YACHT SHOWS: The secrets to shooting great photo and video.

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Superyacht Marketing

Over the years yacht shows have developed in to not just a place to do business but also a key time for capturing and producing media content.  Having spent 20 years attending and shooting photos and films at shows all over the world we have learnt a few tricks that will help ensure success for everyone.

  • RELAX.  It’s a yacht show not a photo studio.  You will never get everything you want because you will not have the control you think you will have.  Shows will take on a life of their own, plans will change, and priorities will shift so you need to create a shot list and schedule that is flexible. Start with a few easy to get priorities and build from there.  Alternatively give the media team an overall brief and release the reins trusting them to capture and deliver what you need.    If you don’t get everything, it’s ok - trust us …another show is just round the corner.

  • THINK. Where does this show fit within your brand story? What can be captured and produced to enable you to keep feeding your story. What holes can it fill in your media strategy.  By doing this you will help answer the questions like -

    • What really needs to be shot?

    • Where and how will it be used - social media, you tube, portrait, landscape?,

    • When does it need to be published - during the show, after the show or both?

    • What style should it be - fun, uplifting, serious business, corporate?

  • BE DIFFERENT. During the 2024 Palm Beach Show we helped FEADSHIP create a new social campaign - FITSHIP. It was a nice departure from the usual show content and a great example of using the unique show environment to capture something different that can then be used in the months to come. Take a look here

  • TEAM.  A show is often the best place to show how your team reflects your brand. No other external event will probably have so many of your team engaging with clients and suppliers.  This presents a unique opportunity to capture great content showing how your brand lives through your team.  Take advantage of this. Oh and it’s a big call to suggest a team photo at your stand anytime before 11am :)

  • REST. Give the shooting team time to rest, eat and drink. Carrying gear and shooting all day and night followed by editing in to the small hours day after day can be a tiring gig.  So take care of them, treat them with the respect professionals deserve, listen to their advice and the payback will be a motivated energetic buzzing team who are excited to get great creative content for you.

  • DONT attempt to shoot a yacht at a show you will not get what you expect and your time and money could have been put to better use.

PROJECT: M/Y KING BENJI. Photo & Film

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“Wow, now this is very cool”

These were the first words that jumped out when we stepped on board KING BENJI for the shoot back in December 2023.

Shooting in Istanbul in late December is not without its obvious risks, as was the time we had - two days - but with only one evening. So, we had to plan the shoot very carefully. This is why a full recce day was a major part of the shoots success, especially after we saw what we had to shoot :)

The design, inside and out, had our senses in overload because nearly everything was different to all the other yachts we had shot.

When you step onboard you are immediately greeted by the unique mix of bamboo, wooden floors, natural textures, and colourful wall coverings. The styling and details constantly change throughout. This was clearly a yacht where we needed to shoot every space with extra care and attention.

Luckily, we were helped by the huge windows that fill the interiors with plenty of light.

Once you get over the impact of the interior design you quickly come to realise the layout of this yacht is also unique. So, we also needed to think how best to capture and show the flow of the yacht more than most other yachts.

From the exterior your eyes are naturally drawn to the large aft deck but to us one of the best areas is inside. The galley has been brought up from a more traditional lower deck spot and placed smack bang into a guest eating area creating a truly unique and relaxed space. For us landlubbers we finally found a yacht that reflected how we live :). This area really deserved to be shown off well via both photo and video.

Another nice touch is a discreet feature that allows those lucky enough to be staying in the full beam owner’s suite, to exit either side on to their own deck area in complete privacy.

Oh, and if you ever get a chance to be onboard you have to check out the crows nest. Not just a poky space for two but a full relaxing area for you and all your mates to enjoy uninterrupted views while cruising. Yet another great new feature to shoot.

Having spent many days and nights onboard hundreds of yachts, it’s clear Dunya Yachts have nailed the build quality of KING BENJI as every element does justice to the designers creativity and the vision of the owner.

Enjoy the results.

Photos: Full Selection

Film: Full Highlights

Builder: Dunya Yachts

Exterior Designer: Gregory C Marshall Naval Architect Ltd

Interior Designer: Design Unlimited

PROJECT: Superyacht M/Y VICTORIOUS

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SUPERYACHT MY VICTORIOUS. Bodrum, Turkey

A beautiful end to a long 14 year journey.

If yachts could talk the 85m superyacht VICTORIOUS would have a tale to tell.  At times she must have wondered if anyone loved her, having been abandoned, moved, tinkered with, and moved again across three continents over 14 years.

Thankfully the journey was worth it with the finished yacht now a beautiful example of what dedicated and skilled craftsmen and woman can create.  The yacht can now stand proud whether it’s Cannes, Monaco, Bodrum or anywhere the owners want to go.

We were asked by the Turkish shipyard responsible for completing the yacht - AKYACHT - to create a collection of photos and films that were primarily tasked with showing off the lifestyle guests can enjoy.  With the yacht having been created with family life front and centre, it was no surprise that targeting families was uppermost in the client’s mind. But at the same time the results needed to appeal to an adults only crowd.

So, we worked with the client to develop a story that would concentrate on how the superyacht VICTORIOUS experience delivered three key components - adult fun, family fun and showcasing the yacht.  Trying to merge and tell two different stories in one shoot can be tricky because time and budget restrictions can often be a limiting factor. 

