Falklands 25th Anniversary Coverage
Innovation in a Tractor Shed…

June 2007: BBC Outside Broadcasts is building a fly-away production gallery in a tractor shed at San Carlos on the Falkland Islands this month, to capture and link live pictures and sound for a Remembrance Service on 17 June, to mark the 25th anniversary of the conflict. Live coverage from the San Carlos service will be sent via satellite and fed into live coverage of the service taking place at the Horse Guards in London’s Whitehall.

Five cameras will cover the service on the island, which is being attended by veterans, currently serving soldiers and a member of the royal family. It will feature speeches, a military band and a choir. Some hymns will be shown in parallel with London and the production team will cut from pictures of San Carlos to footage from the Horse Guards.

“There is a huge challenge with delay, which we need to contend with,” says Camera Supervisor Alan Jessop. “We’re working with the production team to find a creative solution for this.”

Eight technical staff from BBC Outside Broadcasts and four members of the BBC Events production team are flying out to support the coverage. With the help of local islanders, the crew will transport two and half tons of equipment from Mount Pleasant airport to the outside broadcast location. BBC Outside Broadcasts then has a day and a half to build a production gallery with a vision mixer, VT and sound, from scratch. The service will be mixed in stereo.

Alan Jessop says: “A key challenge will be the weather, as it is taking place in the middle of the Falkland’s winter – we may have to battle against a wind chill factor of minus 13 degrees! The equipment had to be kept as light and low powered as possible, to keep freight costs down and deal with the limited electricity supply available. We’ve managed to source a generator from the Ministry of Defence.”

It is the beginning of a busy season for BBC Outside Broadcasts, who will also be covering three major international broadcast events this month - Wimbledon, Glastonbury and the Golf Open.

Coverage of the Falklands Anniversary service will go out on BBC TWO on 17 June 2007.

Production Credits

Glen Barton, Director/Producer
Simon King Vision Mixer
Warren McWilliams Assistant Producer
Alan Jessop Camera Supervisor
Martin Mansell Cameraman
Andy Parr Cameraman
Martin Harrison VT
Giles Hiscock Vision Supervisor
Tim Davies Sound Supervisor
Chris Guerin Deputy Sound Supervisor,
Nick Fuller Comms Supervisor

About BBC Outside Broadcasts

With a fleet of over 90 SD and HD vehicles, BBC Outside Broadcasts, a division of BBC Resources Ltd, caters for small and large scale productions across all genres, covering everything from international sporting events like the World Cup to major festivals like Glastonbury. Location crews are multi-talented. OBs have unrivalled experience in bringing sound and pictures home from across the world, using the latest technology, often in bespoke and innovative ways. The Special Cameras team excel in the capture of digital video content from extreme situations, frequently designing the technical solution from the ground up. Key clients include BBC Sport and independents such as North One, TWI and Sunset & Vine.

Further information can be found at: www.bbcresources.com/ob

For further information, please contact:
Georgie Hollett , PR and Communications Manager, BBC Resources
Tel: +44 (0)20 8576 2250
Mobile : +44 (0) 783484 5612
Email : georgie.hollett@bbc.co.uk