What a season. Five shows, around 10,000 spectators at each, more than 2km of cabling, 15 cameras, two robotic cameras, a 25m² screen, a four-person crew and a musical director. The Battle Proms is an incredible production — and this year was our first time delivering it.
Every event brings its own technical challenges, and Battle Proms was no exception. The scale alone meant long cable runs, remote camera positions and, in one case, a lake directly in our path.
Overcoming Technical Challenges (Including a Lake)
At Ragley Hall, we needed to get two fixed cameras positioned across the water to capture the spectacular field of 200 cannons. The solution? Running 1.5km of fibre through the lake to connect both sides. Fortunately, we had a boat on hand — nobody was volunteering for a swim. (Note to self: hire a braver crew.)
Capturing the Orchestra Up Close
The orchestra brought a completely different challenge. We wanted audiences to see and feel the performance from a new perspective — close, intimate, and inside the music.
By placing HD mini-cams among the music stands, we created a viewpoint that isn’t possible from the audience area, and it also meant fewer operators on stage. But great visuals rely on more than camera placement. That’s why our musical director, Cayenna, reads the score in real time, guiding our vision director to capture the right musician at the right moment. The result is a seamless production where the visuals hit the musical cues perfectly — not reactively, but intentionally.
Maximising Efficiency With a Minimal Crew
As a Social Enterprise committed to reducing our environmental impact, we always work with the leanest crew possible. For Battle Proms, that meant two extremely busy camera operators, each responsible for multiple positions over the seven-hour shows.
Pre-deployed cable runs allowed the operators to move quickly between locations as the event unfolded, ensuring we always captured the strongest angles without compromising safety, quality or storytelling.
The Dramatic Finale
And of course — the evening gun salute. The First World War 18-pounder cannon catches even the most seasoned cameraman off-guard every time. John and his gun crew were brilliant throughout the season, helping us plan safe shot positions while still pushing for new, dynamic angles.
It’s been a fantastic first season working with the Battle Proms team, and we’re already looking forward to the next.
