Case Study: Ed Stafford ‘First Man Out’ – Extreme Survival Shoot in the Himalayas
- Project: Ed Stafford: First Man Out
- Format: Survival Show
- Client: Beach House Pictures / Discovery Channel
- Credit: Line Producer (India)
- Locations: Himalayas, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
The Challenge: A 4K Logistical Marathon at High Altitude
For the season one finale of Discovery Channel's First Man Out, the brief was ambitious: the first survival show in the genre to be shot entirely in 4K.
This wasn't just a creative challenge; it was a logistical heavyweight. The production team from Beach House Pictures (Singapore) arrived with over 600kgs of specialized 4K camera equipment that needed to be transported to the remote Dhauladhar Range of the Himalayas.
The shoot involved two separate units operating in extreme, high-altitude environments with a massive support team of over 80 production and expedition staff. The schedule was volatile, with plans "shifting for a thousand reasons" due to the hostile environment and the unscripted nature of the survival format.
The Solution: "India Made Easy" with UK-Managed Logistics
To pull this off without "drama," we implemented a rigorous, military-style logistical plan.
Operating through our sister company, Himalaya Film Services, our UK-managed team set up a fully operational unit base in a Forest Rest House, complete with generator power and a DIT station to handle the massive data load of 4K footage.
We didn't just "fix" the shoot; we managed the volatility. When the schedule shifted by the hour, our team adapted instantly, coordinating the movement of 80+ staff and heavy equipment across difficult terrain to ensure the cameras never stopped rolling. We turned a potential logistical nightmare into a controlled, efficient operation.
What Our Client Said
“From permissions to logistics, India is not a simple place to shoot and they make it a painless process. They also did a great job moving their schedule to fit in with plans that kept shifting for a thousand reasons – working round the clock to ensure all was delivered on time and up to a very demanding specification.”
— Rob Sixsmith, Series Producer | Beach House Pictures | Discovery
