http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php Type description here... en-us Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:41:11 -0700 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:41:11 -0700 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Having spent two weeks in the air it was a pleasant change to look at places on the ground. Josh and I decided to go down towards the Cape of Good Hope by driving through Cape Town and going down the Atlantic side, crossing the peninsular to the Indian Ocean side at Simon's Town and returning up the east side. &nbsp; Cape Town seems from the inside of the car to be a clean and ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513717 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513717&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513717 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:39:01 -0700 Today was our last day of filming and a very pleasant one as we filmed around the wine area of Stellanbosch and covered several of the more well known vineyards. We had also been commissioned to shoot some footage for the Boschendal Estate, which involved the very arduous task of landing and tasting the wine - all of course in the line of duty! We put the helicopter down right next to the open area ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513481 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513481&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513481 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:42:17 -0700 Today has been a rest day, though research still had to be done for tomorrow's filming, so not that much of a rest. Sitting here on a balcony looking at Table Mountain in the distance started me thinking generally about the country. &nbsp; In a way I have seen more of South Africa than most people who live here and I am aware of the privilege of being able to not only see so much ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513369 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513369&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264513369 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:17:12 -0700 There is a saying that goes 'You win some and you lose some' – but boy-oh-boy have we just won some, and not without some white knuckle moments! We had clear sky and no cloud over Table Mountain as we went to pick up the ranger from just below the mountain, which gave a chance for looking up shots. We climbed up to go over the top and achieved a great shot racing low over ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512498 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512498&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512498 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:42:01 -0700 The circle is complete and we are back in Cape Town . I have also got an Internet connection in the hotel (at a cost!), which means I don't have to type this note on my phone. &nbsp; The day started early once again at Springbok where he we left a hotel that was very old fashioned and in desperate need of an update. It only needed Basil and Sybil to be there and it ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512408 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512408&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512408 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:09:01 -0700 Once again we left early to get good light and a bit of cool air. First stop was Kimberley , with its old diamond mining industry. The town is also home to the 'Big Hole', a relic of mining. In fact all around the town are big holes. In the town itself are many fine buildings from those early days, including the house Cecil Rhodes lived in. Tempting as it was to dig a new hole ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512285 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512285&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512285 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:38:12 -0700 I think this has been my longest days filming ever - over seven hours of flying! We must have flown over 600 miles. &nbsp; The day started early in Polokwane to take advantage of the cool - it was 35 degrees centigrade the day before when we landed. Our first target was the Pilansberg Nature Reserve which sits inside an old caldera left after a volcano erupted thousands of years earlier. Right next door is ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512183 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512183&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512183 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:14:53 -0700 We are now at the furthest north point of our round trip and not far from the Zimbabwean border. Our day started back at Ladysmith and the 19th century battle fields connected to the Boers, British and Zulus. First up was Rorke's Drift where a small British force held out against a massive Zulu one. Eleven VC's were won. The film with Michael Caine was excellent if a little inaccurate . Only a memorial, a reconstructed ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512021 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512021&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264512021 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:14:27 -0700 What a contrast a night makes, as I woke to a piercing blue sky - we were going to have a good day's filming from coast to mountains. &nbsp; First we flew up the coast to Durban and it was not as exciting as the Wild Coast . By now houses and dreaded golf courses took over, so not as much fun to film. However, we did come across a sugar cane refinery going flat out ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511871 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511871&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511871 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:14:00 -0700 &nbsp; Another day of doing nothing as the weather refused to play ball and remained resolutely grey. Tonight I can see a few stars, so at least it looks as though it is clearing. &nbsp; In the afternoon, after it was obvious that we would not film, I visited a crocodile farm with Josh, our technician. I didn't like the animals before and I like them even less now having seem them at close quarters. ...<br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511775 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511775&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511775 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:13:28 -0700 I am writing this watching whales breaching out at sea in not very nice weather. Today's note is short because the bad weather we escaped from at Cape Town has finally caught up with us. I woke up to a howling wind and a very rough sea - beautiful in its way, but not conducive to aerial filming - we would have been blown to Durban ! &nbsp; This evening I was treated to God's firework ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511672 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511672&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511672 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:18:51 -0700 It was a good day today with mostly fine weather. I have been thrilled both in good ways and bad. Good because we have seen some fantastic places I would never have known about without Gert, the pilot. We have filmed waterfalls from inside&nbsp; deep gorges and others dropping into the sea from high cliffs, towns and cities up the coast, catlle on the beach, local people swimming, a tea plantation, resorts, dramatic coastlines with ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511565 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511565&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264511565 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:37:48 -0700 It was a good job I had to be up at five thirty because the birds clearly decided it was time to wake up. By the time we got the airport and cleared security it was eight thirty before we lifted for some pick up shots of Mossel Bay. Our pilot Gert met another flyer who was doing some lifting work in a big Kamov Russian helicopter and we went up into the mountains to ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264499064 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264499064&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264499064 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:12:03 -0700 I drew the curtains back at six this morning expecting a glorious day and was greeted by grey clouds. But luckily it cleared and the sun broke through, though the top of Table Mountain was still in cloud. I decided to shoot wide shots of the city and Table Mountain and leave the close stuff until later, when we have to have a park ranger on board to tell us not to be naughty boys ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264498891 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264498891&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264498891 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:09:56 -0700 This is coming from a hangar at Cape Town International airport, where we are rigging the system, or rather Josh is and I'm making encouraging noises. There is no internet at the hotel, so it's easier to write this on the baby computer here where there is a signal, otherwise its typing it on the Blackberry, which makes your fingers go numb after a bit. I also met Gert, our pilot, and took an instant ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264498690 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264498690&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264498690 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:37:20 -0700 Richard Mervyn, Founding Director of Skyworks Ltd., is one of the world's most experierienced Aerial Director Cameramen. Starting with Thames Television aged 25 he cut his teeth on shows like Magpie . At 28 he got into arts/features, landing up producing series like Six Centuries of Verse and the English Garden both with the wonderful Sir John Gielgud – Richard's idea of heaven. In the latter series he went up in the air for the first time. ... <br clear="all"> http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264538266 Filming South Africa from the air - Richard Mervyn's diary http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264538266&comments=comments http://www.skyworkshd.com/south_africa_blog.php?entry_id=1264538266 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:41:11 -0700