In April, we're filming the Devizes to Westminster canoe race. Now, I confess this is an event that, until recently, I had no idea existed. I did all my canoeing in the Scouts & that was longer ago than I care to divulge here, so this fixture just wasn't on my radar. That was until a climber we interviewed for the Tremadog Revival Festival programme revealed that he was attempting the race for the first time this year.
After that, we made the decision to film it & last weekend I went along to one of the warm up events with Matt - our presenter to take a look & do a little filming practice. Now, I ought to point out that we don't normally need to practice filming - it's what we do & it comes fairly naturally. But this was mobile camera work, on a bike, along a narrow bumpy towpath, chasing canoeists who really ought to be going a bit slower, if only out of consideration for the poor bloke on a bike trying to film them!! I soon realised why Matt had suggested we go & "practice"!
We certainly revealed some weak points in the production plan (namely me..... on a bike.... with a camera) but this meant that we could go away & figure out some better options before the big one on the Easter weekend. I certainly wouldn't want to detract from the amazing feat these paddlers are taking on (125 miles non-stop, over night), nor their support crews who probably endure more stress, if not physical exhaustion, but it occurred to me that filming this event was going to be something of a marathon endeavour in its own right!
It's not the mileage or the 24 hours non-stop. It's the logistics of ensuring we're in the right place to catch the hot favourites in action at each major point along the whole length of the course. Then there's the mobile shots from a bike on the tow path & capturing the essence of the checkpoints & portages, while being at the finish when the leaders come in. And all this with just two people & one main camera!
Military precision will be essential for us, but looking seriously at our ever evolving plan, I think we should just be OK & that will be fantastic, as this year's event is looking like being one of the best ever, which could give us a great programme &, hopefully, a really good portrait of the amazing challenge that is: The DW.
Oh, and we're going to be filming ourselves during the 24 hour production, to tell the story of this great adventure, so if we don't manage to be in all the right places at all the right times, there's bound to be something to keep Ann Robinson happy from the 'making of' footage!
Roger Burlinson
Creative Director - Outdoors TV
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