The Safari TV team brought together for you this great diary. Let us show you some great footage of hippos fighting and let us explain you the medicinal uses of the Knob Thorn tree. Because it is in our nature.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.28
Even though the weather was quite an handicap the WE team managed to get some interesting sightings of rhinos and elephants. The highlight of the day being a bushbaby winking at us.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.27
A Sunday spent with lots of birds : grey herons, hamerkop, pied kingfisher to name a few. We also saw some more bee eaters for those who missed them on saturday. In the afternoon we spent some time with a herd of elephants. Some of the mums being quite protective of their young.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.26
An interesting saturday with some elephants feeding on some Round Leaf Tick bushes early in the morning. A young elephant, trying to imitate his mum, was quite funny. Later on we came across the same young giraffe as yesterday, still in a playful mood. As the sun was setting, we spotted some baboons busy feeding and getting ready for the night.
2010.006.26- 3D soon!!!!
Just a quick note to say that today all the 3D equipment has arrived....I have never seen so much equipment in my life!! Cameras, monitors, cables, manuals etc all over the place!! Alex, our IT is doing a good job at connecting everything and trying to make it work...but he's far from done i think!
We are supposed to be ready to film and broadcast LIVE on 01st of july....We will be ready but the next few days are going to be quite hectic!! It's gonna be a 3D week-end!! ;) interesting!!
Some pics below from today from my collegue Afke.
Cheerio for now!
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.25
Some very interesting sightings today, with Mixo having breakfast on a guinea fowl kill as the sun rises. Later in the morning we came across a young giraffe, willing to play with some impalas. Two young baboons also played in the warm winter sun nearby. In the afternoon, Jared found a snake track and explained to us how to "read" it.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.24
A very rich day in Djuma Game Reserve with some impalas warming up as the sun came up.We also came across Mixo who was in a very sleepy mood, a hyaena and some elephants playing around. Our afternoon was highlighted by some buffalos and some dwarf mongoose watching the last rays of a stunning sundowner.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.23
We had a surprising visit early morning with some baboons right above our camp. We then found some hyaenas on what was left over from the buffalo kill. Mixo was brave enough to stick around but he still couldn't get any access to the carcass. We ended up the day with the Mancingelana Coalition having a well deserved rest in the shade.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.22
Another big cat day in Djuma Game Reserve with the Mancingelana coalition still feeding on a buffalo kill. Later on with also came across Mixo who was attracted by the smell from the buffalo carcass.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.21
Another incredible day at Djuma wiht Gijima males on buffalo kill, with Mancigelana males chasing them off later. We also found elephants as well as two brother leopards, Mixo and Induna.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.20
Some more special sightings - a limping Styx male and Mixo trying to get his own goose.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.19
Incredible footage of two rhinos fighting, also a warthog, baboons, tawny eagle.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.18
A day full of cats! Starting of with Induna with an egyptian goose for breakfast, Mixo joining him later, we also found the Styx pride, with the emaciated lioness among them, looking a bit better. As it was getting later in the day, we found Mixo again and watched his beautiful profile on top of a fallen marula tree trunk.
Safari TV Diary - 2010.06.17
A very exciting day with a baby rhino, elephants, and Karula and the boys in the dark.
3D!!
2010.06.26 - Sabi Sand Game Reserve - 16h30
Just a quick note to say that today all the 3D equipment has arrived....I have never seen so much equipment in my life!! Cameras, monitors, cables, manuals etc all over the place!! Alex, our IT is doing a good job at connecting everything and trying to make it work...but he's far from done i think!
We are supposed to be ready to film and broadcast LIVE on 01st of july....We will be ready but the next few days are going to be quite hectic!! It's gonna be a 3D week-end!! ;) interesting!!
Some pics below from today from my collegue Afke.
Cheerio for now!
