Glimpses from my Crew Life #BehindTheLens

So one of the many avenues of work I am blessed with happens to be behind the lens. I am signed with the very best crew agency in SA, Call A Crew and I get to enjoy a variety of amazing set environments either as 2nd Assistant Director, Production Coordinator or Cast Coordinator.

What I love about the other side of filming is really the never-ending pace, the high-energy and ever-changing environment that really is not for the faint-hearted.

One of my very first set experiences was AD'ing on an Afrikaans short-film with a group of friends for the KykNet Silwerskerm Filmfees in 2012, called Uit Die Kaskenades - which was one of 10 short-films commisioned to be aired from about 450 entries. And from there the bug bit!



I remember working on a great OlaFilms production for Adidas in the Maboneng Precinct in Johannesburg. It meant anything from scheduling,
wrangling little soccer players, sweeping glass from a tar road and everything in between. I had such great fun on that shoot.


Another Ola Films project had me working with a Norwegian company called Babusjka and we were filming in Rockville, Soweto. Our lead actor was the legend Sam Phillips, it was great to be able to watch him work. The little boy playing the 'younger Sam', had to throw a live chicken onto his parents' bed during a short scene. I got tasked with holding the chicken and passing it to the little one on 'action'!  I learnt that day that if you tie a chicken's feet together they become pretty much passive, but if you untie them - not so much!

I've even had the privilege of meeting Richard Branson's daughter, Holly last year. She is completely down to earth and was telling us all about their preparations for travelling to space with the launch of Virgin Galactic.

The corporate video world has also taken me to a few interesting places, including banks, boxing rings, breweries, insurance companies, charities, universities and many many many... many offices.

My most recent shoot, a week or so ago was on campus at the University of Pretoria, where I was running into a whole bunch of students I coached years ago in their schools' musical revue productions, who are now all students at the Varsity.
And student life at UP really does look fantastic!

The crew shot a lot of interviews and vox pops but then got creative with our cutaways. The Director Zoe and I were driving the DOP around on the back of a golf-cart, getting some great architectural shots and drawing attention every time we had to reverse with that ridiculously loud beeping sound.
All in a day's work!


I learn such a great deal every time I work a new job with a new crew and I'm looking forward to the next adventure to tell you all about...


Chat soon,