Kit rental company Hotcam has revealed how it worked with production company Dragonfly on the seventh series of BBC Two’s Surgeons: At the Edge of Life.
Hotcam Glasgow provided equipment, bespoke infrastructure, and crew to support filming across three hospitals: NHS Lothian’s The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital and St. John’s Hospital.
The company was involved in a number of areas, including creating a bespoke centralised and remote gallery setup that allowed for flexible filming across multiple hospital locations, with remote recording capabilities for inaccessible cameras and custom setups for hospital equipment.
Hotcam employed a combination of Sony FX9 and FX3 cameras linked to the gallery via wireless systems, minimising disruption caused by cables and ensuring an agile production environment. PD and MIV cameras were provided for a longer shooting block to cover backstories.
A fibre infrastructure supported return feeds directly to operating theatres, enabling real-time collaboration during filming.
“When Surgeons: At the Edge of Life relocated to Scotland for Series 7, we were happy to discover that Hotcam has a kit facility in Glasgow. With the move, we faced the added challenge of working across multiple hospitals in Edinburgh, unlike previous series where we operated from a single location,” explained Emma McCormack, production manager.
“The priority was finding a solution that allowed flexibility for regularly moving the theatre kit and gallery. Pete (Green) immediately came up with multiple options we could look at along with an understanding of the pros and cons of each. The solution we chose felt uniquely suited to the series and the support we received from the Hotcam team—especially during the initial set-up—was exceptional.”
Surgeons: At the Edge of Life is available to watch on iPlayer.
