Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter Eleven – Sandusky

Our next destination was Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio. A theme park that boasted the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. The theme park was impressive compared to the one sin England. It had every type of roller coaster and the park was in a great setting on a peninsula with marina’s, hotels and campsites all around. The park was so big you couldn’t do it all in one day. Our only mission was to ride the big one though, the millennium force. We went in after Sarah and Richard had sorted it so we could get in for free but the cameras weren’t allowed in the park, fortunately the first drop was near a road next to the perimeter of the park so the crew drove down on one of the buses and we queued armed with a mobile phone and the digital cameras. The queue was massive but we all messed about to pass the time and I think to avoid the fact that this was a fucking big roller coaster, Phil kept ringing on the mobile to check where we were in the line, cos if it was going to take to long we would have to go but every time we thought we were near the front more of the stalls opened up so every time he asked we told him we were about 10 mins away. He rang every ten minutes and we took it in turns telling him the person before didn’t know what they were talking about but now we were ten minutes away. We finally got to the front and our minds were beginning to change as we saw the roller coaster up close, we had to put the cameras in a locker cos there was a big chance we wouldn’t hold onto them, (apparently). On the way up I admit it I had definitely changed my mind, it was a slow ascent and at the top you could see the curve of the earth on the horizon. We went over the top and everyone started to shout ARHHHHH as you do but then when took a breath I realised I was still falling and there really wasn’t much point in still shouting as there was still quite a drop to go. I have to say it was one of the best rushes of my life going on that thing but there was no time to do it again, we got some ice cream cos that’s what you do in theme parks apparently. Went back to the bus to get on our way to a naturist campsite where a porn festival was being held in Rose lawn near Indiana.

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Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter Ten – Detroit

Left Niagara around midday after a few interviews and filming the general chitchat on the bus. We had the company of the crew for this journey so the bus was quite cramped so we didn’t really get up too much on the journey. We got there in the night, got of the bus to stretch our legs but we were parked on the side of a dual carriageway and the place was dead, we couldn’t walk far so we got some sleep now we had stopped. Up at 10:30 the next day and off to meet our new chaperon for the day, a record producer called Ade, we went to meet him at his studios where him and a couple of his buddies and his wife were hanging out. He told us how his business operates and what they do in the studios, how they lay down a track. The decks came out and they showed us his mate “Friday Nights” rapping skills. He then sent someone down the shop to get the molten ice 40oz bottles and we felt obliged to join them for a beer early on. We were then taken to be shown where we would find the best pizza in the states according to them. It was a big restaurant and we had a table booked for like twenty, we ordered some big pizzas, which were proper pizzas, not the modern quick and easy style you get now in a pizzeria. Everyone chucked in their share of the bill and we started to make our way on foot to an African American jubilee 2000 open-air festival. It made an excellent change, loads of little stalls, music, artwork, dancing and Ade had a nice two litre vodka and fruit juice mixer going on to keep us in the mood for the evening. We browsed around the festival and met two girls who had just set up a .com business in utilities or something and they fully thought they would be millionaires within a few months and after knowing them for a few minutes they were asking us to set up there operations in the UK for them, yep, that’ll work! Apparently she could trust me cos I am a Pisces and she could trust my eyes, I don’t think they meant business I think she was just trying to crack onto me. We all met up around the entrance. We had some time to kill before going to the club so Ade took us to an island where everyone hangs out, drinks, smokes and plays their music as loud as possible and the strange thing was a lot of the cars had Ade’s music coming from them. I bet that made him feel quite proud of his work. I bet that’s the main reason he goes to that part of Detroit. The police soon came and moved us all along and the crew almost got arrested as they were filming us leaving and weren’t in the car themselves. We then went straight to club to experience the girls “Shaken der ass” as Ade puts it. It wasn’t as fast as they do it in Barbados but it was still something to look at. Chantal got up and had a go, and didn’t do badly then Sheryl got up and had a go and resembled a sweaty lesbian hore if you can picture that. Bop had go but his floppy armed dancing style didn’t quite fit with what the others were doing. As the cameras moved on to the dance a competition between the locals began to take place. These girls tits and arse seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force to the camera, “everyone wants to be on tele” we weren’t complaining though all the footage needs watching over and checking before it goes back to England. We’re there. I defiantly wasn’t drunk enough to attempt some of the things they were doing so we pissed off up stairs and worked on that not being drunk problem. We found a tamer dance floor up there and had a bit of a groove up there instead. The night was pretty routine after that we all got drunk messed around with the locals in the car park who again seemed drawn to the cameras like a group of people waiting in line at an episode of Jerry Springer. We jumped into a car and went back to the bus where we said goodbye to the guys and thanked them for showing us around.

