Television

We have provided support for numerous television programmes, including high-profile drama, factual, documentary, wildlife and entertainment productions.

The projects outlined below indicate some of the services that we offer.

Keo Films for BBC2 Blizzard: Race to the Pole

Poles Apart handled the complicated field safety required to safeguard nearly 20 people each spending 100 days on the Greenland icecap filming this recreation of the Scott and Amundsen journeys to the South Pole. Like so many of our projects in Greenland, we worked hand-in-hand with local guides, hunters and sledge-builders in the Tasiilaq area, most of whom we have worked with for several years.

We were responsible for:

 Designing a route of 1500 miles which stretched from the coastal mountains and glaciers up onto the icecap.
 Aerial reconnaissance of crevassed and high risk areas.
 Advice and selection of dog teams.
 Development and implementation of communications and emergency response plans.
 Conducting the permitting required by the Danish authorities.
 Organising the field support equipment for the film crews.
 Arranging the field training programme in Tasiilaq.
 Guiding of film crews accompanying the recreation teams.
 Design of resupply strategy.
 Communication with field teams.

Firstsight Films for Channel 4/A&E Shackleton

This production is one of the biggest dramatic film shoots that has ever been conducted on sea-ice.

Right from the initial stages, Poles Apart worked closely with the Director and Producer of this Emmy Award-winning drama, advising on locations, safety and logistics. The preparations for this ground-breaking production were extensive - we conducted reconnaissance visits to Greenland and Iceland over the course of four seasons prior to the shoot.

Building on our unique experience conducting recreation scenes with small wooden boats in pack-ice, Poles Apart were responsible for:

 Location advice and suitability
 Advising the selection and chartering of the ships and helicopter used on the shoot
 Conducting the permitting required by the Danish authorities
 Outfitting the 95-strong crew and organising the field support equipment
 Arranging the crew's marine survival training
 Design and installation of safety flotation systems in wooden boats used for recreation scenes
 Liaison with the local communities in Angmagssalik and Kulusuk, East Greenland
 Supply of field safety guides
 Coordinating field safety to the film crew and actors whilst filming offshore in small boats, on sea ice and in the mountains of East Greenland
 Provision of all medical back-up

Granada Television Where The Heart Is

A new type of project for us as it took place at home in the UK! POLES APART were specifically requested by Granada to organise and supervise a rock-climbing scene with actors to be filmed in the English Peak District for this popular television drama.

Our teams were responsible for:

 Advising on location choice;
 Training the actors in rock-climbing and abseiling;
 Organising the rigging system which allowed the actors and camera teams to work on ropes in a vertical environment;
 Doubling for the actors in specific scenes;
 Providing location medical services and emergency back-up.

October Films for Channel 4 The Coldest March

This particular project was typical of the work that Poles Apart conducts with small, specialist documentary teams working in remote areas.

Poles Apart advised on mountain safety, logistics and historical reconstruction scenes during the planning and reconnaissance stages. During the shoot, we worked in conjunction with local Norwegian guides, and recommended the choice of locations for the filming schedule. We were responsible for all mountain safety aspects including navigation, technical camera rigging and liaison with local rescue teams.

BBC Blue Planet and Life in the Freezer

POLES APART has a long association with the BBC Natural History Unit and other TV documentary producers. For the award-winning Blue Planet we provided field and diving support to camera teams on the Antarctic Peninsula filming leopard seal predation and whales, and filming breeding turtles on Ascension Island.

We were integral in the planning and filming of all stages of Life in the Freezer, providing field support on land and underwater in Antarctica.

We are registered UK HSE diving contractors and all our diving support meets UK standards. We use divers experienced with both factual and natural history film teams in waters ranging from tropical to polar.