiring their own personal videographers? How do I get that job?
Inside, the event was a who’s who of footballing royalty. Jude Bellingham, Neymar, Ronaldo — they were all there. I’d like to tell you I wasn’t fazed, but that would be a lie. And then it happened.
Robbie Fowler. God himself. The man whose goals I celebrated through a haze of beer throughout the 1990's. Liverpool’s number nine, standing a few feet away, looking like he’d just wandered in from the pub. It was too much. I’d spent the evening playing it cool, but this was my kryptonite.
So, I broke my own rule. Yes, I asked for a selfie. Robbie obliged, possibly because he thought I was some bigwig given my proximity to Rio. And I’d do it again, frankly. Sorry, what was I saying about professionalism?
The thing about being a videographer is that no two days are the same. One minute you’re editing footage of a B2B seminar, and the next you’re filming Premier League royalty. It’s unpredictable, occasionally surreal, and endlessly fascinating.
Working with someone like Rio Ferdinand reinforces the importance of staying professional, building trust, and delivering quality. Whether you’re shooting a corporate video or rubbing shoulders with football legends, the principles remain the same. Do the job well, and everything else will follow.
The life of a videographer editor isn’t for everyone. It’s chaotic, it’s unpredictable, and it often involves lugging heavy equipment up endless flights of stairs. But it’s also full of moments that make you pinch yourself.
Who’s next? Steven Gerrard? Jurgen Klopp? Who knows? And that’s the beauty of it. For videographers who are adaptable, professional, and open to new experiences, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re shooting football royalty or a niche corporate client, every project is an opportunity to grow, learn, and capture something special. You can watch the show that I got to film for Rio Ferdinand on YouTube here.