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Around the World in 80 Raves – Chapter Nine – Niagra Falls

When we got back to the bus that evening it was straight up to Niagra Falls through the night. We arrived around 1:00 and ate in the hotel restaurant. It was the crews day of so once everyone was organised which took a long time we all went to go and see the falls still doing a little bit of filming, I don’t think they could help themselves. We met the river quite early on where it was quite violent and followed it around to where you can see it all go over, then walked out onto like a big half bridge so you look back and get a better view We decided as a group that it would be cool to go over to Canada so we carried on to the bridge that crosses over on the American side there is a passport control to get back into the states but just a swing gate to get onto the bridge, so as we all had our passports we went through and it took about five minutes to cross the bridge to get to the Canadian passport control, there we found that we would be alright getting into Canada but to get back into the states we needed a piece of paper that we were given at the airport, which obviously none of us had. So theoretically we were stuck between countries on a bridge. The women at the Canadian side made a phone call to the American side and told him we hadn’t yet entered the country and she was sending us back. By which time the cameras were back on us again as the crew thought it was hilarious that we were stuck on a bridge. After a short confrontation with the drill sergeant in passport control on the American side we were back in the country and those that could be bothered went to get the bit off paper we needed and went to spend the rest of the day in Canada. It was very different again it was all very touristic. Loads of gift shops little cafes and bars, it was a like a little holiday town with plenty of energy coming from the falls. We walked around doing the tourist thing, messing about and going in all the little gift shops to see if we could find some Canadian souvenirs. The best thing about visiting Canada was we had found somewhere that it was legal for us to drink again without being considered minors, or ID needed. We had a few drinks in a bar then wondered around the streets until we found a nice seafood restaurant and ate there. Time was getting on and it was getting dark so we made our way back round to the bridge, not before taking a long look at the falls from the Canadian side whilst they were all lit up. We had no trouble getting back across and I got a Canadian stamp in my passport so I was happy with the day.

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Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter Eight – New York

It was again quite a boring trip, travelling during the day so you don’t want to sleep but it’s hard to occupy your mind. We usually end up singing along to the guitars or arguing about which music we want on. We got there at 5:00 but we had to stay just outside Manhatten in a days inn car park just the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel cos the bus was only allowed into the city between certain hours of the day it would be too much hassle. We got reasonably dressed up, as we would be spending the night on a paddle boat around New York with some of the high flyer’s. The boat was due to leave at 7:00 so there wasn’t much time; everyone was bundled into taxis and rushed to the dock. We made it in time and realised it wasn’t just some friendly trip around the island but it had three bars on board. Two floors of the finest techno and house music. And an upper deck to chill out on and look at the sites of New York. It was a free bar before 8;00 so naturally we set up camp and took full advantage before moving on to the top deck to see us set sail, do a bit of mingling and, call me a tourist but there’s some sites that you just have to see from the water. The Vodca was going down nicely and we were all up dancing, Sheryl taking it a little bit to far, I think she thought she was auditioning for a part in the movie “Striptease” or something. Fair play though, she was getting the boys attention; I just thought it was plain dirty though. It became obvious that perhaps we’d had too much to drink when we went upstairs and Boppa began talking to a Dj from the Bronx. Now, Boppa talks shit at the best of times but if there’s one thing he does know it’s his music. The conversation started of OK, Two music lovers discussing what they were into. The guy was heavily into his techno and when Boppa said he was into drum and base it didn’t go down to well, neither did Boppa rapping at him. Anyway, we avoided boppa getting thrown of the boat, mainly because I was holding him on the boat, but it all kicked off again when we tried to leave at the end of the night, and “I don’t want to talk to you, cos you smell like my poo” defiantly didn’t help. Nice one Bop. We avoided it all again and started to make our way to the after party, party at a local club only to have the guy run down the street and punch bop in the back of the head as we were walking away, then it defiantly kicked off Phil turned and swung at him with the camera tripod and took a direct hit. This time A girl we had met on the boat who new these people calmed it all down and Boppa and I got in a taxi with her to go to the next club. We thought it was finally over but as we got to a set of traffic lights, a car screeched up next to us and we were told we were going to die tonight and followed us to the club, the girl got out to go and talk to them again and we went over to a donut shop next to the club, fortunately in there was a policeman eating dohnuts. Nice one. The decision was made though, once we told the crew that they had threatened to kill us and although it was all funny at the time we were very drunk and probably didn’t realise how serious it could have been, especially as we were in New York. So not only did we get to see the major sights but have a good night out and experience some of the people of New York and almost got shot, quite an evening.