Just a quick note to say that today all the 3D equipment has arrived....I have never seen so much equipment in my life!! Cameras, monitors, cables, manuals etc all over the place!! Alex, our IT is doing a good job at connecting everything and trying to make it work...but he's far from done i think!
We are supposed to be ready to film and broadcast LIVE on 01st of july....We will be ready but the next few days are going to be quite hectic!! It's gonna be a 3D week-end!! ;) interesting!!
Some pics below from today from my collegue Afke.
Cheerio for now!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
What a way to start a day!!
20.06.10 - 06h30 AM - Sabi Sand Game Reserve
It's sunday...Am sure you're all sleeping or coming back from a hectic night out!
Well on my side I am working :) and I finally updated the blog!! You can see below some text from the 17th of june...I wrote everyday on my laptop but I did not have time to upload it on my blog. This morning I am taking the time!! Why? Because on my way to the office (we have 20 mn drive every morning through the reserve in an open land rover) we saw a leopard!!!!! And guess what he, actually she (her name is Kerula) was right by our office!!! 20 metres from the parking lot!!! What a way to start a sunday!! :)
If you want to see the stuff I am editing at the moment, follow these links:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBja45Vt1Dc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ApXl0D-I2k
My job, basically is to edit 6hours of safari to make a 3 mn Safari TV diary everyday...I have already made two (17th june and 18th june that you can see on you tube if you follow these links). If the links don't work, just go on you tube and type "safari TV diary 17th june" and the same for 18th june!
I'll be uploading my 3 mn safari tv diaries every day so if you want, you can become a fan and watch my diaries every day :)
You can also go on www.wildearth.tv and watch our morning and afternoon game drives ON LIVE!!!! Yes, on live!!!! And this is what then I edit to make a 3mn diary! On the website, click on safari chanel under Live Channels and then click PLAY....Every day between 6h00 and 09h00 AM and 15h00-18h00.
Safari Channel is also on facebook..you can become a member by just clicking "like It". You will also be able to access to the videos on facebook and comment on them....don't be rude to me ;)
Finally there is a blog....http://blog.safari.tv/2010_06_01_archive.html This is the link...They actually introduce me on last text with a picture of me ! :)
Enjoy :)
I have to run! Lots to do! But what a pleasure!!
Cheerio! and good reading below! ;)
It's sunday...Am sure you're all sleeping or coming back from a hectic night out!
Well on my side I am working :) and I finally updated the blog!! You can see below some text from the 17th of june...I wrote everyday on my laptop but I did not have time to upload it on my blog. This morning I am taking the time!! Why? Because on my way to the office (we have 20 mn drive every morning through the reserve in an open land rover) we saw a leopard!!!!! And guess what he, actually she (her name is Kerula) was right by our office!!! 20 metres from the parking lot!!! What a way to start a sunday!! :)
If you want to see the stuff I am editing at the moment, follow these links:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBja45Vt1Dc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ApXl0D-I2k
My job, basically is to edit 6hours of safari to make a 3 mn Safari TV diary everyday...I have already made two (17th june and 18th june that you can see on you tube if you follow these links). If the links don't work, just go on you tube and type "safari TV diary 17th june" and the same for 18th june!
I'll be uploading my 3 mn safari tv diaries every day so if you want, you can become a fan and watch my diaries every day :)
You can also go on www.wildearth.tv and watch our morning and afternoon game drives ON LIVE!!!! Yes, on live!!!! And this is what then I edit to make a 3mn diary! On the website, click on safari chanel under Live Channels and then click PLAY....Every day between 6h00 and 09h00 AM and 15h00-18h00.
Safari Channel is also on facebook..you can become a member by just clicking "like It". You will also be able to access to the videos on facebook and comment on them....don't be rude to me ;)
Finally there is a blog....http://blog.safari.tv/2010_06_01_archive.html This is the link...They actually introduce me on last text with a picture of me ! :)
Enjoy :)
I have to run! Lots to do! But what a pleasure!!
Cheerio! and good reading below! ;)
What a diary!!