We learnt the owner of the yacht also owned the Formula One track in Istanbul along with a vast collection of stunning cars, he also had access to a helicopter - something not easy to come by in Turkey.  So, a plan was hatched to bring the cars and helicopter into the story by having an arrival scene split in to two - adults only by car and helicopter and family by tender.

The friends then all come together on VICTORIOUS to enjoy a mix of kids only, family only and adults only time.  Trying to choreograph a group, including small children, is not an easy task considering the short amount of time we have on shoots.  However, when you start with a yacht that offers so many experiences combined with the knowledge we have gained from 100’s of similar shoots the task is achievable.

To view more VICTORIOUS photos please go here.

All Images and Film are copyright to AKYACHT and Breed Media

• Builder: AKYACHT

• Interior Designer: H2 Yacht Design

• Exterior Designer: Michael Leach Design

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MARKETING: To be different takes ‘BIG KAHUNAS’

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Superyacht Marketing

To be different takes some ‘BIG KAHUNAS’*

For many years now we have been photographing and filming superyachts of all types all over the world for a large number of clients with an equally large number of marketing objectives.  At the same time we hear and read comments about how we, as an industry, need to market the the superyacht world in a different way. 

Defining ‘different’ is of course open to interpretation and everyone has their opinion.  Regardless of what definition of ‘different’ a client comes to us with, more often than not, we usually end up going down a familiar path when it comes to the creative strategy.  Why is this?

When I think how a typical creative strategy meeting plays out we all start with a desire to do it different, to stand out from the crowd, to attract a new demographic oh and of course the mother of all objectives - to go VIRAL!!

We begin by brainstorming all sorts of ideas, we dive deep in to our library of sometimes weird and wacky ideas, add in a little sanity and come up with an idea that hits the spot.  This process is both challenging and exciting and we are all buzzing about making the idea come to life.  But then somewhere between this point and the result the idea gets derailed or at the very least watered down. 

So what happens? Especially when we all agreed we wanted to do it different this time.

Here’s what happens....

  1. Unless the final decision maker is involved in creating the idea or they trust their own team 100% there is always a risk that one person will veto it.

  2. The client gets nervous when they begin to realise they only have the yacht for 3 days before it sails off in to the wild blue yonder for 12 months so if they get it wrong a redo is not on the cards.

  3. The clients creative brain was disconnected from their budgeting brain and they realise they don’t have anything like the funds needed to make the idea happen.

  4. The reality that we are all working with something that is someones personal pride and joy starts to weigh on our minds.

  5. The client starts to get overwhelmed with conflicting outcomes from the shoot - walkthroughs, crew, technical, detail, short films, long films, toys only, tender only, cuisine only etc. These days there are so many marketing channels available its no wonder the list of requirements grows year by year.

With all this coming at them is it any wonder what was once seen as the breakthrough idea that was going to bring clients running through the door ends up being “let’s just go with a male and female model, or maybe we just do a technical walkthrough”

And let’s not forget once on the shoot the client can get distracted with other opportunities, leading to what was once a well defined and well planned three days ending up as a mashup of conflicting priorities.  The result - a compromised outcome.

So maybe before saying ‘lets do it different’ try to understand it takes some big kahunas to stay strong and make it actually happen.  

So who has actually has “Big Kahunas”? The following projects spring to mind

MOONEN - a 2mins 30 sec brand film with no yacht until around the 2min mark. View Here

KAHLILAH - One woman all alone having fun, going against the opinions of the PC crowd to show just how much fun being on a superyacht really is. View Here

CYCLONE by TANSU - One woman with an ‘in your face’ aggressive styled Landrover making a statement about the yacht brand and the target market. View Here

HOME by Heesen - The contrast between the noise of a helicopter and motorbike with the silence inside the yacht to illustrate its sound proofing features.  Development of this idea and its implementation took less than 48hrs and took courage and some quick talking to make happen. View Here

MAKING YOUR WORLD BRIGHTER by CNI a campaign of six short films depicting the superyacht life on and off the yacht.  The film series approach was a new idea in 2015 but it paid dividends by giving the campaign a long promotional shelf life for CNI. View Here

SARP YACHTS - A more abstract approach to promoting the brand via a voice over script and E Type Jag.  Back in 2016 this film turned a few heads and the concept has since been replicated by others. View Here

GARCON by Damen - This was the first Yacht Support film we created for Damen and they took a risk with the style and music. But true to form they have maintained this style across all their Yacht Support films and it has paid off. View Here


*BIG KAHUNAS - figuratively a person who has big kahunas has a lot of nerve, is brave, a risk taker

By: Robert Gleed

PROJECT: Superyacht MY OPARI

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OPARI.

Coming in at 95 metres, OPARI from Golden Yachts in Greece, eclipsed the yards previous largest build O’PTASIA by 10 metres.  Having also created photo and film content of O’PTASIA, just like the shipyard, we wanted to eclipse our own efforts. 

One thing that went in our favour was the location. Sure we had also shot OPTASIA in Greece but the great thing about Greece is the sheer number of new shooting spots all in close proximity.  Add in a client willing to move the boat and one big challenge was overcome.

Next up was an idea to shake it up a little by bringing in a Greek water ski champion and Red Bull Athlete.  This allowed us to add in a bit more creativity to the scenes including having him surf alongside the imposing steel hull of a 95m superyacht.  This decision also fed in to the strategy of appealing to a younger market.