It had been a long night so we didn’t wake up until midday again. Then we headed straight onto the island, the girls went shopping for cheap clothes and I took the opportunity to find a tattoo parlour and get my tattoo done as we didn’t have time and we would be away from the sea for such a long time it would give it a chance to set in. There were plenty of places all in the same part of town so we had a look to see which looked the most professional the went in to negotiate a price. Joel who already had plenty of tattoos was making it out to be really painful but he’s been scared of needles most his life. I expected to be biting on a stool or something but the only time it really hurt was when the needle went over the bone of the spine, then I got quite a twinge. It took a couple of hours but I was well pleased with the finished result although wearing sticky tape and clingfilm on my back was quite annoying. We had to rush back to the bus to get changed. For the first time tonight the group would split up, Joel Bex and Boppa would go to a club called “ceeby jeebys” they would find one room to be a goth night and the other five Punk band auditions, and that’s about as much as I can tell you about there night. Us on the other hand. We would meet up with some of the people and models from Elite model New York. I was I bit nervous. We would be going to high-class bars and although the guys were a similar age group, what would I have to talk to models about? We arrived at the Tribeca Grand, a very swish place run by the same people who run the Soho Grand in London, apparently. They even had some one in the rest room helping you wash your hands, something I’d never seen before. We met Roman and Sheri who were organising the night and all their friends and sat down and ordered some drinks. With out a doubt this was the best group of people we had met on the trip so far. They were all interested in our trip and how it came about and interested in what we did. There lives weren’t exactly dull either so we had plenty to talk about. It seemed that their number one priority was to make sure that we had a good night. We left in taxis on the way to “Joe’s Pub” one of the hardest places to get into in New York, but with these guys we just skipped the long que and walked straight in, the atmosphere in the place was fucking amazing. Once inside it was quite packed but that was soon sorted when the promoter cleared a table right in front of the stage and we all sat down on the sofas. At this point the champagne arrived and the drinks just kept on coming. The acts on stage were amazing and everyone we were with was up for a right old laugh. A couple of the guys had said to me that one of the girls, Tarin was interested in me, but she was so perfect and I didn’t fancy making a fool out of myself with someone who is way out of my league. The night was easily the best so far, we were getting on with everyone really well and we decided to move onto the final club of the night. I left the pub with Tarin and we were getting on but I wasn’t going to make a move and spoil it all. We got in the taxi for the Luhan Club, owned by Steven Boldwin. We stopped of at a shop next to the club and got some chocolate then went down into the club, which was underneath a restaurant. It was quite small inside but quite cosy. The crew relaxed with the filming and joined in with the drinking. Everywhere in the club had sofas again, so it was a great place to finish the night. I had lost out with Tarin, as she was talking to some other guy for the rest of the night which was annoying cos apparently she told Chantal that she was interested. I found a comfy spot with everyone on the sofa and we stayed until about 5;00 in the morning and I was under the impression that we were meeting up with them again tomorrow.

When everyone else got up I really couldn’t be bothered so they went into New York to shop and I slept some more then stayed on the bus while we drove around Manhatten shooting General Views, then bill dropped us of and me and Richard went to meet the others in time square from there me boppa and Joel jumped in a taxi and went to go up in a helicopter and see Manhattan from the air, Joel had already done this before so after we met the crew just me and bop went up, we could only take the little cameras so while boppa filmed us I filmed the shots out the window. It was boppas and mine first time in a helicopter and it was the best location to do it in trust me. As soon as the ten minutes were up we left to go see Ronnie Sys in central park. The strange thing was as we got out the taxi at the park literally five metres away stood Petes friends that we had met in Myrtle Beach. You don’t get many coincidences much freakier than that. The guys from last night said they may be coming to watch the show so I kept my eye out for them and we went in. It was a real good atmosphere, we were right down the front in the VIP area just to the right of the stage. It seemed there was no plan to meet up with the guys from last night as Richard told us we had to be at a club called spa on the other side of town. I didn’t like the club much, I thought it was very trying to be cool but not quite achieving it, with music plucked from my 1997 CD collection. It wasn’t as bad as I am making out I suppose it was a cool looking place and the people in there seemed pretty cool. I was just pissed of caus they cleared a booth for us gave us a fake bottle of champagne then after half an hour cleared us out the booth and I didn’t think that was very classy at all. Everyone else felt the same and we got bored pretty quick. So after a walk around the club we left quite early and bumped into some of the guys from the night before in the queue on the way out.

