Getting Up Your Nose

In both South Africa and China, there were a lot of women, and elderly, doing many of the jobs that you come across on a daily basis – shop attendants, street cleaners, street traders, security, public transport attendants etc. A famous Mao saying was ‘women hold up half the sky’. Seeing the women and (very small) old people all mucking in, had, in retrospect quite a calming and comforting effect whilst travelling.

Arriving in India, and I’m suddenly surrounded by men. Thousands of them, everywhere. Mainly 20-35, and all with moustaches, pushing and shoving each other, asking us questions (do you need a taxi, do you want to buy very good price [insert anything possible here], where do you come from, can I help you carry your bags, open the door, get you anything, are you American). My patience is tested, and often it fails.

There is a requirement to have an argument with most people in order to get anything done. You feel like you can’t trust anyone, ‘no’ only seems to be heard on the 5th time you say it, and the sheer number of people everywhere is very stressful. Those of you who know me quite well, or have been on holiday with me to a Mediterranean country, know that my ability to deal with harassment or nagging or repeated questions is rather pathetic. Especially from the slimier men, who really manage to turn up the heat when they laugh at me getting angry or annoyed at them.

In China I was in constant delight because despite the language barrier we managed to achieve so much and order food and get around and communicate with the locals. It was wonderful when we could mime something or draw something and people would make an effort and help us – the result was glee, childlike fascination, amazement and satisfaction that we could do and see so much. In India, however, I am in constant frustration, fed up of having to get angry to get anywhere. This ironically is maybe caused by the lack of language barrier and the fact that India is so much closer to Britain culturally.

At least the food is utterly fantastic. But back to the men. Just where are all the women? And what is with the awful moustaches? It isn’t even Movember yet.

- Hannah

Tache Montage

Filming in China

We were most paranoid about China more than any other destination with regards to our equipment and filming. Both about taking the equipment in, and also filming within the country. But it was a pleasant surprise. There was one point, where we walked past about 200 policemen with our camera and tripod out, and they literally didn’t blink an eyelid. This wouldn’t have been the case back home!
Getting a certain confidence boost from the fact that ‘no one wanted to confront us’, I asked (in mime, of course) a small hoard of security guards later that day if they wouldn’t mind me filming them using the street exercise machines (these kind of adult playgrounds you get along the pavements). I was expecting a confused and stern rejection, but they were amused and flattered.

Some biddies inspect Tom's work

Both in Hong Kong and Beijing, many of the locals are camera mad. It is not unusual at all to see both Chinese tourists and local amateurs using obscene lenses and mono pods. This meant a lot of the time we could blend in, with people assuming we were amateur enthusiasts rather than pros. It also meant we didn’t feel as rude or intrusive (as we occasionally do), to set up our big camera and shoot the scenes around us. People didn’t seem to feel that uncomfortable in the same way they can be back in the UK, which made for very easy and fun filming. We would also often get, a little posse of middle aged men who would watch over our shoulder, nodding and ‘approving’ our work.

We were told of a saying that ‘In China it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission’ which is particularly relevant to some aspects of filming. If you just start filming, people assume you are allowed to and let you get on with it. If you try and get permission, they will tend to say no for no other reason than they are scared that they will later be told off by someone above if they had said yes. No one will take the responsibility of making the decision. If you film it first, and then show them what you’ve done, and explain what it is for, the whole psychology changes – instead of paranoia about what you might film, it turns into people loving being able to watch the footage and see what you’ve shot. You’ll actually get compliments from the security guards! A much nicer way round of making sure everyone was happy with what you were doing, and, considerably more efficient.

- Hannah

Anglo Anglican

Our Joburg host Kieran took us to Church this morning, which was surprisingly distinctly English in most ways. However, key South African themes were applied when a cricket analogy was drawn for the children before they got whisked off, and when then the sermon mainly consisted of explaining how the Eucharist is a form of protest action.

- Hannah

Knees and Beads

Wearing scrubs to film in the knee theatre

Our first interviewee bright and early today was Willem van der Merwe, a knee surgeon and innovator. He has developed specialist exercise bikes, concentrating on eccentric muscle training – the power of the muscle to ‘brake’, which is his focus of research. He suggested we get some of our action shots of him in the surgery theatre. One of the surgeons requested Tom and I change into scrubs which we almost wet ourselves with excitement over duly did, an understandable request given how much traveling we’d been doing.

In the afternoon we interviewed Linda Scott, secretary of the Cape Town Oxford and Cambridge group, and talked about her work with Mothers For All, a charity which teaches groups of women to make jewellery from waste paper (you would never tell it was made from that) and set up their own business.

