Azamara Journey

I’ve just returned from probably the best video shoot this year, Worldclass Bartender of the Year 2013 video shoot to find the Bartender of the year.

44 of the world’s best bartenders – together with fine-drinking industry elite, international celebrities, and global taste-makers – convened aboard the boutique Azamara Journey cruise liner, for the fifth annual WORLD CLASS Global Final.

We set sail along the French Riviera in Nice and Monte Carlo, the voyage included stopovers in some of the Mediterranean’s most iconic and chic destinations including St. Tropez and Ibiza, before culminating in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, The Bullring, where the WORLDCLASS Bartender of the Year 2013 was crowned .

I was working for Electric Robin, who in turn were employed by Getty Images to capture B-Roll and produce a Sizzle of the event for the world media. We shot on the Canon C300 video cameras, and the results were quite stunning. The crew consisted of two cameras myself and Conor O’Grady and FCP editor and Producer Ross Brandon.

44 Contestants line up for photo shoot

Filming against a Mediterranean sunset, It doesn’t get better than that

The constants had various challenges to do, based around making fantastic cocktails, and ‘no.. I did not get to sample’, we had to video all taking part and make a short video production for the internet.

Filming against beautiful Mediterranean blues skies and backgrounds is always a pleasure, although the days were pretty long, some nights not finishing until the early hours, you cant help but look back and think this is a great way of earning a living. Next year the contest will be in Las Vegas, fingers crossed we might be there.

Filming at the Bullring Barcelona with Ross Brandon

Thanks to Ian Gavan for the Photos