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Around the world in 80 Raves – Chapter 7 – Woodstock

We began the longest section of the trip so far and headed for Woodstock travelling through the night. The bus stopped around ten in the morning and we all got off to eat in a little silver stylish diner. The surrounding landscape had changed overnight, it had now become hilly and it looked a little more like woodland. I had a chicken burger to start of the day and then we sat outside and waited for the crew to finish doing what they needed to do then a quick stop at Walmart for some supplies and back on the bus on our way to a campsite for the evening. We arrived mid afternoon. There was a river nearby so we spent the afternoon paddling in little two man open canoes and we got to travel to the launch site in a bus just like the school bus on the Simpson’s which for me was more of a highlight than going paddling. Back at the site the owners had pitched some tents for us but we had no intention of sleeping in them as we would be travelling through the night again, but it looked good on camera. We had one on one interviews for the rest of the evening and took it in turn to do the barbeque. Once everyone had finished we met around the barbeque, got the guitars out and had a good sing along. Even though we didn’t actually camp it was a cosy experience all sitting around the campfire in the woods with other family groups around us but it had to end at 3:00am to get to Woodstock in time.

I slept most of the journey wondering what Woodstock would be like, obviously in the past it has been one of the most famous events in the world and we were all expecting to re live the Woodstock that everyone talks about. We got there around 4:00pm and made our way to the site, it was on a long straight road with fields either side as we got closer there were more and more tents and people and noticeably a lot more mud. We started to get kitted up for what we now expected. Joel being the genius he is gaffa-taped shopping bags to his feet. I put my old trousers on but although I only had one pair of shoes was not putting bags on my feet for anyone. Bill dropped us off near the entrance to the field. I was expecting it all to be the best festival I had ever been to with a huge atmosphere. Instead I got thousands of stoned hippies in a field that looked like it had been freshly ploughed with a barn in the middle that they were calling main stage. I felt a little conned but hey I’m at Woodstock and not many people can say they’ve been there, mind you if they saw it not many people would want to go there. It was a good laugh though, in the sense that there was a lot to laugh at. In between dodging the deep sections of mud we got talking to a few nutters and listened to a lovely tie die enrobed women with a banjo singing to the heavens how great god is and how the flowers make her feel really happy, which was lovely. And the bloke dancing in front of the stage well he looked like there was a force was trying to trip him up but he was having none of it, he would stay on his feet no matter what. Back at “main stage” Joel and Boppa was talking to the organisers about getting up and playing a few songs. Unfortunately not until tomorrow though which meant we would have to come back in the morning. We left sort of late afternoon, everyone was cold and wet and we had “Wild Wild West” on DVD back at the bus, which seemed to be calling our name. Although I am glad I experienced it, I probably wouldn’t be tempted to go back and as my trainers were covered in shit and I needed to walk around Manhatten tomorrow, When Joel and Boppa went to play there to songs I didn’t bother. I do feel a bit guilty though if I had have gone I would have doubled the amount of spectators at centre stage.

We left Woodstock around midday after the boys had fulfilled their life long dream and played in the barn at the shit-ridden field to an audience of one at Woodstock. We picked them up from the entrance where the annoying teenager had been waving on cars shouting go on, keep going for the past two days now. I don’t know whether he thought the drivers would forget to keep driving down the straight road if he wasn’t there but they seemed to be doing ok.

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Around the world in 80 raves – Chapter Six – Atlanta

Hit the road around 11:00 the next day. We were travelling though the day so when I wasn’t looking out the window to see where we were and how the landscape quickly changed I tried to exercise in the isle of the bus and obviously got some quality sleeping time in. As soon as we arrived in Atlanta it was dark, so wasn’t worth exploring the place so we jumped straight into taxis and went straight to a club called Karma, which is owned by an English guy that would meet us later. How can I describe it, it was sort of a break beat / hip-hop / drum and base club, a place the stars apparently liked to hang out at and not be hassled by the fans. It was sort of underground, down some stairs and a regular sort of bar with a few added extras like the odd monster sized bed here and there to relax on with a DJ room and a dance floor where the punters were going wild. Some of us went down to the dance floor, but it took others a while to get used to being in a mostly black club. Apparently Christina Aguilera, Lenny Cravits and Michael Jackson were some of the names that had been to the club. Just as we were finding it a little hard to believe though Busta Rymes walked in as we were talking to the manager Pablo at the bar so we took the guys word for it. We remained cool and didn’t want to seen to be the only ones in there asking for his autograph and acted like he was just a regular guy, but Chantal couldn’t help herself she had to go and say hi and shake his hand. After lining the shots up on the bar for us Pablo gave us a sort of interview although it was hard, there wasn’t much space for us all to get in and hear what he was saying over the music. Basically he was a richboy from London who decided to go out to the states and set up a stylish bar, like you do. His club was cool though and we stayed till around 5:00 before going back to the bus via a 24hr BP garage for munchies and a pint of milk.

