LS Productions Secures Edgbaston as Lufthansa Launches Cricket Themed Campaign

CZAR Film teams up with LS Productions to launch a new campaign for Lufthansa India, as Germany’s largest airliner opens more flight routes to India. 

Directed by CZAR’s Martin Werner, the film is centred on the story of a coach instructing his English team in the Indian way, from eating and training, to yoga and dancing.

LS Productions were brought on board by CZAR and tasked with finding an English cricket stadium for the shoot. It was imperative for the ground to have no affiliation with another airline, which proved to be a challenge as many of England’s cricket grounds had already been snapped up by competitors. 

Having put forward eight potential stadiums and scouted a further two (shortlisting three), Edgbaston in Birmingham was the client’s final choice. As the fourth largest in the UK, with seating for 25,000 spectators, it certainly made for an impressive shoot backdrop.

Amy Morement, Location Manager at LS Productions, explains: “We struck gold with Edgbaston as we were able to secure the entirety of the grounds for the shoot, including the training area and changing rooms. The films were shot in winter which meant that frosty ground was an issue, particularly as the groundsmen are understandably protective of their playing surface. We had to ensure that the 80-strong crew and cast members were really sensitive and careful with the ground.”

Thorne Mutert, Executive Producer of CZAR, comments: “This was another great shoot with LS Productions in England, our third together. Edgbaston was exactly what we hoped for - the LS locations team gaining us complete access for a long weekend of shooting. With a large cast and crew this really made the job as easy as possible. Sarah and her team really know their stuff, are flexible and make it fun… What more could we need!”

As well as scouting and securing the location, LS carried out the entirety of the casting for the project. Primarily sourcing talent in Manchester and London, they also recruited several locals for the shoot (including the manager of Edgbaston’s dad, who was cast as a chef in a scene that didn’t make the cut of the final film!). 

The one-day shoot followed two days of recce and preparation and utilised both a drone and a rain machine, with the only shot not filmed on location that of the plane scene, instead captured in Frankfurt, Germany. 

Sarah Drummond, Executive Producer at LS Productions, adds: “It was great to welcome CZAR, Thorne and the team back for the third time. We’d wanted to work with Martin for a long time – to be able to do so at this location was amazing. The flexibility and support from the team made it in easy place to shoot – even when we had to get a curry delivered at 10am on the Sunday morning to use for filming!”