QUEENSTOWN FILM COMPANY JOINS FORCES WITH SILVERSTONE RACE TO THE SKY
A Queenstown based award winning film company has become the Silverstone Race to the Sky’s television media partner taking the event to a new promotional level.
The Mountain Film Unit headed by Julian Grimmond, who has an international reputation for his work particularly on the American series The Amazing Race, will control and co-ordinate all television and visual aspects of the Race to the Sky.
Event promoter Grant Aitken says the Race to the Sky is now in its eighth year and is ready to adopt a more professional approach.
“The partnership with the Mountain Film Unit will introduce significant expertise in both television and marketing. There is a lot of global potential for promoting the race.”
Mr Grimmond has personally won two Emmy awards for his role in The Amazing Race. Last year he received a prestigious Producers Guild of America nomination which is an endorsement of the high calibre of his work.
The Mountain Film Unit will provide live coverage at the event, using the traditional large screen, providing spectators with the action as it happens on the hill.
Mr Grimmond says an important aspect will be post event production.
“We are changing the way the event has been dealt with previously and looking at creating some good story lines about the people and personalities involved. We want to generate different types of products recognising the uniqueness and the value of the event.”
He says they will focus on both the domestic and international markets to raise awareness of the Race to the Sky.
“We want to increase people’s demand for coverage and see it as being alongside events such as Formula One racing and the World Rally Championships. We’re hoping to have a television event in New Zealand this year, then we’ll be looking at placing an international version around the world in as many markets as we can.”
The Mountain Film Unit also filmed the Discovery World Adventure Racing Championships and is involved in a variety of work covering sports such as climbing, mountaineering and diving.
“This is the first motorsport event we’ve chosen to be involved with and we think it is a good brand fit between the Mountain Film Unit and the Race to the Sky. We are very excited about it, because we see it as the premiere motorsport event in New Zealand, with a huge global interest which we look forward to helping promote and realise.”
The 2005 Silverstone Race to the Sky is scheduled for Easter Weekend, March 26 and 27 at The Snow Farm in Cardrona Valley, close to Queenstown and Wanaka.
