Gaucho Productions

Gaucho Productions is a film and broadcast video production company based in London. Gaucho Films is our premium brand, specialising in high-level corporate productions. Gaucho Broadcast is all about delivering high quality content to suit every budget and every platform.

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About Us

Our story

We began life in late 2006, when the Honda Formula One team approached our chief exec, Alistair, to present and produce video content for the team website. Alistair, who'd just finished shooting Pulling Power for ITV1, developed the concept of Honda Racing TV with Richard Hetherington and lead cameraman, Nick Avery.

HRTV launched in 2007 and its success quickly led to new commissions from Honda Motorcycles, Honda UK and Honda Europe. BSkyB was added to our quick-growing client list at the end of 2007 when we started producing content for Sky Motoring.

In 2008, Gaucho enjoyed rapid growth. The Dutch bank ING approached the team to help promote their sponsorship of the Renault Formula One team. Our work with Sky Motoring continued and Sky Money and Sky News were added to the portfolio.

In the summer, Honda Europe asked us to produce a film to communicate the launch of the Jazz supermini. Shot on 35mm film, this was our most ambitious project to date and its success inspired a further movie for the Honda Insight in December 2008.

For 2009, the decision was taken to split the company into Gaucho Film and Gaucho Broadcast, with the former concentrating on high-level corporate movies and the latter focusing on editorial. A subtle re-brand also marked the start of a new era.

In 2009 we shot everything from fitness and property films, to an in-depth explanation of a Hydrogen car. Late in the year, we added event management skills to our mix as we took on new challenges for 2010.

 

 

Our team

Alistair Weaver

Managing Director

A committed wordsmith, Alistair has won lots of awards for his journalistic and broadcast skills. Satiating his passion for all things automotive, he began working life as a road tester at Autocar magazine in 1998 and has since worked for many of the world’s leading publications including Sunday Times, Daily Express, Top Gear and FHM. You might also have seen him presenting on ITV1, Honda Racing TV, for Sky, or for LA-based Edmunds’ Inside Line.

Alistair founded Gaucho in 2007 and continues to lead the team. He can never sit still, calls his iPhone his best friend and has a taste for the extreme – Alistair once set a world record for driving blindfold at 150mph! 

Ben Hume-Paton

Creative Director

Ben is never happier than when he’s on location, grappling with complex equipment and directing a large crew. He’s now a hugely experienced director, who mixes broadcast and commercial work. Ben’s credits include commercial campaigns for Next and Nike, corporate films for Honda, and Top Gear for BBC2. Just don’t mention the time he got altitude sickness while accompanying Alistair to the top of the Andes.

Kirstie Reid

PR Director

Having originally cut her teeth promoting Greggs’ Steakbakes, Kirstie has since spent the past decade shaping and leading consumer PR campaigns for brand giants such as Sony, Hasbro, Disney and BT. From filling the South Bank with giant bunnies for Sony’s BRAVIA campaign, to re-launching the iconic My Little Pony, to taking over a deserted warehouse to produce a customer event for BT, to hosting media in LA for Disney, Kirstie’s strategic planning, unflappable approach and bulging black book of media contacts has ensured numerous successful campaigns. After joining the Gaucho team, Kirstie’s first role was to source and manage over fifty international journalists in Berlin for the launch of data.anatomy [civic].

Geoff Dibben

Producer

As our in-house Producer, Geoff is the man who makes it all happen. His reassuring aura of calm helps make sure our projects are delivered on time and on budget. Geoff has over fifteen years experience across TV, commercials and even Hollywood blockbusters. He was the UK Production Supervisor for the Warner Bros films, “The Dark Knight” and “Clash of the Titans”, and Dreamworks “War Horse”. He’s also a keen motorcyclist and is currently restoring an old Triumph to its former glory, which should make for an interesting commute.

Duncan Rycroft

Executive Producer

Duncan is a hugely experienced executive producer and commissioning editor who’s worked across every genre of factual programming. As the Controller of Programmes for ITV Granada, he commissioned and executive produced 78 hours of factual programming each year. Peak-time programming was always well above network average (25-30% share), making Granada ITV’s most watched region.

Duncan has also developed a talent for blagging his way into major sporting events. He was the Senior Producer for host broadcaster HBS-South Africa at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and will be play a key role in the 2012 London Olympics with host broadcaster OBS. Shame he still can’t get us tickets.

Richard Hetherington

Director/Editor

The ‘Gandalf’ of the Gaucho team, Richard has over thirty years of broadcast experience, having directed and edited programmes for all the major UK networks. He’s directed three series of Pulling Power for ITV1, Autotrader for Discovery and has worked extensively for BSkyB. Richard is never short of a new piece of wizardry, which he’s used to fine effects in corporate films for ING, Honda, Mazda and Volkswagen.