19.06.2010 – 20h30 – Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Woke up bright and early this morning at 5h15 to be at the camp at 06h00…Did not see much on the way as it was still dark…and freezing!! I had a shirt, a long leaf shirt, a jersey, two jackets and a beanie!!
Once I got to our office, I started editing and, basically I didn’t stop until 16h00!! Jeez I love it!!! I finished off my Safari TV Diary from the 17th June and I made the 18th diary…which I must say is quite something!! If you have the time to go on You Tube (will post a link) try and remember to watch my diaries from the 17th! Especially if you want to see a leopard feeding on an Egyptian goose, some superb shots of lions and leopards and some very interesting elephant interactions!
As you can imagine I did not have time to go on the net so my blog is still not updated. I will try tomorrow first thing in the morning and I will also put a link so that you can go and watch these two diaries I have already made. Alex is supposed to upload them tonight.
I have so much to learn about Final Cut Pro and finding my way in there is not easy! Alex is of great help but he’s going on leave on the 28 June so I have to be ready and independent by then!! I better start taking some notes! Editing is not a problem but importing files, saving them correctly, exporting the project etc….this is serious shit!! But I’ll get there! Alex is a Russian IT so for him, computer language is not that hard! He reminds me of Jeff from XO Africa! Even tho, one of them drinks more beers than the other! ;)
After a long editing Saturday until 16h00, we came back to our place. Two rhinos on the way!
Took a walk around the property (private property as I have already explained I think) and saw some zebras and impalas by a waterhole nearby. As the sun was setting down I also heard a Brown Hyaena in the distance.
Final Cut Pro Manual time!! And then I will read a bit more of Roxanne’s book…it’s called “Le voyage d’Hector ou la recherche du Bonheur” (sorry if you don’t speak French!) and it’s about finding happiness!
As I was walking around the property this afternoon, I sat by myself in the middle of nowhere to watch the sundowner and I must say I had a bit of a nostalgic moment….don’t get me wrong, I am happy here and I love what I am doing but I thought about a few people with whom I would love to share all of this! My good friends are not around anymore and I must admit that I miss them a lot! But I guess you can’t have everything in life so I better get used to it! It’s just that this afternoon it would have been really cool to sit there with the few people I really love and enjoy that moment to the fullest! But you know what, I was by myself and I still enjoyed that sunset with those zebras and impalas in the golden hour! I enjoyed it for you (because if you read my blog you are a good friend – or you are really bored!) and for me!
One Love!
Woke up bright and early this morning at 5h15 to be at the camp at 06h00…Did not see much on the way as it was still dark…and freezing!! I had a shirt, a long leaf shirt, a jersey, two jackets and a beanie!!
Once I got to our office, I started editing and, basically I didn’t stop until 16h00!! Jeez I love it!!! I finished off my Safari TV Diary from the 17th June and I made the 18th diary…which I must say is quite something!! If you have the time to go on You Tube (will post a link) try and remember to watch my diaries from the 17th! Especially if you want to see a leopard feeding on an Egyptian goose, some superb shots of lions and leopards and some very interesting elephant interactions!
As you can imagine I did not have time to go on the net so my blog is still not updated. I will try tomorrow first thing in the morning and I will also put a link so that you can go and watch these two diaries I have already made. Alex is supposed to upload them tonight.
I have so much to learn about Final Cut Pro and finding my way in there is not easy! Alex is of great help but he’s going on leave on the 28 June so I have to be ready and independent by then!! I better start taking some notes! Editing is not a problem but importing files, saving them correctly, exporting the project etc….this is serious shit!! But I’ll get there! Alex is a Russian IT so for him, computer language is not that hard! He reminds me of Jeff from XO Africa! Even tho, one of them drinks more beers than the other! ;)
After a long editing Saturday until 16h00, we came back to our place. Two rhinos on the way!