We were up around 12:00 the next day to begin our day as women. Before the trip Richard said if he could sort it out would we enter a transvestite beauty pageant and at the time we agreed. Although he didn’t manage to get us in the competition because the competitors were quite serious and it might seem like we were taking the piss a bit, he told us that all the audience would be dressed as women and if we didn’t we would be the odd ones out. So our day would be spent visiting a clothes / costume shop picking out women’s clothes and matching shoes. A tranny called fristy would show us around and pick out the lamest clothes I had ever seen so we ignored her and went with my intuition and picked out something completely different. It was actually turning into quite a funny day; we had got used to everyone laughing at us and now were making the best of a bad situation. Once we had an outfit it was onto to a make up and wig shop where we met our chaperone for the night in his male form. He gave us the lowdown on the event and scared us with some tranny facts, but we got the wigs or hair pieces as he liked to say and some make up tips here we also met two girls one of which was Pablo from the night before’s x girlfriend and I must ad she had possibly the nicest pair I have ever seen. Then went back to the bus where the girls had the most fun they’d had since playing with Barbies. They took it in turns painting our nails and putting all kinds of stuff on our faces until they were happy we would pass for ladies, well transvestites anyway. I put on my little black mini skirt on, tucked my balls into a tight pair of boxers and pull on my fishnets and to finish, a matching boob tube and a classy wig. You may be surprised but I made quite a lady if i do say so myself, me and Boppa got some whistles as we stepped of the bus. But wait… then there was Joel, imagine a poorly dressed Mrs Doubtfire that can’t walk in heals and that’s Joel. Our limo arrived driven by some weird looking bloke and out stepped the guy from the wig shop, completely different and I don’t even want to imagine how he achieved the look, it was scary. We got to the hotel where the event was being held and it was on one of the top floors so we had to walk from the limo past all the regular people to get there, but by now it was alright! we had gone way past the realms of embarrassment into the realms of who now gives a shit. We got in around 8:00 and surprisingly it had all already started, so we went to our VIP table where we had a good view of the stage and also the audience, and we realised that it was more a gay thing and we were definately in the minority being the ones dressed up. What the hell we had plenty of wine on the table and it wasn’t long before I’d forgotten what I looked like. Well at least till I went to the rest room. About half way though Boppa and I were set the task of going and talking to some trannies and gays and the like to educate ourselves and get it all on the Sony cameras. We got talking to a few groups of people getting them to tell us stuff to the camera. Then I spied, I think the only straight women there that evening, so while talking to her she noticed I had a pierced nipple and without asking had a look. I saw my opportunity and told her how rude she had been, tonight I was a women and that kind of thing is just not acceptable which resulted in her getting her tits out for all too see. Good work Glenn. They all came back to our table and Robin, the girl took quite a shine to me, I’m not sure why though I was dressed as a women so I spent the after show party getting to know her. I have no idea what the others got up to. It wasn’t too late and one of the guys we had met earlier invited us all back to his flat so we went there. I was still with Robin and the guy who was going to give her a lift home was walking us back to the bus so she came on board and we took advantage of the back room although we were soon to leave Atlanta so didn’t get any nookie although it was fun and she looked good naked.

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Around the world in 80 raves – Chapter Four – Daytona Beach

More 80 Raves
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter One – The proposal
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Two – Ready for the off!
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Three – Miami
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Four – Daytona Beach
“Around the world in 80 Raves” Chapter Five – Myrtle Beach