Darryl Peck

Editor

Darryl showed his versatility and imagination editing the hugely popular Sky Motoring Weekly Show. He's a multi-platform expert; delivering content for corporate films, broadcast tv, internet and mobile download. He also does 'smart casual' better than anyone else on the team.

Alice Henley

Production Assistant

Alice joined Gaucho in March 2011 having been extensively schooled in the art of filmmaking. She studied film at Exeter University, lived in Australia for a while and attended Met Film School before joining Met Film Production. She then went on to co-produce a feature film for Britpack films and a short film for Red Summer Productions. Having been brought up in Singapore she’s used to order and discipline, skills she uses to fine effect to manage the creative chaos around her. 

 

 

 

 

News

News

data.anatomy [civic]

16/4/2012

For the past year, we’ve been producing a unique project with Japan’s leading electronic composer and visual artist, Ryoji Ikeda. data.anatomy [civic] is the result of a collaboration between Ikeda and thedevelopment leader of the Honda Civic, Mitsuru Kariya. In an unprecedented step, Ikeda was given the entire data set of the car, from which he’s composed an epic piece of performance art. The work’s been shown at MUMA (Kraftwerk) Berlin, a former power station in the east of the city. Check out www.dataanatomy.net for more.

The Gaucho Website

6/1/2012

We're in the process of developing a shiny new site. In the meantime, why not follow all our latest developments on Twitter by following @gauchoprod.

 

 

Broadcast

Gaucho Broadcast

Gaucho Broadcast is all about delivering high quality content to suit every budget and every platform. All our team have extensive television experience but we’ve also become experts in the Internet – we’ve supplied written copy, still images and short form films to websites across the world.

We’ve worked in some crazy locations, from the top of the Andes to the back streets of Calcutta, and having survived in the cutthroat world of Formula One, we’re no stranger to pressure. It’s this variety that keeps us going, and what makes it all so much fun.

 

 

Contact Us

t: +44 (0) 203 058 1190
e: contact@gauchoproductions.com
a: 3rd floor, 2-8 Scrutton Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4RJ

 

 

Sky Money

Sky asked us to produce six short-form films for the Money & Property website (www.sky.com/mp). Each presenter-led film would offer practical advice about how to save money.

Filmed on location across the south of England, the six films focussed on a broad range of issues including Travel, Credit Cards and How to Haggle. Presented by Lucy Piper, each film featured the advice of an independent expert. The films were shown on the Sky Money & Property, Sky.com and Sky Motoring websites. This example shows you how to slash the cost of your credit card bill.

 

 

Honda Racing TV

We were asked to develop Formula One’s first on-line TV station for the Honda team. This challenging remit offered no shortage of features. We joined Jenson Button in the team van at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; accompanied Rubens Barrichello to the Lisbon Downhill mountainbike race; unravelled the mysteries of carbon fibre; gave away a signed race suit and took part in a pit stop practice, to mention just a few.

Honda Racing TV launched in June 2007 and a year later received the prestigious APA (Association Publishing Agencies) Award for “Online Publishing Solution of the Year”. One of the judges noted that, “the brand really comes to life, with some of the best online TV clips I’ve ever seen.”

Shot to broadcast quality, the footage was used across the world and in many different platforms, including:

This example is a teaser film shot at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2008.

 

 

Honda Motorcycles

Our automotive expertise includes two-wheels as well as four. Honda Motor Europe asked us to cover a huge range of two-wheeled events, from motorshows and product launches, to World Championship races. We’ve shot superbikes in the heat of Qatar; motocross ’bikes in the dust of Italy; naked ’bikes in the glamour of Milan and commuter bikes on the roads of Southern Spain.

Each time, we produced a presenter-led highlights package and a comprehensive VNR for distribution to global media.

Our example features an onboard lap of the Sakir Circuit in Qatar. World Super Bike star Johnny Rea is riding a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade.

 

 

Sky Motoring

We were the primary content provider for the Sky Motoring website. Launched in September 2007, this was an innovative, lifestyle-orientated site appealing to a 25-40 year old demographic. It placed video at the heart of its proposition and we provided moving footage in a number of different forms, from broadcast quality video reviews and features to rapid-fire blogs. Our work for Sky has included a drive to the top of the Andes, a day on a track with a Lamborghini and a tour of Paris in a million dollar Jaguar.

We also played a key role in the re-launch of the website in December 2008. We were commissioned to produce 240 written Car Reviews, 6 used car features and 30 '60 second' video reviews. In total, over 200,000 words were written and more than 4,000 photographs researched, resized and uploaded to the site. The '60 second' reviews focused on a discussion between Sky Motoring's three presenters, intercut with manufacturer B-roll and bespoke driving footage. The project was completed on time and on budget.

Sky Motoring content was also shown on Sky News (online and broadcast), Sky Sports.com and Sky.com.

The piece you can see here was produced to support Sky Motoring's entry into the 2009 BAFTA Awards for Interactive Innovation.