Took a walk around the property (private property as I have already explained I think) and saw some zebras and impalas by a waterhole nearby. As the sun was setting down I also heard a Brown Hyaena in the distance.
Final Cut Pro Manual time!! And then I will read a bit more of Roxanne’s book…it’s called “Le voyage d’Hector ou la recherche du Bonheur” (sorry if you don’t speak French!) and it’s about finding happiness!
As I was walking around the property this afternoon, I sat by myself in the middle of nowhere to watch the sundowner and I must say I had a bit of a nostalgic moment….don’t get me wrong, I am happy here and I love what I am doing but I thought about a few people with whom I would love to share all of this! My good friends are not around anymore and I must admit that I miss them a lot! But I guess you can’t have everything in life so I better get used to it! It’s just that this afternoon it would have been really cool to sit there with the few people I really love and enjoy that moment to the fullest! But you know what, I was by myself and I still enjoyed that sunset with those zebras and impalas in the golden hour! I enjoyed it for you (because if you read my blog you are a good friend – or you are really bored!) and for me!
One Love!
Editing is the most poerful stage of the production process because it’s when the separate parts become a meaningful whole!
18.06.10 – 21h00 - Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Not much time for myself today and due to internet problems I could not upload my text from last night….I will try again tomorrow.
Wake up call today was at 08h30 to be at the camp at 9 after a game drive through the reserve. On the way we saw a few warthogs and a few impalas.
A cup of coffee (no cigarette ) and here I am Mr Final Cut Pro!! Spent my day cutting 6h of footage (yesterday’s safaris) into 3mn diary. Not an easy job but lots of fun, especially when you get to the final product! >> Editing is the most powerful stage of the production process because it’s when the separate parts become a meaningful whole!!
My first diary is pretty much ready, it just needs a voice over and we will upload tomorrow morning (19.06.10)….The voice over is always done by one of Safari Channel presenters (either Marc, Herman or Patrick).
Once this one uploaded, I will have to edit today’s footage for the next diary. I guess after a few diaries I will be quicker…I have lots of ideas about these diaries but I need to be quicker at editing them so that I have time to edit extra stuff.
The diaries are uploaded on You Tube and I Tune. There is a link from Wild Earth website to get there but I will try to put these links on my blog as well so that you guys can see some of my 3mn diaries. Not sure when I will have time for that but I will make a plan about it once I’ll have catch up!
There is also a blog on Wild Earth website and it’s been edited today with an introduction about myself, who I am, where I come from, background etc…Just so that the audience knows about me.
I finished working around 18h30, braai time and we drove back to our place. We saw some impalas and 3 white rhinos on the way! Not bad! Amazing sky with a pretty milky way!
I am gonna stop writing now as I would like to go through Final Cut Pro manual to refresh my memory and to learn some shortcuts! The manual is over 500 pages so if I read a bit of it every night I should improve my Final Cut Pro skills quite quickly!! And that’s what I need!!
See you tomorrow if hopefully I have some time for internet….and if internet works!
Not much time for myself today and due to internet problems I could not upload my text from last night….I will try again tomorrow.
Wake up call today was at 08h30 to be at the camp at 9 after a game drive through the reserve. On the way we saw a few warthogs and a few impalas.
A cup of coffee (no cigarette ) and here I am Mr Final Cut Pro!! Spent my day cutting 6h of footage (yesterday’s safaris) into 3mn diary. Not an easy job but lots of fun, especially when you get to the final product! >> Editing is the most powerful stage of the production process because it’s when the separate parts become a meaningful whole!!
My first diary is pretty much ready, it just needs a voice over and we will upload tomorrow morning (19.06.10)….The voice over is always done by one of Safari Channel presenters (either Marc, Herman or Patrick).
Once this one uploaded, I will have to edit today’s footage for the next diary. I guess after a few diaries I will be quicker…I have lots of ideas about these diaries but I need to be quicker at editing them so that I have time to edit extra stuff.
