My Time in Showbiz

An unusual one today. I found myself in Showbiz. Low budget Brazilian soap opera to be precise, this one concerning a solo yachtsman headed into stormy waters.

Green screen technology orrrr... cheap green
polypropylene someone rushed out to buy
in the morning?

I helped out a couple of local friends, who had been hired for the green screen special effects part of the shoot. The brief was to moor their yacht in front of the a giant green screen. 

Ready for action

After dressing the boat up to look as similar as the yacht used for on-location sailing shots as was possible and then mooring up with special green lines the special effects guys took over.

Knowing nothing about sailing they asked the sailors to storyboard a dramatic storm scenario. So the actor gets a quick lesson in how not to handle a jib, and we're ready to go!

"Um, yea, I guess pulling the sheet would look epic?"

Drama! A flogging jib! 

Waves (a jetski doing circles!) and spray (a hose pipe) effects started and he runs forward to solve the problem by tugging the jib sheet.

Where is Robert Redford when you need him?

Miraculous, if furls!

Credit to the actor, he was getting pretty soaked

Ahh, on the sugar scoop crouch his guardian angels, and fortunately they know how to pull the furling line.

Sucess! The situation is saved!

WooHoo!!!

They needed to film the guy emerging from the hatch
which meant pointing the hose at the hatch.
This technique kept out some of the water at least...