The Proper People are two friends, Bryan and Michael, that travel the globe in search of the most interesting abandoned buildings to explore and photograph.
Not since the artful deconstruction of building projects by Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs, have I found a video serious that so honestly, passionately breaks down the story behind the visuals.
After watching hours of their content, their more recent stuff is absolutely stunning in its cinematography. Shot in 4K on handheld cameras, the visuals of dilapidated buildings is nothing short of stunning.
Depth of field is often used to great effect and the slow camera movements mirror the cadence of the descriptive and often soothing commentary. The occasional lens flare or colour contrasting an otherwise dull cement space long forgotten by most of the world.
Perhaps my favourite aspect is the way they go about their visits to places that are usually off limits. They’re respectful of the spaces and the history that happened there (good or bad). They never vandalise or break things, they simply explore and capture it all to share with the world.
The couple seem well matched, neither more of a risk taker than the other, both ambitiously seeking that perfect shot, but both sensible enough to assess what rusted stairwells are death traps and need to be avoided.
A warning up front, its freakishly addictive and like a good Netflix series, it’s hard to stop at just 1 episode.
Here are some of my favourite episodes.
