Film crew hire / Case studiesCrew hire case study
Davies Group
Four shoot days in three cities for DTV, Davies Group’s internal talk show, booked at short notice.
Vox pops at the leadership conference, Manchester, 17 October 2024.
Davies Group filled in our crew hire form on 24 September 2024 with the title “Urgent 3 day UK filming required ASAP!”. Twenty-two days later we were shooting in Manchester. By 7 November we had covered four days in three cities, all matched to footage a US crew had already shot in Chicago.
01The brief
Match Chicago, in three cities.
The spec came from Davies’ post-production house: log, 4K, 25 frames for interviews, 50 for B-roll, 16:9. The look came from Chicago.
A US crew had shot the Chicago leg the week before Manchester, and its footage came to us as the reference. DTV needed sit-down interviews with senior leaders, vox pops with staff, pieces to camera for the trailer, and B-roll of each office.
Manchester grew from one day to two a week after the enquiry, and its crew was locked one to two days out.
02The shoots
Four days, three cities.
- Day 1 · Manchester · 16 October 2024Kimpton Clocktower, Oxford StreetCity B-roll on a gimbal and walking pieces to camera for the trailer, then three sit-down interviews on three cameras at three, four and five.
- Day 2 · Manchester · 17 October 2024The leadership conferenceVox pops on one camera with a handheld mic and flag, caught at breakfast, at networking and in the breaks.
- Day 3 · London · 5 November 2024Davies’ office on Gracechurch StreetSet up from nine, office B-roll at ten, six sit-down interviews from eleven to quarter past three, then vox pops until a quarter to five.
- Day 4 · Bolton · 7 November 2024Davies’ office at Parklands, LostockThe lightest day, with the same two-person team as Manchester. The rushes went straight into Davies’ SharePoint.
03The kit
Matched for the edit.
- ManchesterTwo camera operators. A Canon R6 Mark II on the gimbal and as the wide, two Blackmagic Pocket cameras on the side angles, wireless lavs, and an interview mic with a flag.
- LondonA DOP and a second camera on two Blackmagic 6Ks, chosen to match Manchester and Bolton for the edit, with panel lights, fill, sound kit, tripods and a boom.
- BoltonThe Manchester team again.
- DeliveryRushes only. Manchester on SSDs with a Frame.io backup, Bolton straight into SharePoint. Davies’ post-production house cut the show.
04Who did what
Our crews, their show.
Here Now Films
We ran the crews.
- Two-person camera teams in each city
- Kit to the post house’s spec, matched across all four days
- Interviews, vox pops, pieces to camera and B-roll
- Rushes by SSD, Frame.io and SharePoint
Davies Group
They made the show.
- DTV: the format, the questions and the people on camera
- The spec, from their post-production house
- The Chicago leg, with a US crew
- The edit
“Their ability to quickly assemble professional and talented crews was impressive, and their dedication to meeting our deadlines was commendable.”Mopani Mkandawire, Campaign Marketing & Internal Communications Manager, Davies Group, in a Google review
Crew hire
Want to book something like this?
Tell us what you’re shooting, where and when, in the UK or abroad. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours.
- 10% + 2% on everything we book
- Crew paid their full day rate
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
How our rates work · Or call 07412 543822
In numbers
- 4shoot days, 16 October to 7 November 2024
- 3cities: Manchester, London and Bolton
- 6sit-down interviews in one London day
- 22days from enquiry to the first shoot
Questions
Crewing a corporate series in several cities
Can you crew the same series in several UK cities?
Yes. For Davies Group’s DTV we crewed four days in Manchester, London and Bolton, with the same two-person team in Manchester and Bolton and the London cameras chosen to match them for the edit.
Can you match footage another crew has already shot?
Yes. A US crew shot DTV’s Chicago leg first, and its footage came to us as the reference, with the post house’s spec: log, 4K, 25 frames for interviews and 50 for B-roll.
Do you hand over the rushes, or edit?
Either. On DTV we handed over rushes on SSD, Frame.io and SharePoint, and Davies’ post-production house cut the show. If you’d rather we cut it, our post-production team can.
How short is short notice?
Davies’ enquiry came 22 days before the first shoot, and the Manchester crew was locked one to two days out. Most Manchester bookings are confirmed within 48 hours.
Book a crew like this.
One city or several, one day or a series. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
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