What people ask us before they book a shoot

Most of the questions we get come from producers and researchers who are planning a documentary and need a reliable field crew on the ground, so we have gathered the ones that come up again and again on this page. If you read through and still cannot find what you need, ring us or send an email and we will answer it properly rather than point you at a form.

We work as a documentary field production service, which means we cover the practical side of shooting away from a studio: camera and sound crew, lighting that suits real locations, and the logistics that keep a day on schedule when the subject is a real person going about their life. We are just as happy joining an established team for a few days as we are carrying a whole shoot from the first recce to the last card backup.

Every job starts with a conversation about what you are trying to capture and what the finished film needs to say, because that shapes everything from the kit list to how long we allow for each setup. From there you get a clear plan, a named crew, and a realistic idea of what a shooting day will look like on the ground, with no surprises added later.

We are based in the UK and travel for work, so shoots elsewhere in the country or abroad are normal for us, though the further we go the earlier we like to talk through timing, permits and travel. Small crews of one or two are common, and we scale up when a scene needs more hands, more cameras or a longer day.

Everything we shoot is handled with care: cards are backed up and verified before we leave a location, rushes are labelled so your editor knows what they are looking at, and we keep talking to you through the shoot rather than going quiet until the wrap. If a plan needs to change on the day, you hear about it from us first.