I had high expectations of arriving in Daytona Beach, I had seen plenty of programmes on tele of spring breaks in Daytona and it is quite a famous place so I was hoping for a party. We arrived in the middle of the night everyone else was asleep but I heard the bus stop so I got up to see where we were. Sarah and some of the crew were rushing around, we were either lost or there was trouble finding where the bus was allowed to park. I had planned to go for a swim as soon as we arrived in every new place but a lady at the hotel had said it probably wasn’t the best idea while it was still dark as there was a heavy rip running. After stretching my legs I went back to my bunk to wait until we arrived at where we would stop. It was still dark when we got to the hotel car park and we all agreed it would be a good idea to watch the sun rise over the sea at Daytona Beach, trouble is we were all still sleepy so in the pitch black we raided the freezing cold hotels outdoor pool then jumped the fence onto the beach with a bundle of blankets and sat huddled waiting to see the dawn on a misty Daytona beach. Its hard to explain the feeling of this trip, you are excited but at the same time relaxed caus there’s the crew sorting everything, making it all run smoothly so you have no worries, all you have concentrate on is having a good time and then we do stuff like watching the sun rise on a beach with your mates, it looks like a postcard and your are kinda blown away. Everyone needed a little more sleep as you don’t get much on a moving bus and the crew had gone to bed as they had been up all night so it wasn’t worth doing anything crazy or outrageous without getting it on tape, so never mind we all went back to bed. I couldn’t sleep much though, we were in a new place and there was stuff to see and do, so I got up and went to a local hotel to grab a map and leaflets on what we could do that day then went back to wake the others up, they were a bit slow so as it was a beach orientated place Chantal and I went to look at the shop’s to see if we could find some decent clothes, while the others got there asses into action. The plan was to have my tattoo early in the morning and then in the afternoon have a go at something exciting like parasailing. After walking the whole length of the beach road going in every shop and keeping it healthy with a burger and a milkshake for breakfast at Maccy D’s it was obvious that the crew would not be joining us and that meant I would not be getting my tattoo today. I was quoted $240 as well which might have contributed to Richard saying “no”. The crew joined us in the afternoon and as you were allowed cars on the beach, which was quite annoying when you’re trying to chill out. We hired a car anyway and drove up the beach with intention of turning around and driving to the other end of the beach… real cool like! and going parasailing, although none of us had a driving license Joel cruised the beach and we messed around while the cameras filmed from another car. As we were coming to the end of the beach we looked around, the sky went from being clear to there being a big fuckoff thunder cloud, right where they were parasailing, it was quickly decided that none of us fancied hanging from our pants in a big electrical strom cloud strapped to a wet parachute and being towed by a lightening conductor. So that was off! We left Daytona earlier than planned. We had had a few disappointments but it had been a good day and we had been to Daytona Beach, which was good enough, and lets face it I’m on a trip across the USA for seven weeks! mustn’t grumble!

Basic Filming and Video Camera Technique

Training Module – Filming Technique

Purpose
The purpose of this module is to raise the understanding of video production and emphasise the level to which we should strive to output video to clients. During this module we shall look at the production process; that’s pre production, production and post production. You will go away with an understanding of the importance of planning your video. You will learn good filming technique and also good post production practice.

Theory

Pre Production – Preparation
Callsheet (Download to come)
A simple one but often overlooked. A call sheet provides all involveds contact details, responsibilies, location details and anything else you may wish to include in order to keep everyone on the same page and the production running smoothly.
Storyboard (Advanced Storyboard (1314))
Often there will not just be you working on a shoot, in order to convey the image you intend to shoot, it is important to scetch is and make any notes to put this across.
Script / Interview technique
Interview technique for camera differs slightly from that which you may be used to.
• Coerce the subject to say what you want them to say but in their own words.
• Ask a question in a way that encourages them to repeat the question back in their sentence.
Example:
- Yes, I enjoyed it, it was really tasty! (makes no sense without the question)
- I enjoyed the cake, it was really tasty! (makes sense on its own)
• Try and get into the habit of nodding or using facial gestures to encourage the interviewee rather than verbally agreeing
Release Forms (Sample Release Form (363))
Permission from the respondent or subject to release their image to you, the production or the company.

Timecodes and striping tapes
Logging, Viewing, Capturing, Batch Capture, Editing, DV to VHS Transfer, Camera to DVD Transfer

Post production paperwork
Logging (Download)

Sound

The onboard microphone is not sufficient in most situations to record good clean sound. The mic picks up the wirring of the tape and also any wind blowing across the tiny holes that cover it. We need to develop an understanding of the options and there usage.

There are two main types of microphone, cardenoid and directional. Examples of each are a lapel mic (cardenoid) often seen on a news reader or interviewee or a shotgun mic (directional) as you would see being carried by a film crew.
No matter how you obtain the sound it is essential you monitor it during recording using headphones. It would be very costly to return to the edit suite with an image and no sound.

Where would we use each?
Lapel / Radio Mic – This microphone is best suited to the planned interview or studio interview. It will pick up sound from within a close vicinity and cut out background noise. It provides a clear sound and resonance of the chest. It’s harder to use the radio mic on location without a power source unless you have a professional sound setup.

Things to look out for
• Microphone can often rub on clothing or a moving subject. Don’t be afraid to hold up proceedings to make sure you have the sound set up correctly.
• Untidy wireing. Sometimes your subject may not have appropriate clothing and it may be hard to conceal the mic and transitter.
• Remember the foam cover is meant for windy conditions, you will not need it indoors, it will, if anything create rubbing issues.

Shotgun / Directional Mic
The shotgun microphone can be used onboard the camera or on a boom pole. Best for on location and spontaneous shoots. As it is a directional mic the onboard camera can pick up sound directly in front of the camera and cuts out most sound left, right, up and down. The boom mic requires a specific sound person or appropriate stand. This microphone is extremely accurate as you can get up close to the subject and the directional properties reduce background noise.

