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

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.

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.

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.

Kwok Yau

Producer

Kwok began life as a fashion designer for Vivienne Westwood, but soon discovered his true calling as a film producer. His terrifying ability to rationalise everything is the envy of us all and his contacts book would be a sure-fire hit on Ebay - Kwok has worked with some of the world’s most famous commercial directors and bands.

Will Roberts

Technical Director

Will heads our events team and likes nothing better than a tight schedule, a tricky build and an even tighter budget. His seventeen year (and counting) career has seem him deliver the Red Bull Air Race in London, manage the start of the 2007 Tour De France and oversee a 7,500 sqm interactive ‘Thunderbirds’ stand at the Birmingham Motorshow.

Margot Schellens

Production Assistant

Our fearless Dutch Production Assistant adds a hefty dose of planning and organisation to the Gaucho mix. With an MA in Technology and Cultural Form in Digital Media, she's as happy to discuss 'technological determinism' as she is the practicalities of getting a camera crew to Spain. She's also bakes a brilliant cake and her skills with a hockey stick make her fearsome as well as fearless.

 

 

 

 

News

News

Sky Showbiz Fashion TV

28/6/2010

The first episode of our eight-part Sky Showbiz series has gone live. Stylist presenter Emma Rice hits the Brighton beach and talks us through creating the best on-trend beachwear looks of this summer. See it here.

Visa Fixer

14/6/2010

We've just shot a viral ad for Visa with Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara, frontmen of Sky Sports, in which they discuss their ultimate World Cup experience. Shot on location in a traditional pub in Balham, southwest London, the viral 'eavesdrops' on two friends enjoying a pint and some witty banter. The viral is part of the Visa Fixer Competition in which you can win 20,000 GBP and a Visa Fixer to make your ultimate FIFA World Cup experience come true.

Sky Showbiz - Stylist Presenter

14/5/2010

Meet the presenter for our new Sky Showbiz series: Emma Rice. Having worked in the fashion industry for ten years as a model and stylist, the newest addition to the Gaucho team will be fronting an 8-part series for Sky.

New fashion series with Sky Showbiz

6/5/2010

We've just been commissioned to produce a new eight-part series for Sky Showbiz. We'll be touring the UK looking for the latest 'street style' and showing Showbiz users how to 'get the look'. The films will be shown on www.skyshowbiz.com over the summer months.

CR-Z Launch Movie Goes Live

8/4/2010

Our launch movie for the 2010 Honda CR-Z has gone live. Shot on location in southern Spain over a day and two nights, it mixes mirror, laser and smoke technology. Most of the special effects were created 'for real' and caught in the camera. Designed to capture both the dynamism and the eco-credentials of Honda's first sporty hybrid, it's debuting at the international press launch in Amsterdam and will be used at promotional events across Europe and the Middle East. Visit our YouTube page here to see the end result.

Gaucho 2.0

26/3/2010

Even though Madonna sings of living in a material world, we have made the big step into the digital one: we are now promoting our existence across a range of platforms. Our YouTube channel at youtube.com/GauchoProductions features some special director's cuts of our films. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/GauchoProd) and we'll tell you what's buzzing in the Gaucho mind, and become a Gaucho groupie on our Facebook page, where we'll show you behind the scenes footage of all our shoots.

Geneva Motor Show 2010

5/3/2010

A 2-man 1-woman Gaucho-crew flew out to Geneva to produce a grand total of 34 movies for Edmunds' Inside Line's coverage of the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, which are available to watch here. Our success was dependent on patience, charm, and English, German, French and Dutch language skills. One of our personal highlights was the showing of our Honda CR-Z Geneva Motor Show Cut. It makes us proud to see our work in action.

We are a Noble Lot

19/2/2010

What would you like to do best in a snow storm? Attempt a high speed run on an airfield in a hypercar lacking stability control? We took the Noble M600 to 200mph at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in a film for Edmunds' Inside Line, but the elements were against us. The result is a world exclusive test of a Noble in the snow. Go straight through to the film and see for yourself.

USAlistair

13/1/2010

Our front man Alistair led the presenting team for Edmunds' Inside Line at the Detroit Auto Show, sharing his views on what's new, fast and atrocious. Click here to watch his verdicts.

New Honda Challenge for Gaucho

8/1/2010

We've been asked by Honda Motor Europe to produce the launch movie for the new Honda CR-Z, which will be launched in April. And we'll also be producing a comprehensive B-roll package with shoots in Southern Spain and Amsterdam.

Gaucho Moves On

15/12/2009

We've just moved into our new offices in Shoreditch, London. There's more room to fill with clutter and our own, bespoke kitchenette, of which we're particularly proud. The full address of our new home is: 2-8 Scrutton Street, London EC2A 4RJ, and our telephone answers to +44 (0)203 058 1190.

Will Roberts joins Gaucho

15/12/2009

We're thrilled that Will Roberts has joined us as Technical Director to add event mangement services to our mix. Will's spent the last eighteen years in events, during which time he's lost his hair, organised the start of the 2007 Tour de France and hosted the Red Bull Air Race over The Thames. He's joined us from a project in Delhi, where he developed a unique take on health and safety!

 

 

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.