Bead Making in Cape Flats

The catch is that the women are all mothers of aids orphans – often their daughters or sisters have died and they have adopted the children. Linda took us out into a township (shanty settlement) to meet and film the mums making the beads. It was a strange experience – the mums and kids were delighted and excited to be filmed, were great actors and super friendly. Donna the business leader was perfectly presented, spoke impeccable and confident english, but had a falling apart shack. The door to her house was broken, many houses had their electricity tapped, but she sported a handsfree kit for her mobile the whole afternoon. Meeting the mums and kids was amazing, but the whole time I was panicking about the equipment and also felt like we were filming shots we are all too familiar with from Comic Relief.

- Hannah

Cells on an Island

We had a dedicated film crew manager meet us at Robben Island who helped Tom and I find good backdrops for our South Africa Oxford Internship interviews. Unfortunately not much of the island is in shade so we were somewhat limited but it did mean driving around the random parts of the island most don’t get to see. The sun was way too bright and hot to film in. I tried to get Table Mountain in the background of Henny’s shot but didn’t quite pull it off,  but exposing her correctly was obviously more important than the mountain, as a result it is a rather subtle placement of a landmark.
We filmed Nick in an old cell, which was rather apt considering he was the Law intern. The sound was a nightmare, incredibly echoey, but close shotgun mic and lapel mic placement along with his booming voice solved most of that.

- Hannah

Filming intern Nick in a cell

Interviewing Roland on the former Governer's veranda

Cape Town Airport

Arriving in Cape Town meant a small dream of mine was fulfilled. We had a sign with our names written on it to meet us.

- Hannah

100 Faces Parody – A Flattering Imitation

Today my friendly google alert pointed me to the fact that someone is making ‘The Wall of 100 Arses’ on YouTube. Not only am I flattered, I’m impressed. I had a good giggle watching them – the interviewer has certainly captured the essence of the Wall, and I love the Guitar Hero references. Not sure how happy the University Offices will be with him using the Uni logo, but luckily I don’t have to worry about that. A good laugh for all those familiar with the original Wall.

- Hannah

…and Cape Town too (maybe)?

I’ve just heard that there might  - might – be a possibility of Tom and I visiting Cape Town as part of our trip, to film some of the University’s TB Vaccine Trials underway there. This would be incredibly exciting, and really newsworthy stuff. At the moment we are only scheduled to interview Alumni in Johannesburg.

A news story of the vaccine project near Cape Town can be found here.

It also ties in to a ‘Researcher Profile’ I recorded of Dr Helen McShane and Dr Helen Fletcher back in July 2008, talking about the vaccine work they do. It would be great to use this footage for a re-edit of their profile. They are two very interesting women doing such an important job, and a laugh to interview too. It’s always fun to film when an interviewee is passionate about their work.

- Hannah

Researcher Profile of Dr Helen McShane and Dr Helen Fletcher (link to video will be active when video published by client)

A Photo Shoot before we leave

There’ll probably be some articles printed about our trip in some Ox Uni publications and on the Uni website (check us!), so  Jo (the lovely pictures editor in the publications office), asked us for some photos. Unfortunately all my ‘action’ photos only feature me or Alice, so we persuaded my dad, and Tom’s housemate Derek, to help us with a photo shoot.

Although these self promotional things are always a bit cringeworthy, I’m pretty happy with the result.  Some however of them made Tom and I look a bit couple-y so of course they immediately got e-shredded…

- Hannah

Round-the-world tickets booked

I thought I had a jammy job already, doing something I love for a living, but it seems to have got better. After three weeks of meetings and proposals, today we finally booked the flights for the ‘Alumni on Film’ project, for Rhodes House, the University Alumni Office and the Careers service, among other clients.

I’m petrified and ecstatic at the same time. The itinerary is as follows:

Johannesburg – Hong Kong – Beijing – Mumbai – Bangalore – Singapore – Malaysia – Thailand – Sydney – Melbourne – Auckland – Honolulu – LA – SF – Toronto – Ottawa – NYC – DC – Bermuda

Then back to London, in February 2010.

While our friends are very jealous, it’s a long way from an ‘all expenses paid’ trip  - Tom and I have quoted a fixed amount to our sponsor departments, and we’ll lose a lot of money on the trip. It will also be a phenomenal amount of work. But it’ll be worth it. We’ll be staying with alumni – something I love the idea of doing. I’m not a big fan of hotels or B&Bs, when I can stay with locals and get to know a place like they do. And I can’t wait to interview people, and hear the stories they have to tell.

- Hannah

Wall of 100 Faces Launch at Rhodes House

100 Faces launched today! We had about 90 people attend – many of the students involved, important folk from around the University including the Vice Chancellor, my department, and of course… my parents.

It was all very swanky and my boss Christopher gave a very complimentary speech which embarrassed me somewhat (but made my parents very happy).

www.ox.ac.uk/100faces/

It is very satisfying to see the Wall all up and finished after having spent so long on it. Follow the link and see if you can find all the videos of boys in whose interview shots I managed to place teddy bears in the background…

- Hannah

The Wall of 100 Faces