Shooting timelapse at Londolozi Game Reserve

Many of you might remember our first trip down to the Sabi Sands game reserve not long ago to shoot some timelapse for a very special event. That was also our first visit to Londolozi Game Reserve and surely one to remember! With 2016 being the 90th birthday of Londolozi, they had some more assignments in the pipeline.

This shoot took place in early February 2016, aiming to get some thunderstorms and clouds, among a handful of other scenes. This year has marked one of the driest years in South Africa in a very long time and along with drought comes heat... Lots of it! But that certainly didn't dampen the excitement and challenges to be working in the African Bush again :-D

As per usual, working with Rich Laburn is always a pleasure. He waisted no time getting into action and briefing us according to their needs. Some of the requests were very specific with regards to the 90th birthday for Londolozi's year long celebration. Others were general stock related footage which they can use for future marketing videos promoting their luxurious 5 star reserve and lodge. This time around there would be no night-time shooting under the stars as we had lots to shoot in and around the lodge. Amy Attenborough was our friendly guide who is also working in the Media team, along with Rich. She was escorting us around in the reserve, ensuring we get to all the important shots and that everyone involved was ready on time and at the right locations. She had stacks of logistics to handle while making sure everything runs smoothly.

One of the most challenging set-ups was the jib shot we did during sundowner drinks. Timing was crucial for this and we only had one chance to get it right. In fact, we had no second takes with any of the shots (for various reasons) so it was vital to get the shot right - every time... We also had multiple shots that we needed to get in the same location during the drinks stop. With precise planning and careful directing with the assistance of Amy, we were very pleased with the results. We had a great team of people working with us, following instructions and also taking their own initiative to keep things interesting while enjoying sundowners under a Marula tree. These shots came out fantastic!

The brief included some more shots to add a bit of human factor into the bush and it's always tricky to include people in your timelapse without making them look all jerky and jittery. With the "game drive" shot, we had superb team work again! For all the other nature shots, we had excellent cooperation from the blazing sun reminding us of the constant summer heat. Once again, we were well pleased with our results and it's always so much more successful if the team you are working with goes the extra mile! There were no crazy animal action this time around though.

Thank you Londolozi! And thank you Rich! It's always so rewarding and such a pleasure to work with you all! We are very excited to see more videos showcasing the heart and love of Londolozi and it's people. You did a great job implementing our timelapse footage into your productions and it adds to your stories in such a wonderful way. We just love seeing how timelapse can add that something extra for any production. Well done!

Here are 2 recent videos from the Londolozi Media Team featuring our timelapse footage.
Oh how we long for the bush every time we watch this....
Happy 90th Birthday!