Written by on Jun 4, 2013. Posted in Interviews

EPM Asia Ltd shares production expertise with launch of filming fact sheet

Expedition and Production Management (EPM) Asia Ltd has launched the first in a planned series of fact sheets offering technical production advice for location filming. Steven Ballantyne started EPM Asia in London before moving to Hong Kong in 2010 and he specialises in Asian filming.

Ballantyne originally travelled to Papua New Guinea as a bereavement counsellor. A request to manage local logistics for a shoot from Darlow Smithson Production began his production career with EPM Asia that currently stretches ten years.

“Moving to Asia was always on the cards for me as this is where I have spent the majority of my life,” Ballantyne explains: “I created EPM as a company to reflect the professional expedition management and production management service I provide. I am extremely hands-on and I have purposely kept the company small to ensure I continue to provide the quality of logistics and location services we have become known for.”

Ballantyne thrives on “managing complex logistics” and specialises in remote Asian locations. Recent projects have taken him to the deserts of Mongolia, the jungles of Papua New Guinea and the foothills of Tibet.

EPM’s first fact sheet contains advice on protecting camera equipment from humid weather conditions. It came about when a US client asked Ballantyne for advice ahead of a planned location filming excursion to Myanmar. Future editions are likely to offer technical advice on jungle and desert location filming, respectively.

“Creating the fact sheet was to meet client needs and requests and is provided as general advice only,” Ballantyne adds: “We provide more hands-on detailed advice to clients we are supporting in the field but wanted to share knowledge through a free fact sheet as a commitment to provide the best service possible to past and future clients.”

To find out about Ballantyne's experiences filming on a remote Fijian island for survival documentary Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford, click here.