Filming EU Legends Tour 2022 preparations at JCB Golf & Country Club
Ahead of the 2022 EU Legends Tour, JCB Golf & Country Club in Rocester contacted us about our FPV drone services. They asked us to film their mightily impressive course, the staff who keep it looking its best, and the JCB machines they use. So, early in July 2022, we set off up north!
On the Monday of the week-long project, we dropped off our gear at a charming Airbnb we found in the lovely nearby village of Hilderstone, then wasted no time in heading to JCB’s 240-acre site to conduct a recce of the rolling countryside where we’d be flying and shooting.
On the Tuesday, we left our Airbnb at 4am — early risers get some of the best shots! — and drove to the golf course to film it in all its golden-hour grandeur. The crisp morning air gusting in our faces as we gallivanted about the site in golf carts certainly woke us up!
A second sunrise start awaited us on Wednesday. We shot a few more sweeping aerial views of the country club facilities and then, when the groundskeeping team sprang into action, we switched our focus to capturing their clockwork-like work, and the JCB machinery they use to keep the site looking sharp.
Some of our favourite shots include the JCB vehicles’ headlights beaming in the dawn gloom, staff trimming the fairways and raking the bunkers, and little glimpses of JCB branding on putting green flags. Much of the machinery was operating on land, but some ventured onto the water on purpose-built rafts!
I mentioned that our contacts at JCB Golf & Country Club had hired us for our FPV talents, so, naturally, they didn’t let us finish up without a challenge! They dared us to fly beneath a bridge as one of their trucks trundled across it. We nailed the shot, of course — that’s the Solent Sky Services way!
We also shot some interior FPV sequences, flying around inside the impressive JCB museum, which showcases some historic machinery and guides you through the legacy of the world-renowned construction equipment company.
The day after the shoot wrapped, I cut together an edit, and our client loved it. No changes requested — that’s what I call a hole in one!
Watch the main video — masterful under-the-bridge shot included! — in the Instagram player further up the page, and see a few extra edits and some behind-the-scenes snaps of our team below.
“JCB and The JCB Golf and Country Club enlisted the experience and expertise of Solent Sky Services to bring a new genre of video to our audiences, with the skill of Solent Sky Services to plan, shoot and edit all within an extremely tight deadline, the team wasted no time in getting stuck in and exploring the 240 acre golf course, all from 4am in the morning! The whole team go above and beyond to deliver exceptional flight skills, customer service and jaw dropping content. It is clear Solent Sky Services are passionate and the industry leader with what they do, and we wouldn’t have had the success we did, without their expertise. We look forward to working on more exciting projects with the team in the future.”
