Major UK SAR Bid Supported by Viscom Production
12 October 2009
Multimedia specialist Viscom was invited to produce promotional programmes for Soteria, a consortium comprising CHC, the world's largest commercial helicopter operator, military and search and rescue specialist Thales UK, and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The consortium is one of two taking part in a competitive process being led by the Ministry of Defence, Department For Transport, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to create a single harmonized helicopter search and rescue service (SAR-H) covering the whole of the UK from 2012. Viscom is the leading provider of oil and gas sector helicopter passenger safety briefings to the North Sea and at a global level, including for CHC, and the company's internationally-recognised creative and technical expertise and understanding of the industry helped influenced Soteria's choice.
Viscom were commissioned to create two videos: a comprehensive and detailed version used by the Soteria stakeholders to promote their bid at government level and to specialist media; and an abridged version for use at exhibitions, seminars, and on websites. Both feature voice-over artist Nick Rowe from Channel 5's Ice Road Truckers. Soteria's bid is focused on the Sikorsky S92 helicopter, four of which CHC already operate under an interim contract from the MCA's Western Isles base in Stornoway and from Sumburgh in Shetland.
Viscom production manager Richard Holman said: "We are a small company based in the North-east of Scotland and so this is a major accolade for us, and a vindication of our twenty-plus years of uninterrupted service to the offshore helicopter industry. "To make the programmes, and to get a fuller understanding of the advantages the S92 offers in this context, earlier this year we filmed onboard the aircraft alongside search and rescue flight crews operating out of Sumburgh. "We know that our videos are proving to be a critical promotional tool for Soteria and we have received extremely complimentary feedback from all the consortium partners."
CHC's SAR Advisor Carl Taylor recommended Viscom to the Soteria consortium. "CHC have worked with the Viscom team for the many years and their experience and expertise in this sector is second to none. "The programmes they have produced for Soteria have played a significant role in raising the profile of the consortium's proposal during the bidding process."
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