For the film, we decided to take a risk with the music to not only bring the original creative strategy to life but to push it just that little bit further.  So by combining the music with the footage we were able to break between something fun and edgy and something luxurious and relaxing. 

Whilst films like this are designed to provoke a response and a desire to learn more, the editing style still gave us space to allow the film to breathe in key places so the design and interior spaces can be taken in.

Enjoy..

To view more OPARI photos please go here.

All Images and Film are copyright to Golden Yachts and Breed Media

• Builder: Golden Yachts

• Interior Designer: Studio Vafiadis

• Exterior Designer: Studio Vafiadis

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MARKETING: No I didn't steal your photos.

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The issue of media copyright - one out of the box.

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Media Copyright, Intellectual Property Rights, Media Buyout, Public Domain, no matter what term is used, the question of who owns a photo, a design or any artistic creation for that matter, and its use, can get both confusing and complex at times.  A recent situation highlighted the challenges many people face on a regular basis. People who like us rely on their creative skills to make a living.

Someone had taken three of our photos, replaced the yacht in each with one of their own designs, then used the results to promote their services. He then told us he had been using them like this for the past five years! 

Some may say ‘but it’s just a photo’ or in the case of a designer, ‘it’s just a drawing’. But people fail to realise what has taken place leading up to the creation of the photo or drawing.  Namely, the artists own time and the costs they have incurred to get where they are.  Unfortunately, all of this doesn’t usually come for free.  

In our case, it started with the ‘ignorance as a defence’ approach of “oh, I have no knowledge of this - it was my graphic design guy who found them’’ followed by “the images were online and therefore in the public domain so I can use them for free and I can change them how I please”.

Next up, he said because he was using the images to help secure a new build project that we should be thankful because after all if it wasn’t for him, yachts would not be built and the industry would collapse. So, in reality he is doing us and everyone in the industry a favour. He then went on to suggest he only pay for the percentage of the image he used, and he will determine what that cost will be. (our reaction = jaw hits floor).

Ok, so we thought this is weird…  He was happy to use our images for free to help his business but - was he offering his services for free as well? - nope.  Are we a charity? - nope.  Do we have employees to pay and families to feed? - yep. 

What’s more, regardless of any financial issue, the images were not his to use without the required permissions.  Our clients had invested their money to have us create content for them to promote their business.  They did not pay us to create content for others to promote their business for free.  For each of the photos we have agreements in place with the client giving them ultimate control over where and how the images are used.

But in this case, our client’s rights and wishes, like ours, were considered irrelevant. 

The thing is, we get asked for images every week, sometimes we supply them for free, sometimes we have to say no but we will always try to come to an agreement that everyone is ok with.  

Creativity and innovation are two of the great drivers of the superyacht industry, and to grow we need to encourage, respect and value the creative skills of all. Ignoring the rights of the creators and their clients can only cause harm.

Our industry is small, it’s like a club, where you can't afford to make enemies. Everyone pretty much knows everyone or at least ‘knows the guy who knows the guy’ and as such we all tend to work together - sometimes formally, sometimes just as mates but always in a friendly open and trusting way.  When bad stuff happens, we sort it out and carry on with continued mutual respect.

Let’s hope the view described is a short lived one. One thing’s for sure, after almost 20 years of taking superyacht photos this is one out of box. 

Footnote: it was eventually resolved via the lawyers

PROJECT: M/Y LANA

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LANA.

107m of shooting pleasure.

Sometimes everything seems to go just right and you come away from a shoot thinking…’mmm…that went really smooth :)’.  and the results are going to prove it.  LANA was one of those shoots.  Yes there were a few challenges along the way thanks to COVID, including a last minute location change to Malta and chasing down a suitable helicopter, but other than that it all came together as we had hoped.  And it needed to, because even though LANA had only just been delivered, this awesome 107m yacht from Benetti, was booked for charter straight after the shoot. So it was about to sail off into the land of ‘sorry unavailable’.  It was also set to be an important member of the Imperial Yachts charter arsenal so we needed to get it right and we needed to do it now. Enjoy the results and look out for the up coming magazine articles.

To view more LANA photos please go here.

MY LANA is available through Imperial Yachts

All Images and Film are copyright to: Imperial Yachts and Jeff Brown | Breed Media

MY LANA:

• Builder: Benetti 

• Naval Architect: Benetti 

• Exterior Designer: Benetti

• Interior Designer: Benetti

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PROJECT: M/Y SCOUT

The Perfect Superyacht Shoot – Is it Possible?

MY Scout, Newport RH, USA 

Was this the perfect shoot? It’s hard not to think so when the first and only round of feedback on the film was:

“The video is amazing! You guys killed it! I sent the edit to the owners and they LOVE it. No changes needed”

We thought wow, wouldn’t it be great if every job was like this – no tweaks of the film needed, no more touch ups of the photos requested. Then to top it off, in less than a month the film recorded in excess of 9000 plays across multiple channels.

So why did the results of this shoot hit the spot with the client so well?  

First up, the client brief was very simple – “We need a photo and film shoot of the boat and would like to add the crew cabin, crew mess, galley, engine room, dive room and crew gym to the list of areas.” That was it. A case of less is more. They trusted us to understand their needs, the yacht and create results that matched. This hands-off trusting approach applied to both the shoot and the post production time.

