We went into production on Masupatsela II (Trailblazers II) in October 2008 with a few shoots. In November we changed gear and went full throttle with shoots across the country in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. As we move through February 2009, we have seven stories left to film around the Peninsula and one more in rural Eastern Cape.

Outside the Hospital - mid-October

Antoinette Demonstrates

It was unbearably hot on some of the shoot days and the hired vehicle’s temperature guage told us on one shoot in Khayelitsha that the exterior temperature was 41° Celsius. While that may be par for the course in Yemen, we are living in a Mediterranean climate in Cape Town where we call temperatures that reach 38° Celsius extreme.

Mandiseli's Interview at 41° Celsius

The Play

Despite having to contend with the regional climates and the elements, we think that working with mostly solid and personable crew helped to make the shoots fun and good work. There were soundmen who helpfully carried tripods and production assistants who raced to get you what you needed, nevermind their personal discomfort. Of course, there were also one or two who strolled to get you what you needed, which we took in our stride – the Free Range Films stride, not theirs.

Moving On to the next Location

In the Classroom with Luvuyo

On this production we weren’t always able to meet characters before the shoots. In some cases it was hard to get hold of people and then to lock them down to our dates, while in other instances they were a little grumpy towards us over the phone. These are problems that come up in every documentary production and we dealt with them in the characteristically easygoing Free Range Films way. Meeting the characters on the shoot days eventually, we always found them to be incredibly open, warm and surprisingly accommodating.

As always, a rewarding experience!

[Photos with dates on them were taken by Rikki Lee Solomon]