The production crew for Carlton TV are breaking new ground in their filming approach to the new Naval drama Making Waves.

This will be the first drama series of this nature to be filmed entirely using the next generation of mini-DV digital cameras.

Conventional TV production cameras are large and bulky, and these miniaturised digital versions are better suited to the rather restricted conditions to be found on board a warship.

Producer Philip Shelley said: “We are pleased to be pioneering and breaking new ground in this way.”

The series is set around fictional Type 23 frigate HMS Suffolk, commanded by Cdr Martin Brooke, played by actor Alex Fern – formerly EastEnders baddie Trevor.

HMS Grafton has been transformed into the HMS Suffolk for the duration, with a fine attention to detail – her name plates and funnel badges have been changed, ship’s computers have an HMS Suffolk screensaver, and Cdr Brooke’s cabin is decorated with pictures of him with his Sea Harrier squadron, and a child’s crayon drawing of the ship.

HMS Grafton was chosen as the filming platform as she had recently returned from a long deployment and had a harmony period alongside in her home port – although the ship’s company are still training and working alongside the lights and cameras.

Each day more than three hours of footage goes back to the Carlton production offices which have been set up in a building in Portsmouth Naval Base, close to Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory.

Every minute of the footage is processed as a digital signal and put together into a rough cut at the sophisticated editing suites using state-of-the art Avid editing software.

There are three dedicated Navy personnel committed to supporting the film crew: Lt Cdr Kevin Fincher, WO Dave Allport and LS Sarah Worthy.

The three offer invaluable expertise on the ins and outs of Naval life, and can advise on the finer details of correct uniform, posture and slang.

But the Naval trio have not been able to resist the lure of the limelight, and at various points in the drama can be spied as extras in the backgrounds of the filmed scenes.

There are usually about 60 personnel on any single day tied up in the daily shooting production, but this number can swell to almost 150, most of whom will be on set involved in the actual filming.

The equipment and paraphernalia that go with TV filming is immense, and the unit HQ in the naval base is bolstered with a compound of wagons for make-up and costume, a galley, and trucks for cameras, electrics and lighting.

Days are long, with an average day’s filming starting at 7am and extending to after 7pm, with the times shifting right or left for gruelling night shoots.

Filming began on March 24 and takes place six days a week. Everything is due to be finished towards the end of this month, with a broadcast date expected later in the autumn.

Filming has been going on around the Portsmouth area, with HMS Grafton serving as the main filming platform but the film crew have also been out and about in Fareham and Gosport.

Some scenes have been filmed at the Navy’s sinking ship training simulator, the Damage Repair Instructional Unit (DRIU) at HMS Excellent in Whale Island.