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We sent our Amsterdam based support crew to Delft to assist our clients own UK based camera crew for a shoot at DHL. Our clients not only saved on transportation and hotel costs but got local knowledge and a free translation service from our guys there.

Last week we sent our videographer to Hockenheim to film the Lance Stroll Story for ESPN Canada. We used our Sony FS7 shooting a lot of slomo action!

David Hockney at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2016 talking about his iPad drawings.

Our Amsterdam Camera Crew on their way to Delft University to shoot Sony FS7 footage for Discovery Canada.

(photo source: Senz by Eelke)

We sent one of our Cologne based crews to shoot an interesting event in Essen for Sunset and Vine Asia, who are producing a series called Cricket For Social Change.The influx of asylum seekers into Germany, especially from cricket-mad Pakistan and Afghanistan, has created an unexpected boom for the sport in a country where football has long been king.
Of the 476,649 people who applied for asylum in Germany last year, 31,902 came from Afghanistan alone, with a further 8,472 from Pakistan, which has seen the German Cricket Federation (DCB) bombarded with a simple question: “Where can I play?”

We shot Prores on the ever so popular sony FS7.

We’re at the Ultra Broadband Forum 2016 in Frankfurt shooting continuously 4K prores HQ with three FS7 cameras – it’s a DIT’s nightmare! The cameramen aren’t too happy with the tricky Shogun recorders but that’s showbiz, I guess. The client, Huawei, has pulled out all the stops with an incredibly huge 8K projection area!

Watch out Camera Crews all over taking flights! Airport security now only allows two lithium-ion camera batteries with a maximum wattage of 160W per battery as hand luggage. No batteries at all allowed in check-in luggage.

Since April 2016, lithium-ion batteries banned as cargo on passenger planes. Spare (uninstalled) lithium ion and lithium metal batteries must be carried in carry-on baggage only. According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) there is a limit of two spare batteries per person for the larger lithium ion batteries described above (101-160 watt hours per battery).
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has warned airlines that fires from lithium batteries have the potential to take down airliners because they are so difficult for on-board fire extinguishers to put out.

This presents a big problem for all crews travelling around, however, CCG is on call night and day with a huge supply of batteries for your next shoot 🙂

Sources: CNN and FAA

One of our regular clients from the USA requested we shoot “creative” footage of a football testing machine in Stockholm – strange but true! 🙂
We sent one of our Stockholm crews there to shoot this on the ever so popular Sony FS7. A lot of moody lighting here as you can see.

We sent our Innsbruck based cameraman and sound recordist to a tunnel in Pfunds to shoot for the BBC show Absolute Genius. We were second unit to the core BBC crew from the UK who were filming all things “Epic Bridges, Deep Underground”.

(photo credit: Andreas Praefcke)

Layout shots for one of our musician clients!

Our Amsterdam crew messing about in the river! Last weekend they shot the annual Prutmarathon (mud race) in northern Holland.

We got caught up in the #BREXIT media frenzy last week and had one of our Berlin based sound recordists travelling round the country with Fox News who spent 8 days broadcasting live all things David Cameron and Boris Johnson from the German perspective.

(photo: Mr. Bean by Nathan Wong)

Our multilingual crews have the added value of local knowledge. When a producer from the UK or USA comes to Germany to shoot b-roll or GVs he is more than happy when our boys show the best spots to shoot. It saves time and eases the strain when schedules are tight. We also know where to grab a decent beer when the shoot wraps 🙂

The Rheingau Music Festival got off to a rousing start on the 19th June with “Mnozil Brass” playing to a full house at the elegant and stylish Kurhaus in Wiesbaden.

The Viennese brass septet’s new programme is called “yes, yes, yes” and from the word go they swept the audience off their feet with a mix of slapstick, wild humor and excellent choreography. This very skillful and entertaining brass ensemble charmed the audience with an eclectic repertoire consisting of pop, opera, film and jazz melodies.

Amongst the highlights were Thomas Gansch’s tongue in cheek running commentary in Spanish, the musicians endearing songs reminiscent of the Comedian Harmonists and not to forget the hilarious Stanley Kubrik 2001 parody as the musicians imitated the prancing apes proclaiming the dawn of mankind.

The grande finale was delivered by the trombonist Leonhard Paul with a mind boggling circus like act as he played 4 separate instruments at the same time using not only his hands but his bare feet. This pièce de résistance brought the house down and rounded off a highly amusing evening of farcical Viennese humour.

(photo source: MNOZILBRASS.AT)

We have an ongoing involvement with all things DHL corporate shooting and it certainly keeps us on our toes! Our UK based clients regularly request our Cologne based camera crews to shoot with them at the DHL HQ in Bonn and the camera of choice these days comes as no surprise… It’s the Sony FS7.

The one and only Michel Klöfkorn on the road again:))

We’ve got a couple of camera crews out today in Berlin for a UK broadcaster shooting yet another WW2 story and this time its about Hitler’s love mate, Eva Braun.
We’re using two Sony FS7 kits for interviews and b-roll.

Photo: Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F051673-0059 / CC-BY-SA

Our Hamburg-based clients requested we cover another conference for them about digitising libraries. We sent our Geneva-based camera crew incl. videographer and soundman to shoot this on XDCam HD.

photo: Grindelwald Alphorn Festival, Switzerland by Cristo Vlahos

2 days of corporate interviews shooting with our videographers and 2 Amiras and we supplied the English speaking support crew consisting of a local sound recordist and camera assistant.

2015 was definitely a year to shout about with more than enough shoots not only in Germany but neighbouring countries too! We had a record number of new clients from all over the world which we are very grateful for, but it’s our valued long standing clients that really keep us going with their continued loyalty and trust in our services.
Our capital though relies heavily on our talented and devoted crews who are amongst the best you can find. My hearty thanks to all of you and roll on 2016!!!

We’re out and about again downtown Munich. This time it’s the full Monty… 2 FS7 crews, 2 cranky pix240s, loads of lights and grip, green screens, DIT, etc… It makes you wonder sometimes to what lengths some clients go to capture corporate testimonials…mind-boggling really but great for us! :))

We often have requests for support crews and equipment from overseas clients who bring their own creative talent. this time we supplied  a key gaffer, sparks, runners and extensive lighting kit for a multi camera shoot at the german Automobile giant Opel in Russelsheim near Frankfurt

photo: Opel brothers