Things to look out for
• Keep a close eye on the camera operator, as a boom mic can often appear in shot.
• An onboard boom mic will still pick up camera noise and remember you are close to the mic, although it is directional it will pick you up to some extent.
• Be aware of surrounding noise. If a dog barks, phone rings or siren goes off, don’t be afraid to stop the recording and inform the interviewer the sound is not useable.

Shotgun microphone – for impromptu Vox Pops and sound recordings, also in situations where there is a considerable amount of surrounding noise.
Lapel and transmittable microphones – Studio recordings, planned location shoots. Benefits from clear sound from the resonance off the chest but also pics up close surrounding noise (not noise at a distance)

Sound Recording Checklist (385)

The microphone plugs we use are 3.5mm (1/8″) “Mini” and XLR; both have a male and female (socket and plug) connections. In short the XLR connection carries the best signal and is considered professional standard, also benefits of the XLR connections are that they lock into place leaving less room for error or tripping in a working environment. Even with the a quality, expensive microphone, poor quality cables and recording Device will produce poor sound.

3.5mm_Mini_Jack

Image

Rule of thirds
The rule of thirds refers to the composition of the image on the screen.
By dividing the screen up into thirds (see figure 1) it provides guides to compose your shot
Filming for interview requires the cameraman to think about the eye line and looking space.

mis en scene
Mis En Scene- literally “placing on stage” refers to arrangement of all the visual elements

Choice of Lighting
“Texture and Colors”
Use of Space
Make-Up
Costumes
“Interiors” Used to Convey Meaning

Equipment

Tripod

The importance of a tripod should not be underestimated. It adds an instant professional look to the video. As a rule you should not start shooting handheld until you have understood and mastered filming with a tripod. Three types of tripod are shown below the key differences between tripods will be stability, levels, fastening and controls. Where you might utilize each depends on the type of filming, I base my decisions based on compact and portable or fixed and precision shoots Also it is important to keep the equipment clean and check the clips regularly.

Lights

3 Point lighting system, key, fill and backlight.
Safety, handling with gloves, flagging and gels, wooden pegs.

Key Light
This is the main light. It is usually the strongest and has the most influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the camera/subject so that this side is well lit and the other side has some shadow.

Fill Light
This is the secondary light and is placed on the opposite side of the key light. It is used to fill the shadows created by the key. The fill will usually be softer and less bright than the key. To acheive this, you could move the light further away or use some spun. You might also want to set the fill light to more of a flood than the key.

Back Light
The back light is placed behind the subject and lights it from the rear. Rather than providing direct lighting (like the key and fill), its purpose is to provide definition and subtle highlights around the subject’s outlines. This helps separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional look.

Camera

Show both cameras and explain the benefits for each. Talk about different capture formats and the benefits and intensions for each. DV, HDD, DVD explain the difference between HD and HDD (not to be confused)

I have documented the camera setting I used during most shoots
Sony Camera Settings (Download)
JVC Everio Camera Settings (Coming Soon)

Summary

Questions to ask yourself before you shoot,
Is your subject positioned correctly within the frame?
Framing – Rule of Thirds
Framing – Looking space

Where’s the sun?
Where is the sun or where is the light source? Possibly one of the most important questions, as a silhouetted image is extremely hard to correct in the edit, so it is important to think about this at the point of filming. As a rule, make sure the light source is behind you (the camera person) and not your subject. This will ensure the subject is well lit and all features are visible.
- Top Tip, you should attempt to correct a poor image by adjusting the camera and light source before fiddling with camera settings.

Does the white look white?
Cameras know what all the colors in the spectrum should look like based on its perception of white and white changes in different light. Most cameras have an auto white balance but you should familiarise yourself with adjusting the white balance. Hold a piece of paper in front of the camera with the main light source reflecting of the paper. Adjust the camera setting until the white looks white and all other colors should now look correct.

Is there any background noise?
Sound – Always check for background noise
Sound – Use headphone to check the sound that is actually being recorded

What is in the background?
Often paying a lot of attention to your subject we often forget about the background. Be sure there is no annoyances in the shot. If you are telling a stroy or filming particular respondents, try constructing your backgrounf to reinforce the story or message.

Can I see the subject clearly?
Be sure that your subject is in focus and make sure nothing is likely to obscure them during filming.

Top Tips
• Always Monitor the video through the view finder or LCD especially when lighting is affected by the environment
• Do not adjust the camera mid sentence – try and get used to adjusting (if necessary during a pause)
• Avoid moving around during the shoot, this will reduce the risk of unwanted sound, getting into shot and camera shake as floors often have movement in them.

Exercise (Set up a shoot)

Exercise One You have been allocated a room and have 20 interviews to conduct. Each respondent will be arriving in 15 minute intervals and the interviews will last between 10 and 15 minutes each. Discuss amongst yourselves and choose the best selection of equipment for this scenario and have a go at setting it up.

