Skip to content

This SKY/HBO 6×60 series and 1×720 immersive livestream (The Third Day: Autumn) featured locations across the east of England. The schedule included two substantial blocks of filming on Osea Island (limited access by tidal causeway – or by boat!), as well as various estuaries and beaches across Kent and Essex.

Onboard from early prep, Focus Marine was engaged as a Marine Department sub-contractor to provide a range of support services including:

  • Tidal surveys and location feasibility reports
  • Technical recces and marine consultation
  • Marine transport facilitation for 200+ cast/crew on island
  • Helicopter operations (MEDEVAC) coordination
  • Hero boat research, procurement, and transportation coordination and management
  • Personnel for marine filming operations including:
    • Camera boat operations
    • Safety boat operations
    • Support craft operations
    • Lighting barge operations
    • In-water support
    • Wading and shoreline rescue cover
    • Marine supervision  (main unit) and coordination (2nd and splinter units)
  • RAMS and passage planning for mid-water hero boat sequences
  • Talent action boat training (with RYA accredited personnel)
  • Marine pyrotechnics procurement and risk management
  • HM Coastguard liaison services for filming operations
We were pleased to collaborate on this production with: Marine Department – principal contractor/coordinator;  Heritage Marine – marine engineering, fabrication, steel pontoon installation and support craft charter; Quest Marine  – passenger and camera vessel charter; Ocean Films – camera vessel charter; Pontoon Provider – modular floating pontoon; Estuary RIB Tours – crew transport charter; Sophie Lea Fishing Charters – support craft charter; H2O Safety – ILC charter
Back
Arrange a call
Email us

Request a callback

Water Safety

Whether you’re shooting on a canal towpath, river embankment, or on the shoreline at a pond, lake, or beach – we can advise, implement, and monitor safety measures to ensure your working environment remains safe and controlled.

If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch: 

Arrange a callback
Email

Filming On WATER

If you’re looking to shoot on/from the water, we can facilitate getting your camera department afloat, coordinate water action and reset between takes in order to get the shots you need.

From static camera positions to tracking vessels, crane platforms, lighting barges and SFX setups – we can tailor a support package to fit your requirements.

Arrange a callback
Email

IN-WATER SUPPORT

If you’re looking to put cast or camera in the water, we have the capabilities to provide artist training, in-water support, and safety cover you’ll need to keep things running smoothly and safely on the day.
Amongst our team we have experienced operators and instructors with accreditations/affiliations with the following bodies:

If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch: 

Arrange a callback
Email

planning / concepts

From testing concepts and ideas, to planning and consultancy throughout the production schedule, we can offer a range of services to guide marine filming projects from start to finish. 

Our planning and consultancy services include: 

  • Risk assessments and Method Statements
  • Location feasibility studies and tidal access reports
  • Advising on technical accuracy of scripted action
  • Arranging artist training 
  • Finding doubles / supporting artists with special skills
  • Sourcing hero/picture boats 

If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch: 

Arrange a callback
Email

Licences & Permits

If you’re looking to film on managed waterways in the UK, you will need to ensure that the correct licences and permits are in place. We’ve included some preliminary information below about some of the most common licencing authorities and their requirements:

The Port of London Authority manages all commercial activity on the tidal Thames (from Southend to Teddington).

A filming licence is required for all commercial photography and filming, which is granted subject to the approval of the harbourmaster upon receipt of detailed navigational risk assessments and safety plans.

As one of Europe’s busiest ports, it comes as no surprise that there are a number of stringent requirements that commercial operations (including media/filming) on the tidal Thames must adhere to, and vessels operating commercially within central London require qualified skippers with Local Knowledge Endorsements due to the density of navigational hazards and boat traffic within this busy tidal port. 

For the use of picture boats (where these are not already licensed to operate commercially within the Port), there are additional vessel survey and licensing requirements, to ensure craft are fit for purpose and safe for use within the Port.

We have a proven track record of working closely with the PLA Corporate Affairs, Harbourmasters and Marine Services teams to safely facilitate the filming of boat-to-boat, boat-to-shore, action and stunts sequences within the Port.

https://www.pla.co.uk/Media-Centre/Filming-and-Promotions-on-the-Thames 

For filming activities on rivers owned/managed by the Environment Agency (EA), risk assessments, method statements and safety plans must be submitted in advance of an application for a filming licence. Any boats or craft used on EA waterways also require a vessel licence – this can be usually be achieved within 10 working days.

During/after periods of heavy rain, additional safety measures may be required to ensure that filming operations can proceed safely. In extreme circumstances, boat operations may have to be constrained/suspended where river flow rates exceed safe parameters for the proposed scope of operations.

Some sections of the river embankments and footpaths are owned by the EA. For filming activities where access is required to/from these areas, a separate locations agreement may be required.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about/media-enquiries

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) manage over 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales.

For filming locations within their managed waterways, risk assessments and works permits may be required, depending on the nature of the production requirements.

Access and egress can also pose a logistical challenge, and in some locations it may be necessary to utilise the waterways in order to transit large/heavy equipment or props by boat.

We have worked with CRT on several productions to provide coordination, safety, and specialist logistics solutions to facilitate safe and efficient filming operations in locations with restricted landside access.

For any activities involving swimming/immersion in stagnant or slow-moving water, we recommend that the water quality is sampled and tested in advance of filming operations to minimise risk of infection or illness. Sample analysis has a lead time of c. 1-2 weeks.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/media-centre/filming-and-photography/filming-location-fees

Construction activities that anchor or fix items to the seabed or riverbed require a permit from the Marine Management Organisation. Activities with a possible impact to local wildlife or ecosystems may require an Environmental Impact Assessment to be undertaken and submitted to the Environment Agency. In some circumstances, a Flood Risk Activity Permit may also be required.

These permits, licences, and assessments are primarily required for activities involving construction (including temporary works) and do not apply to most boat- or bank-based filming operations. Where filming activities involve construction, sufficient forward planning is required to ascertain the level of permissions required for the scope of operations. 

If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch with us.

Port-London-Authority
Canal__River_Trust_Logo
ea-logo
MMO-logo