Part of our team is about to head to Australia to shoot a sports documentary for the University of Michigan. It will be a challenging project, crossing the entire country via the Stewart Highway, a desolate, dangerous and often two lane road that sees road trains (multiple trailers pulled by a single tractor-cab) hauling ass at all hours of the day and night.
Preparation for any shoot is key to having a successful outcome. In this case, there are additional variables to be concerned with. One of them is preparing the right clothes and bug repellent, as there is quite a bit of bug action down under! Cameron will pack and unpack multiple times, not because it’s fun, or even because she’s a woman (gulp!), but because she’s experienced with this type of work. Taking the time to resolve where gear goes, where clothes go, and how to keep weight below the airlines stipulated maximums (before penalties, meaning cash) is an essential part of the pre-production process.
And, when you’re going to be on location for several weeks, often without hotels or other common retailers about, the time spent is well worth it. Even after years of doing this, I continue to marvel at how much time is involved in this process.