Secondly, the crew made life easy. They were flexible in positioning the yacht and happy to work in with our preferred timings even when the weather didn’t play ball. They also contributed useful ideas on locations based on their knowledge of the area. In short, they were fully engaged in what was going on.

Lastly, it would be wrong not to say the yacht itself played a role in the shoot success. When we are presented with a yacht designed to be a little different from the inside out, we can’t help but be inspired. This inspiration then feeds through the entire project.

So maybe the recipe for success is a client that is happy for us to get on and do what they are paying us for, a simple and clear brief, a fully engaged crew and an inspirational yacht. Or maybe we just got lucky? Either way, bring on the next MY Scout project.

Enjoy the results.

MY Scout:

• Builder: Hakvoort 

• Naval Architect: Diana Yacht Design 

• Exterior Designer: H2 Yacht Design 

• Interior Designer: H2 Yacht Design 

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MARKETING: The Secrets to a Successful Photograph

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Superyacht Marketing

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We are often asked “how can I make sure the investment I am making in this photoshoot will get me the exposure needed?” Regardless of the subject, the answer is always the same – it depends on many things, which I admit is not very helpful. So, in an effort to provide a more meaningful answer, here are the steps needed to ensure the photos from your next shoot tell the right story to the right people.

1. Planning

This doesn’t just mean making sure the travel is booked. Planning means actually thinking why you need the photoshoot in the first place, what you are really wanting to communicate and to who. Once you know this, the key is to tell us before the shoot so we can work with you in advance to determine what actually needs to be photographed and how. Simply saying ‘just shoot everything, because we only have one opportunity to capture it and we need it all’ will result in frustration for all and risk delivering compromised results. By the way, if you need help with working out the ‘why, what and who’ let us know, as we have the experience to help.

What’s more, good planning will help make sure the budget and delivery deadlines are kept in check because we won’t have to spend extra time selecting and editing the photos to compensate for bad planning.

2. The Shoot

Regardless of the location or subject, communication and flexibility are the two factors with the most influence on a shoot being a success or not. Everyone involved in the shoot needs to be told about it and understand their role, regardless of how important their role is. They also need to be prepared for the inevitable changes to the shoot plan, because if one thing is for sure, there will be change. Changes can happen because of weather, new ideas and inspiration we get once on location, or unforeseen issues like a helicopter malfunction.  

One last piece of advice when it comes to the shoot is – trust us to get what you need. Our expertise is what you are paying us for, so relax. Micromanaging our every move is a recipe for disaster. Our best results have always come from shoots with minimal client management on location.

3. Studio Magic

This is the bit that clients don’t get to see and have limited understanding of. But it’s actually the part that takes the most time and is a major factor in making sure we give you the best selection of photos possible. On the big shoots we can head back to the studio with up to 10,000 RAW images. These are culled to an initial selection and then reviewed again to find a final selection of anywhere between 300 and 800+ for final editing and output. This selection is adjusted for exposure, colour, dust removal, composition etc. From this selection we will often choose a small select group and apply further enhancements including custom filters, cropping and fine level editing to really bring out the best from the photo and the scene. 

It’s important to remember post-production is where we bring ideas to life. Inspiration and vision we saw while on the shoot takes time. It’s these ideas and inspiration that will deliver you photos that have the greatest chance of making the shoot a success.

4. Show it Off

It’s amazing how many great photos never get seen by the intended audience. The opposite is also true, photos that do nothing but damage a brand or product will be seen by thousands.

 If you do everything right to this point – plan, manage the shoot and allow the studio magic to happen, but fail to have a promotional strategy in place, then the photographs will never achieve their objective. You would have just wasted all your time and money. 

Serious time and effort have to be put into a strategy that allow the photos to communicate your intended message to the right audience. A cohesive well thought out strategy that includes online, printed products, social media, show stands, advertising etc needs to be developed.  

 A well planned, well managed photoshoot will generate images that you can use throughout an equally well-planned promotional strategy for many years. This will give you the best return on your investment and result in your most successful photoshoot.

Article by Robert Gleed

PROJECT: VIDA

TITLE: Sometimes it has nothing to do with the people

CLIENT: Heesen Yachts

BRIEF: More often than not people think when we do a project featuring models, whether it’s one, two, or a crowd, the story is all about the life owners and guests can enjoy.  But sometimes it’s not really about the lifestyle at all, it’s about the yacht plain and simple. With these projects the models are there to help show scale, add a touch of life to the spaces and provide a natural link between scenes.  Such was the case with this project for Heesen Yachts where we used only one model. 

These days it takes courage to approach a shoot using just one model. But this was the challenge provided by the client – “we need to show off the beautiful yacht we just built, it can’t be collection of empty spaces nor can it focus too much on people in those spaces, the yacht is the hero here not the lifestyle”

For a shoot like this we have to first think about the best way to shoot the yacht and then, if the scene can benefit from it, what is the best way we can add someone without taking the focus away from the yacht. Unlike a lifestyle shoot where sometimes the yacht is merely part of life.

There will be those who instinctively say, “It looks like some lonely person wandering around lost and this does nothing to promote the wholesome reality image that we as industry need to promote”.   

But Heesen like most builders are caught in the middle at times. They are about selling their yachts that allow an experience as opposed to a charter broker who wants to sell the experience regardless of the yacht. Therefore, it should come as no surprise we produced two films for this project, one with the model and one without. 

