Filming Five Cruise Ships at 1,000ft: The ABP Cruise Showcase Update Video

By 2024, ABP's cruise showcase needed refreshing with new, current footage reflecting the scale and activity of the Port of Southampton. We were commissioned to capture that update - a focused, two-day shoot designed to gather standout new material and a deep library of stock footage in one go. We were also tasked with post production.

This was one of our most ambitious shoots at the port, drawing on the full range of our capabilities. Across the two days we captured:

• Five cruise ships in the port and leaving the port - Iona, MSC Virtuosa, Nautica, Sky Princess and a fifth vessel
• Drone visuals filmed from a pilot boat out on the water, for perspectives impossible from land or air alone
• Aerial footage from 1,000ft in the sky, with one of our pilots operating under enhanced permissions for higher-altitude flight
• A raft of stock footage for ABP's wider use

The 1,000ft aerial work is a real differentiator. Flying at that altitude isn't something every drone operator can legally do - it requires enhanced permissions and the experience to use them safely. From that height we captured sweeping, high-perspective shots of the ships and the port that simply aren't available to standard operators, giving the updated showcase a genuine sense of scale.

Combined with the waterline perspectives from the pilot boat, the shoot delivered footage with real range and depth - from down on the water to 1,000ft above it. The stock footage library extended the value further, covering:

• The five cruise ships - Iona, MSC Virtuosa, Nautica and Sky Princess among them
• Container vessels
• Pilot launch and the pilot boat in operation
• Quayside operations
• VTS (Vessel Traffic Services)

The result was a comprehensive update to ABP's cruise showcase, backed by a versatile stock library the team can draw on well beyond the showcase film itself - all captured within a live, secured and operational port.