The diaries are uploaded on You Tube and I Tune. There is a link from Wild Earth website to get there but I will try to put these links on my blog as well so that you guys can see some of my 3mn diaries. Not sure when I will have time for that but I will make a plan about it once I’ll have catch up!
There is also a blog on Wild Earth website and it’s been edited today with an introduction about myself, who I am, where I come from, background etc…Just so that the audience knows about me.
I finished working around 18h30, braai time and we drove back to our place. We saw some impalas and 3 white rhinos on the way! Not bad! Amazing sky with a pretty milky way!
I am gonna stop writing now as I would like to go through Final Cut Pro manual to refresh my memory and to learn some shortcuts! The manual is over 500 pages so if I read a bit of it every night I should improve my Final Cut Pro skills quite quickly!! And that’s what I need!!
See you tomorrow if hopefully I have some time for internet….and if internet works!
Into the dream….Here we go….Here I am!!
17.06.10 – 20h30 – Sabi Sand Game Reserve
I am sorry for the silence on my blog but I didn’t feel like writing these past months.
I have been busy working on and off as a field assistant for Africa Wildlife Films in March and April. They were making a documentary about Great White Sharks and Seals in Capetown. The documentary is called ‘Swimming Scared’ and National Geographic should release it in July/August this year. I gained a bit of experience on this project but not much as the bosses were a couple of assholes and it was actually a nightmare to work for them! I won’t go into details now….and anyway I rather remember the fun parts like going out to sea in False Bay at 5h30 in the morning and getting a feeding frenzy with thousands of dolphins, Bryde Whales, sharks, seals and Cape Ganets!! I did put a text and some pics on my blog about this a few month ago….See below actually.
Other fun stuff was that day when we pulled a balloon behind the boat to get some aerial shots of seals and seal island. We pumped up the balloon with Helium and attached a 360 degrees camera (like those security cameras) beneath it….Pretty cool!!
Anyway, being out there and helping out was fun and interesting, the only difficult part was to go along well with these two pricks!
After that I went on a 3 weeks Tour for Sunway Safaris from Capetown to Vic Falls. 5500 km in 3 weeks!! Amazing! I was employed as a Tour Guide/translator for 7 French people. We went through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia to end up in Vic Falls, camping most of the time. Namibia and Botswana are a paradise for pictures….I took a few pretty shots and I will put some of them on the blog ASAP.
When I came back from my tour, I had an email in my box from Wild Earth TV telling me that a position had came up for me….They broadcast on live content on an internet channel called Safari Channel. If you go on Wild Earth website, you will get the link for safari channel. What they do is that they go on safari early morning (a camera man and a game ranger who acts as a presenter) and they broadcast on live the safari (usually 3 hours long). The same in the afternoon. So if you go on Safari Channel you can see the safari on live twice a day, every day. They also broadcast to other small channels all over the world, in America, Australia and Asia for example. And soon they might be broadcasting for a French TV channel called “Free”…..which explains why they need me! In the mean time they want me to assist the editor on site (Alex) to edit some non live content. My job or shall I say my internship for now, is going to edit 6 hours of safaris (2 safari a day of 3 hours each) into 3 mn (yes, THREE MINUTES!!) every day for the website and also for some TV channels (not sure yet about their names).
But I will also be trained on camera work and directing.
After 3 month trial they will either keep me or send me back to Capetown….Either way, the amount of experience I will gain during these 3 month is going to be phenomenal!! The cherry on top is that they have invested in 3D gear…..They are going to be the first internet channel in the world to broadcast on live content in 3D!!! BBC (the news channel) is coming in July to interview them about it! Therefore from 1st of july I will be also trained on filming and editing in 3D!!! People, get a pair of 3D glasses and get ready in front of Safari Channel every day from 5h30 till 09h00 and from 15h00 till 18h00!! Or watch my three minutes safari Best Of the day every day….I’ll tell you where you can find them on the net as soon as I know!