On a personal note we would secretly like to feel that if we ever did manage to own one of these beautiful yachts then we would want to steal a moment to wander around our yacht all alone just taking it all in. So maybe that “lonely person” look actually hits the reality spot more than we know!

OUTCOME:

2 min Lifestyle Film

2 min Technical Film

Facebook Cover

Instagram Film

Awards Films

Aerial, Interior and Lifestyle photos

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MARKETING: The Photo shoot - How to Increase your Chance of Success

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Superyacht Marketing

Jeff Brown-15806-2.jpg

SUPERYACHT MARKETING: The Photoshoot - How to Increase your Chance of Success

Fast forward from 2003 to 2019 - Client education is really the biggest challenge.

The superyacht marketing and media landscapes have changed significantly over the years and no better example of this is the humble photoshoot. The demand for content to satisfy the needs of the ever-hungry media machines and channels has created a demanding environment for all involved.

The 2003 Superyacht Shoot…

“The boat is 45m you have 3 days and I need photos of the guest are as, decks, aerials,
and the boat at anchor and need the results in a week”

The 2019 Superyacht Shoot…

“The boat is 90m You have 3 days and I need photos and video of the guest areas, decks, aerials,
the boat at anchor, underwater shots, all the toys and slides, drone shots, full lifestyle story with
a family of six including some with a car or jet, a collection of photos and short films specifically
for social media, oh and while you are at it can you take a few of the engine room and some
crew profiles.. and I need the results in a week.”

Second to actually securing shoot dates, satisfying all the demands is one of the single biggest challenges when it comes to ’The Shoot’ element of any superyacht marketing strategy.

To achieve the results demanded, client education is critical. It's always nice when our clients realise the risks associated with the ’I need everything’ approach and work with us to develop a strategy that identifies the deal breakers and works for all. Because the risk is with so many objectives in play none of them will be achieved 100%. Once a client understands this, timely planning becomes the next objective…more to come…

PROJECT: Volpini 2

CLIENT: Amels

BRIEF: To create two films and two photo shoots. One for the European market, and one for the Asian market, featuring three generations of family enjoying life onboard Volpini 2.

CREATIVE STRATEGY:  What brings families together more than a child’s birthday?  Rather than try and show every aspect of life onboard Volpini 2 we decided to build a story around a grandchild’s birthday.  This allowed us to set up scenes involving the family members individually, as couples, and as a group, all centred around a fun and enjoyable day.  This multi scene, multi scenario approach gave us the flexibility to illustrate:

1.     How families can come together on board to enjoy each other’s company as well as find those more personal quieter moments

2.     Different areas of the yacht enjoyed in a real-life way

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS: We had three days to shoot two stories as well as two full lifestyle photo shoots with extended families (12 models in total) from different cultures. This meant the logistics had to be kept as simple as possible. Throw in a day of rain and the challenges kept coming.  However, because we had done the preplanning and decided on the simple birthday theme, we were able to focus on this core story driver regardless of the weather or cultural differences.  A birthday is a multi-cultural celebration and something everyone has experience of, and this made it easier for the models and team to build the shoot around.  In addition, we needed time to capture numerous onboard areas to showcase the beauty of the finished yacht.  Time was gained by a bit of smart thinking by the client to use aerials from an earlier shoot of the yacht off the coast of Capri.

OUTCOME:  Two films of approx. 3mins, numerous social media films and a full set of photos.

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MARKETING: Drones VS Helicopters

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Superyacht Marketing

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Drones VS Helicopters. Which one is best for a Superyacht shoot?

Each year our photographers and cameramen spend around 60 hours shooting superyachts from helicopters. Yet, we are often asked whether we can use a drone for aerial photography and filming instead. This can be for either budget or location reasons. So, we chose a few key factors relating to the photography and filming of superyachts and put the drone and helicopter head to head.

Please note, the drone in this review is the most practical and portable model for our kit, the DJI Phantom 4Pro. It delivers exceptional results for the intended purpose. There are some drones capable of carrying large camera payloads. But, in our opinion, they are not the best choice for the work we do.

RANGE

Drone

Drones generally have 20-30 minutes of flying time and can only fly up to 400 feet, as per Civil Aviation Authority regulations. This means several battery changes for the flying time of an hour. That eats up valuable time and interrupts the flow of the shoot. The controlled range of a drone is another factor for the pilot to keep in mind. No one wants to lose a drone into the sea. The pilot must always be aware of the flight time and battery remaining.

Helicopter

A typical helicopter will be able to fly for two and a half hours at 135 knots for 300-350 miles on one fuel tank. The flexibility of a helicopter for uninterrupted shooting, altitude, and composition, provides greater variety of photos for the client. A helicopters flight capacity also makes it far better suited for running shots.

The Winner: Helicopter.

FILM AND PHOTO QUALITY

Drone

A drone has the ability to shoot video in 4k and 20 megapixel, but it is the size of the sensor that delivers the results. The bigger the sensor the more information you capture and the greater the quality. The type and quality of the camera lens is also a factor. The drones we use have a one-inch sensor and a fixed lens. Our preferred drone delivers excellent results for the final use of most of the photo and film we shoot.

