Outback Jack: the end is near

The shooting is going very well, it was most certain a hectic shoot, and all HV8 people who have been helping us, must have thought the strangest things about the Dutch ant heap invading there daily life. Working from 05:30 in the morning till 00:00 in the night was not what they have been expecting from a television shoot. In the beginning we where more extinguishing fires (not latterly) , then doing something what looked like a well planed organization. But slowly we managed to get some structure in to the complete mess and everybody slowly grew in his/her role. Even for most off the Australian crew it was a weird experience. We even had 2 very nice English crew members, who are traveling the world and ended up with this odd job. (Zoe and Tom) It must be one off there most special job they ever will do on there travel trip a chance they will not come across often.

So we had Belgians, Dutch, Australians, English and Aboriginals in our crew, witch made it a diverse crew. Pity the work load was so heavy that we hardly had time to really get to know each other. Luke, our “Outback Jack” is a nice city bloke and quickly trained here at HV8 into a real Outback Luke. Learning the skills like handling a snake, riding horse, whipping the whip and getting a thane, all one week prior to filming. Then it the made house started when the reality film crew and the girls arrived (witch first missed there plane in Sydney) with parachutes in the outback. And than the made house started ……

All things went wrong, but where just solved in time with other solutions or alternatives.

Like, for instance, I have been negotiating with a lighting guy from Sydney for about 1 and a half week, he traveled 4 days to be at our set, he brought a special 4wd truck with a 150kva generator on top. (on my and my cameraman’s request) Just before shooting, the generator was in place on the (build up set) in the middle of the bush (1 our from HV8) and the generator broke down. What to do then ………… so we did get it out off the bush, drove it back to our magic mechanic Dave at HV8. After one hour trying to fix it, he found out what it was and did not have the right tolls to do it. After some phone calls, we drove it in to Kununurra, for repairs (2 hour drive 2 hours back). In the mean time I have been looking at every corner of HV8 and called all company’s in Kununurra to get an alternative generator, witch I could not find on that short term. Luckaly you have very good repair man in these regions where you have the strangest vehicles and land move machinery. It was fixed in 2 hours and was back in the bush just after dark and it costs me only 2 beers.

Off course there where many various problems and so on, like on every shoot. The difference here is still the country and the place you are. Again, nothing is close and no clouds what so ever, always a burning hot sun, witch is not to be under estimated. Luckily we only had one person who had a dehydration one day, the art director blacked out one day. He had to recover for half a day. We have seen many animals walking thru the set, snakes, frogs, gecko’s, lizards, spiders, hawks, eagles, wallabies, kangaroos, dingo’s, cows and buffalo’s and off course a lot off fly’s and “mossy’s”(mosquito’s). But nothing serious happened, al do we had a full time security/safety manager and a nurse (flying doctor) on the set. Every body was really scared at first, but after

a week or so, people did get used to it and eventually every body just stepped thru the grass land and the rock areas.

The film shoot worked in a way, so that we made 2 camp sites, one where the reality is happening at that moment, with the camera’s and the other is being prepared to be the next camp, where the reality crew and cast would move to next. Meaning that you have a lot off logistics going on between HV8, (home base, production office and Art department building area, catering facilities) camp 1 and the next camp and so on. Most camps where whit in a 10 km range of HV8 some where at about 17 km distance. (dirt roads and small rocky dirt tracks)

Beside that, you also have small (so called) dating sites, where Luke went with girls for one on one conversations etc. This is how we went on for about 3 weeks non stop. After every 1 or 2 days, sometimes longer, Luke has to eliminate a girl. This girl would be removed from the program and brought to HV8 where she would stay till an available flight back to the Netherlands.

Now way further (23-08-2007), all the girls are eliminated, and there is only one to go. The crew and cast left HV8 and all the people still here have some more breading space again. I just started to de rig with the few local staff left and finally I can finish off my finances witch is absolutely not my strongest skill. Paying people and many other bills is the main job of my present concern. Slowly the daily routines at HV8 are returning to normal.

Yesterday, when the reality crew and cast went on a plane to the last location on a beach, about 2 days drive from here, the last filming and elimination will take place.

We will be here till the last people have returned from this location by car (Art department) witch will bring all the camera gear etc. I will then make sure it will all be packed and put in to cargo to the Netherlands. (with Korean Air Cargo) I will also try to sell all our stuff, tools, tents, camping gear and lots more.

Hopefully I will leave her on Monday and drive back to Darwin, where we have to return cars and bring back other stuff. Eventually I will step on the plane 1^st of September in Darwin and have a long 3 day travel back, with one night in Seoul. So I do have a brief chance to see Seoul on the way back. The series will be expected to be on television in the Netherlands and Belgium in October 2007. In the Netherlands the series we be called “Outback Jack” (as a brand name) and in Belgium the series is going to be called “Outback Luke”. Only I do know who the winner is! ;O)

I am not sure of I am going to watch this semi reality/dating program, lol