We’d like to introduce OBU, the newest addition to our team - our FANTASTIC Outside Broadcast Unit (hence the name OBU if you were wondering)!
OBU is a Nissan El Grand & she has an amazing story to tell. Starting in Japan, she travelled around the world arriving in England last Summer, at the impressive age of 19. She was initially bought & customised with the owner’s intention to drive across Europe with his family, but after a phone call last September he agreed to let us take a look at her; initially to check out the size and configuration possibilities.
A visit, test drive & lots of research later and we decided to buy OBU! She has been amazing for end2end TV from the outset, quickly becoming a part of things. Looking smart with her new e2e signs she was used on various shoots & outings before being converted; both locally and a little more further afield at the British Film Institute, Southbank.
OBU is an idea that originally sparked well over a year ago. At first Peter batted it right out of the park as a crazy idea, but months later it came up in conversation again and we allowed ourselves to tentatively consider vehicles and spec, wondering if we could actually do this. The concept grew & evolved into an off the wall, utterly wonderful ‘Lorraine & Peter idea’ that encapsulates us, our vision at e2e & the brilliant young people we have the pleasure of working with.
We took a while to find the right person to help us convert OBU; then Peter spoke to his old friend Terry. Peter has known Terry for many years & they share a love of working on projects that bring innovation to life. When we approached him with e2e’s new addition he didn’t hesitate to take our unique idea, learn more about outside broadcast units and start planning & working out how to make our vision happen. As chief designer & project manager, Terry has been brilliant, made even more amazing as the project became an incredible family effort! Terry’s Dad welded the metalwork & his daughter painted everything - they even used their extra Christmas dining table within the design! Together they have combined their craftsmanship & skills, re-imagining our initial plan; converting OBU beautifully and we absolutely love the outcome!
Terry's Autos 1 Horn Lane, Greenwich SE10 0RT 020 8305 1744
El Grands are traditionally used to transport celebrities & stars; well ours may be 20 years old, but she has a brand new chapter ahead as end2end TV's outside broadcast unit! Our vision was to be able to live stream from the middle of a field (well, why not right?!) We wanted to have a mobile control room, enabling us to go out into the community, reach more young people and have a positive impact.
What we have actually achieved is so much more!
At end2end TV we know there are no limits to what children can learn when given an opportunity. So we allowed ourselves to explore an idea too ... and are so happy & excited to see our vision brought to life!
OBU's story is the prelude to untold exciting possibilities, starting with the fantastic opportunity to live stream for a charity cycle event; Tour de Bexley #4 and launching our new YouTube channel! But more on that in the next blog!
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