Helicopter

Like most things in life you expect more when you pay more. When you are flying in a helicopter with over £30k of camera equipment and lenses at your disposal, you get more. Here the sensor quality and size, image quality, sharpness, and details are all at the top of their game.

The Winner: Helicopter.

COMPOSITION

Drone

Composition from a drone can be limited. The photographer can only really view the subject and surroundings via the drone’s screen. What’s more, our clients require both landscape and portrait photos. The drone can only shoot landscape.

Helicopter

The view from inside a helicopter is panoramic. This allows the photographer, and others, to anticipate changes in the light and the scene. Our photographer will have a variety of lenses on hand. They will also have the capacity to shoot landscape and portrait images. This means the composition options are almost endless.

The Winner: Helicopter.

SUITABILITY FOR SUPERYACHT ENVIRONMENT

The Weather

Drone

The best conditions for flying a drone is when it is sunny with a moderate temperature and little or no wind. This ensures maximum drone control and range. As wind and heat increase the drone has to work harder, so the battery drains faster. It also becomes harder for the operator to line up the best shots in windy conditions. Unfortunately the environment we shoot in can be very changeable. This often places a limit on what we can achieve with a drone.

Helicopter

Helicopters also have their weather-related limits, but these are more extreme. They can handle more wind and rain than a drone. In our experience, the weather has rarely stopped a helicopter taking to the sky. However, at times they do get buffeted around by the wind. The wind can also restrict the pilot's ability to manoeuvre as we need.

Winner: Helicopter.

ACCESSIBILITY + TIME

Drone

Having a drone in the kit means that at short notice we can capture aerial photos and film. This allows us to take advantage of changes in the weather, light, and scene. The only limitation is that the use of drones is becoming increasingly regulated. We no longer take the drone to some countries.

Helicopter

Using a helicopter requires some forward planning. Booking the slot, time to get to the pickup point, time to fly to the boat, and time to get back after landing if needed. This can add half a day for just an hour of shooting.

Winner: Drone.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

This is really what it's all about - what gives you the best result for the money you invest? To measure the return you need to go back to the objectives of the shoot. Consider how important the results are to the goals for marketing your business or yacht. Then you have to consider how and where you need to use the media to achieve your goals.

We believe, everything involved with marketing a superyacht has to be in keeping with the perception you want to create. A superyacht is the ultimate in everything. Therefore there should be no compromise in the media you use.

So it's no surprise, for us the winner is the helicopter.

But a drone is also a winner. It can be used for much more than aerial shots of a yacht. We use it on the yacht, in the yacht (try that in a helicopter), on the beach, on the streets. Anywhere we need to get extra creative angles. For us, that is when a drone comes into its own.

At the end of the day, whether its drone or helicopter, the result is only as good as the person taking the shots. :)

 

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Tune in next month for our feature: How your brands/yachts popularity can soar by placing people in photos.

For more information about regulations surrounding the use of drones see below:

Flying Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or Drones in the US: http://knowbeforeyoufly.org

Dronesafe UK: http://dronesafe.uk

Commercial use in the UK: https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Aircraft/Unmanned-aircraft/Small-drones/Regulations-relating-to-the-commercial-use-of-small-drones/

Flying Drones in France :http://www.mlvdrone.fr/rules-for-flying-recreational-drones/

 

PROJECT: O'Ptasia

TITLE: “We want to charter the superyacht we have just built”

CLIENT: Golden Yachts

BRIEF: Golden Yachts have a pretty unique formula.  Not only do they build superyachts for sale, (aren’t they all) but, they have a clear mission of promoting them for charter via Atalanta Golden Yachts. So, unlike other builders, they knew they would need the film and photo resources to promote O’Ptasia in the competitive charter market for long after the shoot. This formed the essence of the brief – deliver us a lot of great technical and lifestyle media but wrap it all around an experience. 

CREATIVE STRATEGY: We realised the best way to meet the brief was to break the shoot down into scenes that can both stand alone or combine to form a complete story. To do this we specifically selected two models, who were friends with each other, so they would be 100% relaxed with the need to be flexible over the four-day shoot. We then concentrated on developing a full range of lifestyle and technical scenes. For the film, these scenes were to be linked through creative transitions inspired by the shoot.

CHALLENGES: As it turned out, the biggest challenge with this shoot was the rain and wind. It just goes to show that even in the Greek Islands nothing is certain. This really put pressure on everyone to deliver in the time we had available.  Fortunately, we had done the right planning pre-shoot and assembled the right team to make the shoot a success.

OUTCOME: Soon after the shoot the yacht and photos fought off the competition to hit the cover of Boat International and featured heavily inside, so we call that a result!  Since then we have gone on to supply the client a steady stream of custom edited photos and films to feed their social media machine. The great thing is, because we planned it right, there is still a large amount of content to come from this shoot.

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PROJECT: Radyca Brand Film

CLIENT: RADYCA Design - Miami. The only US designer to be featured in the Boat International 2019 Interiors book.

BRIEF: Hot on the heels of just completing the interior designs of the Heesen built Laurentia and the Benetti built Botti, designer Ramon Alonso knew he had to keep the momentum moving forward for his company RADYCA.  It turned out that RADYCA does more than ‘just’ superyachts. Ramon and his team have completed many land-based projects including apartment buildings, offices and cinemas.  So, with content from two yacht shoots in our back pockets we headed to Miami to shoot the complete RADYCA story.

