Universal Pictures Teams Up With Audiolink <br>On Location In London

Audiolink supplied the radio communications systems to the Universal Pictures film crews during filming of this winter’s feel-good film, Last Christmas, starring Emilia Clarke and Emma Thompson.

The Challenge

The greatest challenge on this project was organising the specific geographic frequencies needed for filming in and around central London – on-site in Covent Garden, Marylebone and Regent Street, for example – as there is a very high demand for radio frequencies in London; moreover, radios set to use a dedicated frequency like this must not be used outside the licensed area, because the same frequency will probably have been allocated to another user in congested spaces like central London.

The Solution

Audiolink ensured the correct requesting of and monitoring of frequencies, for filming both in the city and on set at the West London Film Studios in Hayes, and supplied several hundred Motorola Solutions GP340 two-way portable radios over the winter and spring of 2018 to 2019. The radios were used in direct ‘walkie-talkie’ mode over short distances, so there was no need to set up repeaters for a radio network. Audiolink also provided a spare pool of radios (which weren’t needed on this project) and radio accessories such as earpieces, covert kits and chargers, as well as 4G data devices for internet connection and a range of iPhones for the film crew.

Audiolink offered a turnkey service and support on-site in London, 24/7, as filming often took place during the night shift and, having worked with Universal Pictures for over 25 years, this was yet another example of a successful project together.

The Results

Close collaboration and Audiolink’s great film production experience ensured the success of this deployment
Audiolink obtained all the necessary frequencies for seamless communications in locations across London
The radios provided excellent audio clarity, in view of the potential for high background noise in the capital
Audiolink was always on hand to provide service and assistance

System Summary

Several hundred two-way radios licensed for usage in specific areas of London
Range of radio accessories such as earpieces, covert kits and chargers
4G data devices and a range of iPhones
Full support and service from Audiolink

Look out for the following blockbusters coming to screens later this year: James Bond 007: No Time To Die, Fast & Furious 9, Wonder Woman 1984 and Tenet. Audiolink has recently supplied radio systems to all these film crews.