THE BRIEF

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When Minnow Films commissioned a documentary series about the SAS selection process, they were determined to use “fixed-rig technology for minimal interference and maximum authenticity” for all of the observational stages of the program. The Complete Camera Company were chosen by Minnow to achieve the most authentic representation of this process as possible. The MoD have made it clear that they will never allow cameras into their selection process, so a team of ex-Special Forces soldiers were drafted in to recreate the process they went through to achieve selection. Using this criteria, they tested 30 civilian men, and The CCC were responsible for capturing every drop of blood, sweat and tears.

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THE CHALLENGES

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The first series of SAS: Who Dares Wins was filmed in a remote location on the coast of South-West Wales, specifically chosen for its isolated nature and surrounding terrain. The location was a disused ammunition store that had been active as recently as the Falklands war. Since then all of the buildings had been kept in good working order by the on-site maintenance team, but as far as The CCC and Minnow were concerned it was a blank canvas for the teams to create the spaces they needed for the show.

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Our experienced crew rigged the location using a fixed-rig of PTZ cameras and a purpose-built production gallery. Filming took place across the varied interior rooms; the Recruits Dorm, Recruits Mess, DS Dorm, Prayer Room, Mirror Room and 2 extra interrogation spaces. There was also a ‘Beasting’ area that needed camera coverage. There were cameras positioned outside the dorms to capture the movements of the recruits. This area had limited daylight but at night it was brought to life with Infra-Red lamps. Another camera was heavily camouflaged, hidden in the treeline to cover the continuing observation post. All cameras had the outdoor housings on that enable filming in all weather conditions. Usually, cameras and cabling would be rigged to an already fixed structure that could be planned around, but to make the existing buildings work for the program, everything inside them had to be built from scratch, so each set was hand-crafted by the CCC and the set builders, working in parallel. It was a huge area of coverage, and a difficult job.

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Radiomics were used to track all of the recruits and the staff simultaneously. Although the numbers were reduced over the filming period as recruits removed themselves from the course, at that outset it was the most radiomics The Complete Camera Company had known to be used in a fixed-rig documentary.

Following and recording the best footage was a challenging task, but one that was achieved brilliantly by the skilled team we put together for the project.

 

THE RESULTS

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The result was a detailed look at one of the most gruelling, painful and secretive processes in existence, known as the toughest military entry test in the world. Through sleep deprivation, brutal interrogation and relentless circuits, SAS: Who Dares Wins uncovered the truth about what is really required – and to the surprise of the audience, physical fitness came secondary to psychological resilience.

Audiences relished the opportunity to watch the punishing trials, see candidates reach their breaking point, and celebrate some surprise successes in equal measure.

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FACTS & FIGURES

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Filmed: May/June 2015
Aired: Autumn 2015
Channel: Channel 4
Location: West Wales
Viewers: 2.51 Million
Cameras: 32

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CRITICAL ACCLAIM

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"The best show on television."

- The Sun

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"A thoroughly addictive series."

- Daily Mail

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"Today’s young men pride themselves on their fitness. It was eye-opening to see how little this counted for…"

– The Telegraph

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"The watermark for challenging reality shows has reached a new high."

– The Guardian

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"The tone of (this) series is 'tough', from the background music to the narrator and contestants…

who discover they aren't as tough as they think."

– The Week