I arrived in the Bushcamp today. We are situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve (next to Kruger National Park) and I had a glimpse at this afternoon safari…I was on the directing side, behind the computers. This post is called “Final Control”. Patrick was in charge this afternoon and the job is to let the game ranger knows if some people ask some questions via the chat room on the website or via email or even via facebook. Remember, it’s on live so if you send us a question during the safari you will get an answer within a few minutes! Pretty cool hey?! And this afternoon safari was quite something with a huge herd of buffalos, some elephants and some leopards right at the end! A female leopard with two of her cubs. Her cubs are now old enough to live by themselves so mummy kind of show them her teeth tonight to say…’go now my boys! Stop following me and go live your life!!” Not easy to leave mummy tho….but they don’t have a choice! She will even bite them one day if they don’t leave her alone from now on!
Another duty in the Final Control room is to make sure that we are not losing signal. Some parts of the reserve don’t have good internet coverage so it happens sometimes to not see what the camera man is filming. In that case, we switch to a camera which is hidden next a waterhole 24h/24 so that the audience doesn’t have a black screen in front of them…It usually lasts for a few seconds only and then we can switch back to what the camera man is filming.
Lots of fun in the Final Control room!! I loved it! It asks for quite a lot of concentration but it’s nice to look at a safari from this point of view!
Accommodation wise I am staying 20 mn away from our Bushcamp in a two bedrooms house with a couple (also working for Wild Earth). This is just until mid July and then I will have my own room at the camp. Where I am staying now is ok, it’s just not really practical as we have to drive 20 mn in the reserve to get to the camp in the morning and 20 mn to get back in the evening….but it’s still better than 20 mn of metro for sure ;)!! The house we are staying in is actually a private house….yes some people can afford to have a private house in the Sabi Sand!!! Wild Earth is renting it at the moment for 3 of us and then by mid July our rooms in the camp will be ready. I am looking forward to stay at the camp I must say….
The camp is quite small but big enough for the ten of us. We have two land rovers and quite a lot of equipment (cameras, tripods, computers, modems etc..) Everyone seems cool and passionate! The rangers seem to have a lot of knowledge about the bush which is good.
Tomorrow Alex will show me more about editing in 3mn 6 hours of safaris….Actually today as I am writing from “home” now and there is no internet here. Therefore I will publish this text only tomorrow morning when I have a minute….from my new office…in the middle of the bush!!
Some people say “you can’t live from your dreams”….well I tend to disagree!!
I am sorry for the silence on my blog but I didn’t feel like writing these past months.
I have been busy working on and off as a field assistant for Africa Wildlife Films in March and April. They were making a documentary about Great White Sharks and Seals in Capetown. The documentary is called ‘Swimming Scared’ and National Geographic should release it in July/August this year. I gained a bit of experience on this project but not much as the bosses were a couple of assholes and it was actually a nightmare to work for them! I won’t go into details now….and anyway I rather remember the fun parts like going out to sea in False Bay at 5h30 in the morning and getting a feeding frenzy with thousands of dolphins, Bryde Whales, sharks, seals and Cape Ganets!! I did put a text and some pics on my blog about this a few month ago….See below actually.
Other fun stuff was that day when we pulled a balloon behind the boat to get some aerial shots of seals and seal island. We pumped up the balloon with Helium and attached a 360 degrees camera (like those security cameras) beneath it….Pretty cool!!
Anyway, being out there and helping out was fun and interesting, the only difficult part was to go along well with these two pricks!
After that I went on a 3 weeks Tour for Sunway Safaris from Capetown to Vic Falls. 5500 km in 3 weeks!! Amazing! I was employed as a Tour Guide/translator for 7 French people. We went through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia to end up in Vic Falls, camping most of the time. Namibia and Botswana are a paradise for pictures….I took a few pretty shots and I will put some of them on the blog ASAP.