CREATIVE STRATEGY: Upon meeting Ramon we soon realised his own story needed to form the basis of the creative strategy. So, we worked with him to develop and range of topics that he could sit and discuss with us while the cameras rolled. These topics and his views then drove what else we needed to capture to complete the big picture. Ramon’s team also became central to the story as it was clear his business culture is a great point of difference. 

CHALLENGES: The sweat on Ramon’s brow as he was put on the spot to talk about himself and his business was the biggest challenge ;-) ….  Whilst many on social media seem to love nothing but talking about themselves, it’s definitely not easy. Making the interviewee feel at ease and natural is by far the single biggest challenge when it comes to projects like this.

RESULTS: Two things helped us overcome the challenge of Ramon’s brow – a genuine interest in him and his business plus making the whole filming process fun and relaxed.  We often find possessing these abilities will ensure the results begin to flow.  What was more important in this case was the culture at RADYCA was clearly fun and relaxed, so we needed to convey that in the film.

OUTCOME: We produced a main film and some shorter versions for social media. By pulling in key content to support Ramon’s words the films guide the viewer through the story of his business. We hope you enjoy it.

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MARKETING:  Celebrating Sound

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Superyacht Marketing

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Three keys to sound design for your film
By Dave Skinner and Ed Barratt

Sound design is a key component in any film we create. It can be broken down into three elements, ambient sound, dialogue, (either into camera or voice over), and music. 

When planning a film, it is helpful to have a direction for sound design from the outset. This can come from the client, the director, the story or even the tone set by a certain destination or yacht. Pairing the sound with the visuals for a film greatly enhances the storytelling and emotional journey the viewer goes on, thereby creating a connection to a brand. Without sound films are made up of moving images that lack depth and connection with the audience. We have all seen this when we watch a silent clip on social media or a horror movie on mute. 

So let’s take a look at three key contributors to sound design.  

Ambient sound - this comes in the form of natural sounds, which you may expect to hear if you were actually on location. For example, a beach shot with the sound of the waves. Or, seeing the sun come through the trees and hearing birds chirping. Ambient sound is one of the layers to the sound design. Sometimes the ambient sound can come from the footage itself, other times it can come from our own collection or from online libraries.

Dialogue - this can be in the form of people speaking on camera or a voice over (VO). Dialogue is most useful for brand films where the philosophy of a company, its history and culture, are all key components. Depending on the subject, context or film objectives, either a professional VO artist, brand representative, (or both), can be used to convey tone and direction to help create a human connection with the film. Regardless of the what and how, the main purpose of dialogue is to improve the communication of the desired message.

Music - this can greatly influence the mood of the film and the perceptions of the viewer. The music, or soundtrack, is vitally important for setting up your story – get it right and the whole film falls into place. The choice of music can come from online libraries or be specifically composed for the film. 

An audience can be greatly affected by the use of creative sounds. It can be so simple, think of the movie JAWS as an example. Two notes were used to create fear and suspense. Da-Dum...Da-Dum.

Sound design is a process which greatly influences the outcome of a production. It sends secret messages to the emotions of the viewer and is a key component in taking them on a journey as they view the film. Without it the film can fall flat. To fully influence the perception of the viewer a relationship needs to be crafted between the sound and the visuals so they compliment each other.

Ambient sound - Millennium Cup Regatta

Dialogue - Bannenberg & Rowell Brand Film

Music - Khalilah

Voice over - Sarp Yachts Brand Film

Superyacht Marketing – the disconnect

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Superyacht Marketing

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 Superyacht Marketing – the disconnect
By Robert Gleed

As creators of photo and film lifestyle content for the superyacht industry we are always discussing with clients the stories they want to tell. Virtually all are stories about families, couples, and friends, enjoying the superyacht life - often without a bikini in sight. 

Recent industry conversations I have been part of seem to paint a different picture. Some say the stories we (as an industry) communicate focus too much on bikinis and people of unattainable beauty. They say this helps fuel a negative image and a barrier to entry by potential owners, charterers or brand partners.

Sure some stories include people swimming and enjoying the spa but what do you expect - it’s a yacht, it’s in the sun, at sea and it has a pool so of course people will sunbathe and get wet, but this does not go hand in hand with a negative image. 

I think the real problem lies with the disconnect between the stories that are actually being created and the communication of them to potential markets. Bridging this gap often falls at the feet of those commissioning the film and photo shoots and most do a great job of spreading the right message. But it’s a mistake to think we can rely on this small group to do all the grunt work for the entire industry.

So, to those who seem happy to do nothing but sit back and express frustration think about how you can help, even in a small way. Maybe look at co-productions, shared campaigns and other initiatives like Superyacht Life because there are already great stories being created, we just need to work together to make sure they are told to the right people.

In the meantime, check out three superyacht stories without a bikini in sight :)

1. Moonen Yachts - Brand Film

2. Tansu Yachts - Cyclone

3. Camper & Nicholsons International - Making your world brighter

PROJECT: Moonen Yachts

CLIENT: Moonen Yachts

BRIEF: Create a film to support the launch of a new phase in the Moonen brand development. This new phase shifts their marketing focus towards the demographic defined by the ‘Modern Gentleman and Woman’. This target market is younger than their traditional market.

