Its been a while since my last post but it would be fair to say that a lot has happened since then. I have started writing film reviews for the ODT, am putting together a shooting script for my diploma film and had an opportunity to spend two weeks on
Ulva Island for my Internship.
Is it a curse being offered the opportunity to live on a pristine island for two weeks assisting in the construction of a film? Initially when given the opportunity I was extremely enthusiastic and realistic about how far out of my comfort zone I was putting myself (two weeks without my
coffee machine and
Green Wing!).
Anyway, three weeks ago I endured a typically bumpy crossing of Foveaux Strait to be met by
Scott Mouat at the wharf on Ulva. Scott is a one-man band production house called
Elwin productions and has a contract to produce a 50 minute documentary on Ulva Island, in particular the birds. I won't give all the specifics but you can see details of the work in progress if you click
here.
Anyway, being met by a guy head to toe in camo fashion with rain blowing sideways I soon realised that this wasn't going to be a simple filming exercise. For the first week it was pretty much a military exercise as we humped film equipment all over the island from sun-up to sun down. Not only was it a test for my fitness, I had to get used to the idea of sitting silent in the bush for hours at a time waiting for animal behaviour. Gee, the island might be teaming with native birds but do you think they will do what you want them to. After week one we decamped to
Stewart Island proper for a decent meal and a shower with some well earnt beers at the pub.
That was when trouble started.
On the Sunday afternoon, I took an axe to my thumb when chopping firewood. Determined that it wasn't going to need stitches I started doing a repair job with my new first aid kit when I collapsed on the floor, for the first time in my life I think I passed out. Anyway, this was just the beginning on a fun couple of days, that night I was bitten by some heinous bug that left 4 big welts down my left arm. To keep things interesting the next night I started projectile vomiting and when that subsided 24 hours later I had developed a runny bottom. All this time I continued to act as a pack horse for Scott and keep the shooting schedule up to speed. We actually grabbed some great footage and Scott is well ahead of schedule, if only those damn
Saddlebacks would breed!
Midway through the second week the back to nature experience had lost its appeal. The weather was lousy, there is mud everywhere, the hut used by six people was smaller that our bedroom in Dunedin and having a wash outside in a hailstorm is not that much fun. This is nothing on the loo conditions, where the long drop was so full that we almost had to start poking it down with a stick before assuming the position.
Lets just say that going home was such a treat, even if the crossing back to Bluff was rougher than the way over and the car wouldn't start when I got there! My lovely partner Tracy had a great meal waiting for me and a bottle of wine, it nearly brought tears to my eyes.
I have a whole new respect for Natural History Filmmakers and the patience and determination that is needed to collect those couple of magical seconds. Scott was a great guy to learn from, he is very focused and extremely well organised. His shooting script was tight and well constructed and his ability to rough cut footage at night in the hut assisted us no end when heading out the next day to grab some shots. I'm really looking forward to the finished product and think that it will be quite stunning, especially is the sunrise that we filmed is anything to go by.
Ulva Island is a special place to visit and the sights and sounds are quite unique. If only the water was 20 degrees warmer, the sand-flies not so vicious and there was a good coffee cart! Ah well, I can now tell the difference between a Robin and a Saddleback call and know where to look for good Huhu grubs and worms.
