Archive for 2010

I’m sitting in a room measuring roughly 12 by 12, that can comfortably fit 30 people. I’m in said room with about 50 people, trying to form some semblance of an orderly queue in front of two windows, behind which two robots are sitting.

Yes, I’m in the Angolan Embassy picking up visas for a small crew heading out there shortly. By shortly, I mean this afternoon. It’s now 11am and the small knot in my stomach is growing steadily. One of the robots told me two hours ago that the visas and passports hadn’t been returned yet, despite several previous visits and telephone calls to ascertain that yes, they would be ready. I may have single handedly almost started a sit-in at the Embassy, stating in my most authoritative voice that “I am not leaving here without those visas”. I may come to regret that – the robot simply blinked at me.

In an attempt to cool down the steam issuing violently from my ears – people are starting to stare – I thought I’d embrace modern technology, curl up in a corner until the robot waves his magic wand and produces my visas, and update the blog from the depths of just-off-Baker-Street.

Although this has been my first Embassy experience this year, it certainly won’t be my last, as we will be sending the same crew to Kazakhstan in the New Year. We also sent Paul to Dubai for the Arab Health Conference with Lord Ara Darzi in January, Andrew and Fergus on two different trips to oil rigs in the North Sea, Fergus to Dubai and Hong Kong (jealous? I was), Andrew again to Amsterdam – he was very quick off the mark to volunteer for that one – and to Zurich, and our freelancers to North Dakota (strangely, no Pukka volunteers for that one). Paul also went to South Africa, happily not to watch our dismal performance in the World Cup. Incidentally, Fergus says that Hong Kong is amazing, and Dubai is a bit like Croydon in the summer.

I think my visas are ready… the robot just blinked at me again. More reflections to come soon – next time from the Kazakh embassy. Shame there isn’t a Time Out for Embassies..

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Anyone with kids has probably been begged for a Wii console, if they don’t already have one. Jeff has produced a promo for the new ‘Just Dance’ game, as well as a talent search event for a new game character for the sequel, ‘Just Dance 2’. This was shot on the 5D, which performed very well in low light. Judged by the 2009 Britain’s Got Talent Winners, Diversity, the winner Manny Davis will be motion captured for the game. It will certainly be on Paul’s Christmas list this year..

Nike Ad

They cut the end off….. oops…
but wow that’s an ad!

We’ve just finished producing our first film for Inmarsat, the global satellite company. There were two crews: 1 in South Africa and 1 in London… You can guess who went where. Paul headed down to the Cape to film in the very windy and blowy bush and I headed off to Old Street at 6am to capture the live-feed from the bush via satellite onto tape in a machine room (glamourous or what?).

A first real test of the 5D and a steep learning curve for Dave Meadows our DP. But the film looks fantastic and I can see now why South Africa is the place to shoot – if only we could persuade all our clients to let us head there…

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