Visiting productions
Shooting in Western Australia from interstate or overseas
Sound and drone crew based in Perth: your local hire in WA, or flying in with the full kit anywhere in Australia and overseas.
Three ways to work together
Local hire in WA
Fly your camera team in and hire sound and drone here. The kit is already in WA and set up for Australia's wireless bands, so nothing has to clear customs or ride in the hold, and the local permits and land managers are already known.
Fly-in, anywhere in Australia
Richard travels with the full sound and drone kit to shoots in any state, from capital cities to remote strips. Every battery is under 100Wh and suitable for air travel, packed to airline dangerous-goods rules.
Overseas, with the kit
The kit can travel on an ATA carnet to countries that accept one, so it crosses the border without import duty. Drone work abroad is possible once the production has the host country's aviation approval in place, since a CASA certificate covers flying in Australia only.
Why hire from afar
Hiring a crew sight-unseen is a risk. Here's why productions across Australia and overseas trust their Western Australian shoots to Richard.
Proven track record
15+ years and credits with National Geographic, Discovery, ABC, SBS, ITV Studios, Seven Network, Fox Sports, JAM TV and Endemol Shine, plus an ASSG award to back it.
Fully credentialed
CASA RePL-licensed drone pilot and ReOC-certified operator, ASSG member and aeronautical radio operator, with his own public liability cover.
Remote-location ready
4WD access, a current White Card and First Aid, and years of outback, industrial and marine shoots.
Fully self-equipped
Zaxcom wireless audio, Mavic 3 Pro Cine and Inspire 3 drones, IFB and wireless video. Richard arrives production-ready.
Remote-friendly hiring
Brief by video call, review footage online and receive deliverables by secure cloud transfer, with no need for you to be on the ground.
Direct live from anywhere
Video-call into interviews and review shots in real time from interstate or overseas, so you stay across every take.
Calm, collaborative crew
A proactive operator who fits into any crew and communicates clearly across time zones.
Before you shoot in WA
The practical differences that catch visiting crews out, and how hiring locally takes care of them.
Wireless frequencies
Australia's wireless microphone bands differ from those in the US, UK and Europe. Under the ACMA's class licence, wireless mics can use 520–694 MHz (around the local TV channels) and a few other bands, while 694–820 MHz is off-limits entirely. Gear tuned for another country may not be legal to switch on here. Richard's Zaxcom and Lectrosonics kit is set up for Australian bands. ACMA: wireless microphones
Drone work
A cinema drone like the Inspire 3 can only be flown for hire in Australia under a CASA Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator's Certificate (ReOC), by a licensed remote pilot. Hiring a local ReOC holder is the simplest route, and the airspace checks and land-manager permits come with the booking. The WA drone permissions guide covers who controls what.
Crew visas
Overseas crew working in Australia usually need a visa, most often the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) in its entertainment stream, and crew applications go through a union consultation step first, so allow time. Every role you hire locally is one less application. Ausfilm: visas factsheet
Time zone
Perth runs on AWST (UTC+8) all year, with no daylight saving. That puts it level with Singapore and Hong Kong, two to three hours behind Sydney, seven to eight hours ahead of London and fifteen to sixteen hours ahead of Los Angeles. A Perth morning is the previous evening in Los Angeles, and a Perth late afternoon is the London morning, so there's a window for calls either way.
Briefings and paperwork
Briefing by video call is normal, and the first in-person meeting is often the shoot day. Quotes and invoices are in Australian dollars (AUD). Richard carries his own public liability cover, and the certificate of currency that permit applications ask for comes from him, not from you.
This is practical guidance, not legal or migration advice. Rules change, so confirm visa requirements with the Department of Home Affairs and frequencies with the ACMA before you travel.
What to send
The dates, the location (or the region, if you're still scouting), what you're shooting, and whether you need sound, drone or both. For a remote or overseas job, add the nearest airport.
Get in touch