100 kilometres north-east of Aberdeen lies ‘Buzzard’, one of the largest offshore installations in the North Sea. The Buzzard field is still one of the largest oil and gas producing fields in the UK Continental Shelf. 2022 was the installation’s 10th anniversary and its operator, CNOOC International, commissioned us to make ‘People Powered’ a fly-on-the-wall documentary about life on board.
Our film crew spent five days on the platform filming the activities and individuals that keep the installation running 24/7. The objective was to capture a true representation of life aboard the four interlinked platforms that make up Buzzard. The film featured interviews with some of its longest serving workers, and new recruits, to get a sense of the dedication shown and sacrifices made by this hard-working team.
Over that time, our crew carried their equipment over every inch of Buzzard, from the helideck at one end, to the highest crane at the other, via the workshops, messroom, lifeboats and all spaces between. So many stairs! The weather was kind, and we were also able to film some incredible 4K drone shots of the entire installation.
‘People Powered’, was premiered simultaneously to the Buzzard team on shore and offshore, to a warm reception. We would like to thank CNOOC and the entire Buzzard family for making us feel so welcome.
Signal in Aberdeen are experienced video producers, with expertise in filming videos offshore and onshore, anywhere in the world.