Lights...Camera...Velodrome Action!

One email and four phone calls late yesterday afternoon, and I'd be spending the day with Nathan Elliott at the Brunswick velodrome with the guys from Coda TV. They'd been handed an assignment from a large pharmaceutical company to film a 'pursuit' between two riders and needed it done ASAP. Nathan and I were going to ride the Whittlesea TT loop but were easily persuaded by a few $100 each for our cycling services. Money to train? Hell yes!

We were only going to answer to the stage names 'Mill Dog, and E Dog', but quickly dropped that idea we found out there was no speaking and very little acting involved. Devastated. We were provided with enough food and drinks to make this a better training day than usual. Not quite "Lite n' Easy" that pro actors like Toadfish from Neighbours gets, but it was FREE!

The shoot was about the race, the catch, and win by the cyclist in the red jersey. Bikes didn't matter, so we had our roadies on the track... and I was given what can only be described as the kind of kit you'd get walking into Rebel Sport and asking for a 'cyclists-ing top' for your Around the Bay training. So it really wasn't about the look. We took the $20 tag off the top and got to work.

Early on it was easy riding and cameras on our bars, seats, heads, under our seats, and at one point strapped to my ankle. Passing shots. Catching shots. Finish line shots. Repeat those a few times each.

The next set were us preparing to start the race. Gloves, helmets, sunnies, and a few Blue Steel looks. A few takes each and repeat for the other rider on the other side of the track. The race simulation was where we made our money. Three or four laps with me chasing 1/2 a lap behind and catching on the final bend. Perfect track training, those efforts really hurt, no acting pain face required. Finally they took some sound grabs of our bikes zipping past a large 'looks like a small fluffy dog' microphone. 

Nothing was ever fast or too urgent. These guys had all day to capture a ton of footage. Nathan and I had no idea how it'd take all day when we started, but we now know why.... setting up shots, camera changes, clouds, and multiple shots takes alllll day!

 

Morning fuel supplied!

Setting up.

 

E Dog on the tweets.

MacBook Air. Nice little unit.

All on bike stuff was with GoPro cams.

 

Lunch break. Trackie calories.

Yes I was.

Cashed up E Dog.... singing "She works hard for the money!"

We might get a copy of the final footage. I'll post it up if I'm allowed to. With the amount of footage taken they should be able to put something nice together.... stay tuned!