Exercise Two It’s a bright sunny day, you are out in a busy location and will be filming short vox pops, you cannot expect the respondents to come to you so need to been portable and quick to respond to a agreement to be interviewed.

Video Camera Review: JVC Everio GZ HD40

jvc_everio_hd40

My JVC Everio GZ-HD40 arrived the other day and I have been doing some testing and establishing some best settings for different filming scenarios. I chose the Everio for specific reasons, I wanted to move away from a tape work flow and the massive 120 gig HD provides this with a bit of future proofing thrown in for free. For personal use I wanted a compact camera that I could expand with peripherals rather than have it all on board. My largest needs were for a quality waterproof housing that would not only take a bit of a knock but also provide ease of use to film in the water and for general single person video production. The majority of housing on the Market, although are expensive don’t really do the job. If you are filming action sports it is important to know that your subject is within frame otherwise you often don’t quite get shots that don’t come about very often. The JVC WR-MG200 Everio Marine Case not only allows you to comfortably hold the camera but use the LCD display too so that even in surf you know you got the shot there and then.

So, back to the HD40. Very impressed with the camera so far. My first impression is that for a small stylish consumer camera it comes with many pro features including the 1920 PRO HD resolution and the ability to now shoot in a AVCHD format as well as to an mpeg compression, CD supplied provides quicktime codecs for editing support. Using the AVCHD codec you will expect to get 15 hrs at PRO HD resolution (XP AVC) 55 hrs at standard definition or long play (EP AVC) and 22hrs on standard play. Using an Mpeg codec you will record around 10 hrs of footage. I know what you thinking, on such a portable device what is the point unless the battery can last out. It also allows for plenty of capture time before the need to transfer across to the edit suite. I have not yet decided how I shall be archiving or keeping hold of footage as I transfer it from the camera. I shall look into the share station, but if this just compresses a viewable DVD the I shall sway towards the external hard drive or data DVD.

For those of you who like your manual settings and I know we all do, the everio will take a little getting used to. There is an auto / manual button located under the LCD display. Press and press again to switch between the two, you then control many of the settings that you may need to use immediately with the joystick located on the left hand side of the display. It is here that I discovered the tidily hidden on board lamp hidden away to the lower quarter of the lens. The rest of the settings can be found using the menu button and then choosing the option > Manual Setting. Here you will find, Adjust Brightness, Shutter Speed, Aperture Priority, White Balance, Effect, Tele Macro, Zebra and Sharpness. Enough to tweak your shot just like the pro’s.

Obviously if you intend to shoot using a Pro HD resolution you will not want your footage to be let down by the sound from the on board microphone. Although hard to see on the images, the HD40 comes with a shoe hidden under a plastic clip in plate so I invested in a Rode DVCam Directional Video Condenser Microphone which comes with a 3.5 m plug for the mic socket on the camera.

videomic_replacement I also bought a lens hood from eBay and will soon purchase extra lenses such as wide angle, fish eye and tele macro and put the camera through its paces.

One thing that I am slightly disappointed about is the lack of iLink or firewire port on the actual camera (although this is on the dock) I was looking forward to shooting some time lapse footage using Dragon Stop Motion but will need to find and alternative camera to do this in conjunction with my Apple Macbook Pro.

Extreme Filming and Action Sports videography, on and in the water

Having sound knowledge and experience as a cameraman, a background in teaching / participating in watersports, places me in a unique position in the UK to shoot water based videography that far exceeds that of the a regular watersports enthusiast jumping in the water with a camera, or the most experienced cameraman placing themselves literally out of their depth.

I have filmed events at a national competitive level and intend to do a lot more in the near future with the boom in the demand for online video / video marketing.

In the past I have survived with home made waterproof housings and rain covers, pining for an improvement in technology that would allow me to achieve the highest standard of footage at ease on or in the water. A large hard drive would be essential, with the backup of a laptop and external hard drive would mean getting plenty of footage without any annoying tape changes. Pro HD footage would be ideal and allow a combination of great quality footage and cropping to pin point the action. A compact camera that didn’t rely on the use of a view finder would allow me to achieve a perfectly framed shot and keep hold of the camera while filming in surf.

jvc_everio_hd40

Based on the above requirements I opted for the JVC GZ-HD40 with a JVC Everio Marine Case, WR-MG200. Visit back and I shall post some real life reviews using the equipment in extreme and marine sports situations, along with examples of footage I shoot.

JVC_Everio_Marine_Case

Contact me here at my blog with any questions regarding filming, watersports and editing.

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Training Module – Filming Technique

Theory

Sound

Image

Equipment

Tripod

Lights

Camera

Summary

Exercise (Set up a shoot)

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