When I came back from my tour, I had an email in my box from Wild Earth TV telling me that a position had came up for me….They broadcast on live content on an internet channel called Safari Channel. If you go on Wild Earth website, you will get the link for safari channel. What they do is that they go on safari early morning (a camera man and a game ranger who acts as a presenter) and they broadcast on live the safari (usually 3 hours long). The same in the afternoon. So if you go on Safari Channel you can see the safari on live twice a day, every day. They also broadcast to other small channels all over the world, in America, Australia and Asia for example. And soon they might be broadcasting for a French TV channel called “Free”…..which explains why they need me! In the mean time they want me to assist the editor on site (Alex) to edit some non live content. My job or shall I say my internship for now, is going to edit 6 hours of safaris (2 safari a day of 3 hours each) into 3 mn (yes, THREE MINUTES!!) every day for the website and also for some TV channels (not sure yet about their names).
But I will also be trained on camera work and directing.
After 3 month trial they will either keep me or send me back to Capetown….Either way, the amount of experience I will gain during these 3 month is going to be phenomenal!! The cherry on top is that they have invested in 3D gear…..They are going to be the first internet channel in the world to broadcast on live content in 3D!!! BBC (the news channel) is coming in July to interview them about it! Therefore from 1st of july I will be also trained on filming and editing in 3D!!! People, get a pair of 3D glasses and get ready in front of Safari Channel every day from 5h30 till 09h00 and from 15h00 till 18h00!! Or watch my three minutes safari Best Of the day every day….I’ll tell you where you can find them on the net as soon as I know!
I arrived in the Bushcamp today. We are situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve (next to Kruger National Park) and I had a glimpse at this afternoon safari…I was on the directing side, behind the computers. This post is called “Final Control”. Patrick was in charge this afternoon and the job is to let the game ranger knows if some people ask some questions via the chat room on the website or via email or even via facebook. Remember, it’s on live so if you send us a question during the safari you will get an answer within a few minutes! Pretty cool hey?! And this afternoon safari was quite something with a huge herd of buffalos, some elephants and some leopards right at the end! A female leopard with two of her cubs. Her cubs are now old enough to live by themselves so mummy kind of show them her teeth tonight to say…’go now my boys! Stop following me and go live your life!!” Not easy to leave mummy tho….but they don’t have a choice! She will even bite them one day if they don’t leave her alone from now on!
Another duty in the Final Control room is to make sure that we are not losing signal. Some parts of the reserve don’t have good internet coverage so it happens sometimes to not see what the camera man is filming. In that case, we switch to a camera which is hidden next a waterhole 24h/24 so that the audience doesn’t have a black screen in front of them…It usually lasts for a few seconds only and then we can switch back to what the camera man is filming.
Lots of fun in the Final Control room!! I loved it! It asks for quite a lot of concentration but it’s nice to look at a safari from this point of view!
Accommodation wise I am staying 20 mn away from our Bushcamp in a two bedrooms house with a couple (also working for Wild Earth). This is just until mid July and then I will have my own room at the camp. Where I am staying now is ok, it’s just not really practical as we have to drive 20 mn in the reserve to get to the camp in the morning and 20 mn to get back in the evening….but it’s still better than 20 mn of metro for sure ;)!! The house we are staying in is actually a private house….yes some people can afford to have a private house in the Sabi Sand!!! Wild Earth is renting it at the moment for 3 of us and then by mid July our rooms in the camp will be ready. I am looking forward to stay at the camp I must say….
The camp is quite small but big enough for the ten of us. We have two land rovers and quite a lot of equipment (cameras, tripods, computers, modems etc..) Everyone seems cool and passionate! The rangers seem to have a lot of knowledge about the bush which is good.
Tomorrow Alex will show me more about editing in 3mn 6 hours of safaris….Actually today as I am writing from “home” now and there is no internet here. Therefore I will publish this text only tomorrow morning when I have a minute….from my new office…in the middle of the bush!!
Some people say “you can’t live from your dreams”….well I tend to disagree!!
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