Based in Asia. Filming the World.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge has established a reputation is one of the classic, extreme rally events since it was originally launched in 1991 by Mohammed Ben Sulayaem. Drivers and vehicles travel from all over the world to pitch men and machine against the vast stretches of unforgiving sands in the remoteness of the Empty Quarter.

Contested in four distinct categories - cars, trucks bike and quads, teams must navigate across almost 2000 kms of searing desert dunes to pass within 25 meters of invisible, electronic GPS way points and beat world class competition to the finish line .

ESPN Asia commissioned a 1 hour documentary of the event and specialist cameramen, producers, directors and support personnel from as far away as Australia and Asia combined their talents to bring dynamic imagery to an international television audience. The production team included Ian Carless, Jon Moore, Matt Gormly, Steve French, Steve Moro, Olly, Paula Malai Ali and lead driver, Dave Pryce

At dawn each day, camera crews would travel hundreds of kilometers to predetermined vantage points where they would camp and await the race leaders as rivers and navigators attempted to locate the GPS waypoints and find the fastest route across the desert.

Aerial cinematographer Laurie K. Gilbert was equipped with a Schwem gyrolens and he operated from a Bell 412 helicopter with the SAR (Search & Rescue) teams and he spent almost five hours a day criss-crossing the desert vista hunting for dramatic aerial imagery. When the SAR team received a radio call from race HQ, they would divert the aircraft to its primary function and immediatly responded to the medical emergency on the race course. Once the victim had been stabilised at the accident scene, they were evacuated immediatly by the helicopter team to the nearest desert hospital and the aircraft then reverted back to its secondary role as camera ship for aerial cinematography.