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The most mobile of eyes in the sky
The Belgian company, Flying-Cam, provides close range aerial filming. In the "nichest of niche" markets of indoor and outdoor film and photography from miniature helicopters, Flying-Cam is the brain child of Emmanuel Previnaire, President, System Designer and Pilot.
The company was formed in 1988, after Mr Previnaire combined two of his skills and passions: aeronautics and movies. Starting with music videos, Flying-Cam quickly expanded their services to cover commercials and then movies. The latter sector was the catalyst for opening their second office in Santa Monica in Los Angeles in 1994.
Flying-Cam have assisted a vast number of blockbuster movies for which the company won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement from the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences in 1995. Its global reputation, technical and creative talent, and perfect safety record contributed to the growth of its Asian business – which prompted the opening of the groups’ third office in Hong Kong in March 2005. With ambitious expansion plans for Hong Kong to service their increasing regional business, InvestHK spoke to Mr Previnaire about Flying-Cam’s decision to set up its regional operation in the city.
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Why Hong Kong?
"I already knew Hong Kong well, having visited several times for shoots. The city is attractive for this business for many reasons. It is easy for us to converse and operate in English, and it is a good transitional place for foreigners, given the combination of east and west.
In physical terms, Hong Kong provides a great backdrop for our work, with spectacular architecture, physical diversity, vegetation and of course, lots of water – a popular subject for our type of filming. Its close proximity to China, where we have already undertaken several projects, is also a plus.
Hong Kong people are very well educated and have a broad global outlook, in terms of business and culture, which is important in our international and creative line of work. The government is proactively pushing the film industry, which is now a key target market for Flying-Cam; so, we hope local demand will increase as a result. We are already serving many clients throughout Asia, including Vietnam, Mainland China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and thus are off to a very strong start.
Cyberport is great location for us, in terms of technical facilities (including the Digital Media Centre), value for money space and inspiring surroundings. We often work outside; the airy campus and waterside location helps the creative spirit."
Priorities and challenges
"We are in a highly specialised niche field that requires the very best talent. We are looking to grow our Hong Kong-based team, by sourcing and training people to operate the cameras, help with the technical aspects of the helicopters and more. There are only a few people in the world who have the right skills. We have a perfect safety record, coupled with the highest calibre of clientele. Therefore, we are looking for the top people in the world, who are proficient in English.
There are many exciting projects on our horizon. Events like the Beijing Olympics present great opportunities.
To date, Flying-Cam has been a service provider internationally, producing film footage to meet our clients' needs. In the future, we are considering diversifying into selling our system.
For now our highest priority is to provide our clients in Asia with the quality we are well known for in the other part of the world."
Meeting expectations?
"To date, I have been hugely impressed with the professionalism of the service providers in the city. My experience with accountants and tax advisers and the like has been very positive. They are certainly world class, and surpass those in EU and US in terms of client service.
One surprise came with unexpected recurring additional cost for the temporary export of our machinery from Hong Kong. However, having operated throughout Asia and spoken with many operators and businessmen, I firmly believe Hong Kong is the easiest place to set up and operate a successful business in Asia. Furthermore, there is great creativity – a prerequisite for our industry – and an impressive service mentality, so that you are made to feel most welcome.
The commercial spirit of the town is endearing. Overall, Hong Kong people are savvy businessmen and very open to negotiate and deal. Often things that are presented as “non-negotiable" are actually merely a starting point for discussion."
How did InvestHK help?
"I originally met InvestHK at the FilmArt trade show in Hong Kong in 2004. They assisted with my initial enquiries about how I could go about setting up in Hong Kong. InvestHK continues to help me with my ongoing enquiries about funding.
It is useful to know I have an ally on standby, whenever I come up against an area where I need help. This is particularly helpful when we are trying to run such a lean operation in a business environment that is relatively new to us."
Top tips?
"Don't rush into opening your office. Really invest time up front before you make the move to the city, so you can get off to a good fee-earning start. Forward thinking is key.
Speak to tenants of the building in which you want to locate before you move in. Like when you do anything for the first time, it makes sense to ask questions and learn practical insights from those who have done it before.
Word of mouth works especially well in Hong Kong, especially for us since the freelancers spread the word to each new project team."
www.flying-cam.com
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