CREATIVE STRATEGY:  Traditionally, superyacht builders tend to focus their brand films on who they are, what they do, why they do it, their yachts, their people, their skills and how all of these benefit potential clients.  In keeping with Moonen’s change of focus, away from their traditional market, we suggested a departure from the traditional superyacht builder brand film. Something that doesn’t focus on yachts and shipyards. With this in mind, the concept of family separation ending in the one perfect place – a Moonen yacht – came to mind.  The separation would come to life through two different journeys.  Each journey would allow Moonen to associate their brand with the target profiles – a successful, self-made couple with a keen sense of style who appreciate the qualities that come with a Dutch built yacht. A couple who value their time together as a family, above all else, and how their Moonen yacht simply fits the life they want.

CHALLENGES: Like many projects, the creative idea sounded simple but, like many, the execution was not without its challenges – time, budget and resources were all stretched to the max on this one.  For the idea to really work we needed two different starting locations, plus they needed to identify with the target market.  We also wanted to use different forms of transport and brands to associate complementary brand values, and perceptions, to help illustrate the world Moonen yachts and their owners live in.

THE RESULT:  London was selected as one starting point to illustrate the separated, busy and hectic life of a successful international businessman.  A family villa in the French countryside was used to illustrate a quiet family base.  The separation depicts the life of many in today’s world.  The story develops to leave this life behind and to be together as a family, because this is more important, above all else.  The journey ends showing how it’s their Moonen Yacht that is the one place in their life they choose for this special reunion.

THE OUTCOME: A 2min 30sec film supported by two shorter versions for social media use and a collection of photo images to support the strategy.

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PROJECT: Millennium Cup Regatta

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CLIENT: New Zealand Millennium Cup Regatta 2019

Ok, so this event may currently be the smallest superyacht regatta around but heck it definitely punches above its weight when it comes to relaxation, fun, and destination magic.  What’s more, with the America’s Cup, taking place in NZ early 2021, this regatta is going to be the one you have to be at.  I guess coming from New Zealand we are little biased but, having also regularly been to every other superyacht regatta over the last 15 years, we have earned the right to an opinion.

We cut our teeth at this regatta back in 2003 and have been shooting it ever since. Now as Silver Sponsors we continue to make this a permanent fixture in our shooting calendar.  When it comes to shooting a regatta the greatest challenge, and yet also the greatest buzz, is how nothing can be planned.  You have to roll with what’s in front of you, then use your wits, and your experience, to put yourself in the best possible position to get the perfect shot.  Unlike brand shoots or yacht shoots there is no script or shoot list.  Whether it’s from a helicopter, a rib, on-board or on land, you have to make it work and we love it.

Enjoy this collection of images from earlier this year. If you would like any then check out our media bank at: www.breedmediabank.com/-/galleries/regatta/2019-millennium-cup where they are available with a 30% discount for a limited time.

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MARKETING:  The Art of Storytelling…

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Superyacht Marketing

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 The Art of Storytelling…

Virtually every project we do, photo or film, is based upon some sort of narrative around a yacht, a business or an experience. When creating a film, audience engagement is critical to its success.  Success that is measured by the viewer receiving and understanding the desired message. This is where the art of storytelling comes in.

There are four tools we use to enhance the storytelling in our films: 

Emotion: This is the biggie, the number one tool for success. Whether it’s a good cry or a side-splitting laugh, humans love and respond to emotion like nothing else.  Just check out the most viewed videos on YouTube for proof.  What’s more, we remember messages that include some emotion far more than those that don’t. Whether you want your audience to remember your brand, or your yacht, you simply can’t go past focusing on emotion in the story. This doesn’t mean you have to script a tear jerker, emotion can be depicted visually and, or, audibly.  Slow motion, soundtrack, natural sounds, models laughing and interacting, as well as lighting, are just a few examples how emotion can be injected into the story.  If we had to pick one of these as number one it would be the soundtrack which is why it deserves its own section.

Soundtrack: The value of the soundtrack for a film should not be underestimated. The music helps take the viewer on an emotional journey and can set the pace and tone of the film. Music can add drama and anticipation to a film, it can also provide an element of surprise. The right music, linked to the visuals, keeps things moving and is an essential part of storytelling. The song dictates the flow of the film and the flow of the shots.  

Theme: A theme is developed for each film. This may come from us, the client, or may be something we work on together. Sometimes deciding the theme can be the most challenging aspect of the strategy because, not only must it be in synch with overall objectives, it needs to help the film stand out in the crowd so it’s remembered.

The theme becomes the central driver for the creative strategy setting the tone for how we approach the whole film.  Whether we bring in brand associations, the type of models we use, the locations, how we shoot the film and the genre of the music. Sometimes we try to add in a twist – family separated who want to be together, a birthday or an element of surprise – a female yacht owner arriving by motorbike.

Models: The human touch or use of models, gives the audience a reference point for the story. Whether it is the owners of a design business talking about their business, three generations of family, or a single model on a yacht, the addition of people greatly enhances the story telling capability. The team have the flexibility to create different subplots, scenes and scenarios not otherwise possible.  When it comes to specifically shooting a yacht film the use of models brings spaces and features to life, helping the audience picture themselves there. When the film is for a charter yacht this is especially useful.

When it comes to a film or video for your business or yacht give some thought to the story, or narrative, you’d like to create around what you are selling. It is the story that captures the audience’s imagination and makes your product or service memorable. When you need help give us a call, we can make sure your film stands out.