Aboard the Britannia Beaver
Capturing 24 hours at sea with Brett Group
"Sara and the team at Solent Sky Services delivered an excellent service for us aboard the Britannia Beaver ahead of our internal roadshows. Working to a tight and changeable turnaround, dependent on the ship’s schedule, they were professional, organised and adaptable throughout. The team spent 24 hours on board capturing high-quality drone footage of the vessel sailing, along with additional interviews with crew members that have given us valuable content we can continue to use across our website and communications. The finished content was exactly what we needed for our annual event and played an important role in helping us communicate key messages for employees. Sarah and the team were easy to work with from start to finish, and their experience and attention to detail really showed in the final result. We would definitely work with them again."
Sam Alexander
Brand and Communications Manager — Brett Group
We boarded the Britannia Beaver at Newhaven Port and spent the next 24 hours embedded with the crew, capturing the vessel from every angle the brief demanded.
The route took us out past the offshore wind farms and into open water, where we anchored overnight just off the Isle of Wight. From the air, we filmed the vessel underway, in port, and at sea — capturing both daytime and night-time content to give Brett Group a versatile library of footage for different campaign needs.
One of the standout moments came watching the ship visibly lower in the water as it filled with dredge material — a powerful visual that tells the story of the vessel's work better than any voiceover could.
Alongside the aerial work, we also filmed a series of interviews with crew members, adding a human dimension to the footage and giving Brett Group content they can reuse across their website, social channels, and internal communications.
Pre-Production
Detailed planning underpinned every stage of the project. Working in partnership with Brett Group and the Britannia Beaver's operations team, we agreed on a clear shot list, defined the key messages to be reflected in the final content, and built a production schedule designed to accommodate the vessel's operational pattern.
Preparation included securing the necessary CAA permissions for drone operations over and around the vessel, along with port authority clearance and operational approvals to film within Newhaven Port and the surrounding controlled waters. Detailed risk assessments were completed for marine and night-time flight, and weather and tidal forecasts along the planned route were reviewed in advance. Safe take-off and landing procedures were agreed with the crew to ensure full compliance with maritime regulations and smooth integration with the ship's daily operations.
Production
Our team boarded the Britannia Beaver at Newhaven Port and remained on board for 24 hours of continuous production. Filming covered the full operational cycle of the vessel: sailing past the offshore wind farms, active dredging operations, at anchor off the Isle of Wight, and returning to port.
Aerial footage was captured during both daytime and night-time conditions to provide Brett Group with a versatile library suited to a range of campaign formats. In parallel, our team conducted on-board interviews with members of the crew, adding authentic perspective and human storytelling to the visual content.
Post-Production
Following the shoot, all footage was securely backed up, logged, and reviewed. Aerial sequences were colour-graded to enhance the scale and atmosphere of the vessel and its environment, and interview footage was edited for pace, clarity, and message alignment.
The final content was delivered as a structured package: a headline edit for Brett Group's internal roadshow, alongside additional cuts and individual assets formatted for ongoing use across their website, social channels, and wider communications.
Equipment Used
Filming Locations
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