 

 

Sky Life and Style

Sky Life & Style’s audience is predominantly female, 30-45 years old and aspirational. The website’s editor asked us to develop a video concept that would fit with their reader’s hectic lifestyles. Our response was a series of eight fitness films showing fun exercises that can be completed away from the pressures and expense of a professional gym. This example shows you how to get rid of those infamous ‘bingo wings’.

 

 

Sky Property

Following our successful series of films looking at saving money, Sky commissioned a series on property. Once again presented by Lucy Piper, this series looked at a range of subjects from improving your garden to being your own estate agent. This example, ‘Don’t move, improve’ looks at the world of home extensions.

 

 

Film

Gaucho Film

Gaucho Film is our premium brand, specialising in high-level corporate productions. This is our chance to show off our creative skills, whether you need a one-off movie or a fully-integrated campaign. We like nothing more than being engaged at the beginning of a project, developing ideas to realise your ambitions. We’re young(ish), energetic and keen to employ all our editorial, broadcast and commercial experience. The bigger the challenge, the happier we are.

 

 

Contact Us

t: +44 (0) 203 058 1190
e: contact@gauchoproductions.com
a: 3rd floor, 2-8 Scrutton Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4RJ

 

 

Honda CR-Z

The CR-Z is Honda's first sporty hybrid and a halo car for the brand. We were asked to capture both the dynamism of the drive and the environmental credentials of its petrol/electric propulsion.

Our solution was a ninety second promo shot on location in southern Spain and employing laser, mirror and smoke technology. Using a mix of formats, including the Red Camera, it was filmed over a day and two nights on closed public roads. Most of the special effects were captured 'in camera', giving the movie a real quality that could not be achieved in post-production.

Initially used on the press launch of the CR-Z, it will be used at shows and events across Europe and the Middle East.

We also produced a comprehensive studio and on-location B-roll package for the car.

 

 

Honda Jazz Movie

In summer 2008, Honda requested a short film that would encapsulate the qualities of the new Jazz. The film would be shown to a thousand journalists at the international press launch and would take the place of a traditional press conference. It needed to reveal the car's key features in a light, entertaining and engaging way.

The film, shot on location in Frankfurt, told a series of short stories, with simple, animated graphics detailing the car's key features. The movie was shot on 35mm film and outputted in High Definition.

Eight different language versions were produced together with 1,000 DVDs for distribution to the media. This was an exciting project made more challenging by the timeframe. The entire production - from the first briefing to the final delivery - spanned just four weeks.

The movie was originally commissioned for press use, but the reaction proved so positive that its scope was quickly extended. It has been used at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, in numerous presentations and in every Honda dealership across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

 

 

ING Explains

ING asked us to develop a series of short form films that would communicate their sponsorship of the Renault grand prix team. Under the working title ‘ING Explains’, they would reveal the inner secrets of Formula One.

Several days were spent filming at the Renault F1 headquarters in Enstone, England. Two films explaining how to get a job in Formula One were complemented by study of carbon fibre and a description of how to livery a grand prix car. A further film was shot on location at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, where our chief exec was given the enviable task of testing a Renault F1 car.

We were also responsible for designing a bespoke ‘ING Explains’ YouTube page.

 

 

The Duel

Vicki Butler-Henderson vs Tom Chilton

Honda UK asked to produce a short viral film to promote the Honda Civic Type R. The film would be shown in Honda dealerships and online. Our concept was to create a friendly duel between tv presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson and British Touring Car star Tom Chilton. Each driver would complete a fast lap of the Oulton Park Circuit in Cheshire, England.

We hired the circuit and worked extensively with a camera car to achieve a series of high-speed action shots. And for the most extreme footage, we attached two minicams to the rear of a second Type R and completed a series of fast laps with the two cars following in close proximity. This demanded a high level of precision driving.

The result is a film that demonstrates the core characteristics of the car in a humorous, engaging and credible way.

 

 

Nissan Cool Dads

A cross-network commercial campaign for Nissan and Sky, ‘Nissan Cool Dads’ set out to find Britain’s coolest dad. We produced a 10sec TV ad that drove traffic to a bespoke microsite. Members of the public were invited to upload images of their dad, explain why he’s so cool, and then vote for Britain’s Coolest Dad. We found and filmed three real world cool dads, creating short films that were shown across Sky’s online network. The campaign exceeded expectations with over 220 ‘dads’ uploaded. Click here to see our film of the winning dad.

 

 

Honda FCX Clarity

Most major manufacturers reckon that the car of the future will be powered by hydrogen. Honda’s FCX Clarity was developed to demonstrate hydrogen technology in a real-world, five-seater saloon and in summer 2009 it made its debut in Europe. Our task was not only to produce a comprehensive B-roll package, but also to create a short film detailing how the technology works. This film was shown to Europe’s leading automotive and lifestyle media.