PRODUCTION EXPEDITIE ROBINSON
Surviving Production IN A REMOTE LOCATION
Irvin de Vette discusses challenges faced by the production team while making survival series Expeditie Robinson F ilming in a remote location can be an exciting adventure, but it comes with its fair share of challenges – and there’s no denying that production logistics can be a major hurdle. Naturally, any shoot requires careful planning, but getting crew, equipment and supplies to distant shores can be particularly troublesome. Production teams must manage limited transportation options and a lack of key facilities, while the inaccessibility of locations means replacement equipment can take weeks to arrive. The Survivor franchise, which is broadcast in the Netherlands as Expeditie Robinson , tasks individuals with sustaining themselves as castaways on a desert island. With a tropical paradise as the backdrop (previous locations have included a secluded beach in Langkawi, Malaysia), the programme’s contestants are tested to their limits through a series of gripping games, but the format is also a big test for the production crew. Engineers need to manage the unpredictable environment, handling technical troubleshooting to ensure
LIFE’S NOT A BEACH The crew could only take a limited amount of kit on location, so had to be resourceful if any issues cropped up
interactions between the castaways can be captured over several months.
SURVIVE AND THRIVE In this extremely challenging
The forward planning for shooting the series was immense, as Knepper explains: "For our 2023 project, 46 pallets of equipment were stacked 1.6 metres high and sent to the production location. This set-up included 27 UHD broadcast cameras, more than twice as many lenses, two vision mixers and two routers. Because we film the episodes in difficult- to-reach places, it can take upwards of a week for any supplies or replacements to reach us.” EMG set up a local team and an on- set workshop to carry out any repairs and maintenance that would be required throughout the shoot. For 27 cameras, two full-time technicians were needed with a very broad skillset. The technicians had to be competent problem solvers across everything from power systems and generators to lenses – as well as ensuring there were enough spare parts for the duration of filming.
environment, the only drama that a production crew ever wants to see is in front of the camera. Meticulous planning is therefore crucial for it to be a success. For the Expeditie Robinson project, Kees Knepper, EMG’s field support engineer, was on site for the duration of the filming. His team ensured that everything was in order throughout production, taking stock of the equipment and managing the technical logistics of operating in a remote location.
GETTING CREWS TO DISTANT SHORES can be troublesome ”
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