The Challenge
To capture footage of ‘Bob’s last patrol’ so Network Rail could give one of their cherished staff members a proper send off after 36 years of service. As well as forming its own stand alone video, this footage would also become part of a larger maintenance video for the Wales and Western roadshow.
Aims of the shoot:
- Gather statements from Bob’s colleagues about his character
- Capture Bob’s last walk over the Britannia Bridge with audio
- Record b-roll of the bridge
- Show Bob’s final goodbye to all his colleagues
The Approach
This was a lot to fit into a single filming shift, so it would be a fast paced, tightly packed day. To keep up with the speed of the day the Cannon R5 mirrorless camera in a gimbal configuration. This would improve mobility making it easy to follow the action. Interviews took place across the morning of the shift. A number a Bob’s colleagues gave a few words on what a pleasure it was to work with him.
Bob then walked the length of the Britannia Bridge for the last time, giving his final thoughts about his time on the network. Our operative used the ‘Rode Wireless Go’ microphones for recording Bob’s final thoughts as they’re great for capturing audio on the go. A drone flight was planned to show the scale of the Britannia Bridge however, the poor weather on the day meant it had to be postponed. The b-roll of the bridge gathered on the ground by our operative was more than good enough.
All of Bob’s colleagues were waiting when he came back from the bridge patrol to see him off. Furthermore, our operative was on standby to capture this emotional moment as Bob drove away from his last ever day.
The Result
The clear aims of the shoot combined with strong organisation from ourselves and Network Rail meant we were able to easily capture all the desired footage. Having clear aims also simplified the editing process as we knew exactly what to include in the end video. Network rail were very pleased with the first edit. They only requested minor tweaks to the pacing of the video. The final film was showcased at Network Rail’s Wales and Western roadshow in March 2024.
“Stee was incredible he really knew how to encapsulate the moment. Nothing was too much trouble and he had some great ideas of how to capture natural moments. The video exceeded all expectations and completely blew me and everyone else who watched it away.”
Ian Harris – IMDM – Network Rail – Wales & Western – Shrewsbury DU