Kamfari 2011 Feature on its way

Final morning filming for Australian Trailrider magazine.

Today I finally submitted the master of the DVD feature we produced for the 40th Anniversary of Kamfari.  The event ran in May and we have been working on the edit  in time for the September release of Universal Magazine's Australian Trailrider publication.

From beginning to end this project was a lot of fun, it was one of those jobs you get at the last moment, one of those ones where a quick thought about limited resources at the last moment naturally crosses your mind, but is quickly replaced by enthusiasm to take on the challenge.

The media team at HighRPM who I work with regularly are the 'lets give it a shot anyway' type of people, a concept which I take great delight in indulging, and so it was that we decided we'd accept the brief.

The statistics?  A four hour motorcycle endurance event covering a couple of hundred kilometres worth of action through some insane terrain including crocodile friendly swampland in hot humid Northern Australia.  We managed to cover most of the action with just two dedicated video cameras whilst HighRPM presenter Heather Banham also assisted with a video capable DSLR, as did boom operator Katie Abraham. When you are on a budget you find ways to stretch it believe me.

The variety of shots we managed to get for the feature was largely thanks to the experience of long time motor sports cameraman Ed Forman who's passion for getting in amongst the thick of the action saw him walk almost the whole length of the circuit, including standing almost up to his waist in mud and water to get the riders perspective.  This was key in getting shots the commercial broadcasters couldn't.  Being in the thick of it all is definitely an angle you can't replicate when you are standing on a dry patch of ground zooming in on the action a couple of hundred metres away.

The guys from Blackwater once again allowed us to use a number of their tracks for the action.  This time from their newly released self titled EP.  Their songs definitely suit the motorsports genre perfectly and we can only hope that our opportunity to give them extra exposure is as helpful to them as their music has been to us on our productions.

It reminds me that an amazing amount can be achieved in this world and can still be done on a budget if you are lucky to be surrounded by people not just chasing cash as a bottom line but rather collaborating as a team.

I'd like to acknowledge Clint Holmes and the Darwin Motorcycle Club who gave us this great opportunity to film an event that has become an Australian sporting institution and also Tuffy and the crew from Australian Trailrider magazine who decided we could deliver what they needed.