A Week of Shooting Complete

I am back at my blog after a long week of shooting.  Getting 12 pages a day with decent coverage means for long days.  I usually get up at 5:45 sometimes 4:45 and get back the house I am staying at between 7:30 and 8:30 at night.  And I have quickly found out that I am a director that sits for about 10 minutes a day with lunch breaks that are about as long as that too.

Tracking shot being set up.

But, I love it!  Even though the responsibility is huge, the freedom to create is incomparable.  Having coached actors for well over 16 years and having edited film for 6 years and then done my share of acting as well, I can honestly say that directing this series is a culmination of a 22 year apprenticeship.  It’s actually longer but who’s counting?

This series is called “Higher Learning” and it’s all about campus life at a fictitious university called Kilimanjaro University.  It’s a half-hour drama series that follows 6 students as they make their way to graduation.  And, of course, there’s plenty of trouble along the way.  The whole series is being shot on location at the Nairobi University right in downtown Nairobi.

Here in Kenya, directors are hired by the season not by the episode.  I have been hired to direct 13 half-hour episodes in 26 days.  That’s 6.5 hours of story.  With that kind of a schedule I am effectively cutting my teeth as a director.  And I am learning more than I ever imagined. 

My team has been doing very well given what we are working with.  The cast is exceptional and, if I do say so myself, make a great ensemble.  They work hard and are very professional.  The crew are amazing and come up with creative ideas on an hourly basis.  We have had to dodge a few bullets along the way and managed to make better of the situations that have come up.  For instance, we were shooting outside yesterday doing a major political rally/riot scene.  Later in the day we were scheduled to go inside to an office on the campus and shoot 3 scenes with full coverage.  Around 2 p.m. I was informed that that office was not going to be available!  We scrambled and managed to find a better office than the one we had.  We had to pony up some extra dough but it was completely worth it.  We got our shots a bit later than expected but we finished what we set out to do. 

Kenyan people are so very kind.  It is a most welcoming country that has an amazing potential.  You name it grows here and they have every other imaginable resource as well.  The film industry is really still in it's fledgling stages but growing at a very rapid rate.  And it's no wonder.  With mild temperatures year-round and the most willing crews I have ever been around, who wouldn't want to shoot here!

I am just relaxing on this fine Sunday of 27 degrees celsius (around 80 something for those of you who are from the USA).  Next weekend I am going to go for a hike up the Ngong hills which is not too far from the city.  I am only going to hike part way up.  If you go all the way you have to be escorted by security guards with rifles due to roaming lions! 

Below are some photos of what we have been doing this past week.  I say “we” since this is a collaborative affair.

Please comment on my blog.  I will try to check in now and then when I have a spare minute or two - literally!

Neil

 

Opening shot of the series - crane shot of the political rally/riot.

 

Nairobi University grounds with downtown Nairobi in the background.

 

Getting ready to shoot a classroom scene.

 

Executive Producer Dorothy Ghettuba, DoP Marius Van Graan from South Africa and Key Grip Richi.  I met Dorothy at one of my acting classes in, of all places, Edmonton.  We kept the connection and that's how all this has come to pass.

 

Cramming into a dorm room.  Tomorrow we spend all day in one!  Marius on the camera, Laura doing continuity, Milo director trainee and Kabash sound recordist.

First day of shooting - the James Bond shot 007!  That's Judy with the board.

 

 

Milo - director trainee - and Ledama, my very reliable 1st A.D.

 

 

A butterfly I saw on the side of the road today coming back from the coffee shop.  Beautiful!