Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Another day, another tech recce.

This is the usual scenario: eight people in a minibus. The chaperone up front with the director. In this case, a suave German who looks like an eighties pop star - sunbed tan and floppy hair. He had the Emmanuelle soundtrack on a loop.
Then you have the first AD, the DOP, the Key Grip... assorted grown men in death metal t-shirts and knuckle tattoos. And, back corner, the reserved art director. In the sundress and pink nail polish.
At some point they always forget I'm there and I learn interesting things about stag parties and juggling girlfriends. Oh, and hours of sport talk.  Y a w n.
Today we did a demented zig-zag from Hout Bay to Tokai and all of the in between.
I've worked on a few shoots in the townships. People get nervous. But my experience has always been the same: utter friendliness, big smiles and a lively curiousity. I took these pics in Guguletu today, in an area called Barcelona.


Temba is the style king. He works for and wears clothing label "Darkie", available from the Long Street shop.
Towards mid-afternoon it gets hot in the car, everyone gets drowsy. The soft porn music isn't helping. Heads nod and jerk. I once read somewhere: the male has to snore, to frighten away predators. 

4 comments:

Roy said...

great photos.

arcadia said...

dis hilarious om die enigste vrou in 'n crew te wees. ek kan net hul gesprekke in die kar imagine.

Marijke said...

you describe it so well! I've had a few oblique experiences of the same during film shoots at my house. what a strange world we live in.

Anonymous said...

Dankie ...dis alweer innie hart