Snow in Jozi!

My head is filled with the thrill of snow! A cultivated world of mirrors and deception where anything is possible. This is the land from which I return to reality and as I sit here settling into my familiar skin, I struggle to pacify my excitement as I reflect on the surreal events of the evening.

Channel O, house music and foam. What a combination! Take it one step further and add passion and the beautiful vision of my camera operators and you have a melting pot of exquisite creativity! That was how my evening rolled tonight! I LOVE MY JOB!

I was fortunate enough to be the Director on shift in the Big Brother House this evening for the live Channel O party. With bated breath and quickening pulse, the house doors opened onto a garden filled with snow, creating a winter wonderland. The Housemates were provided with Christmas costumes to coincide with the theme and the sight of gorgeous guys and girls in sexy elfin threads set the tone for the party!

No matter how much you prepare for the unfolding events on this show, you can never predict how it's going to go so when the housemates poured out into the garden and saw a landscape of foam that looked like snow, their screams and excitement tingled my senses! And so the party began!

The air was alive and on fire, pulsating to the sounds of the beats; hips gyrating and bodies dripping from the sea of foam. And all the while, the team of camera operators, directors, shaders and sound working in sync to create a montage of beautiful images.

As the music faded and the dj left, I was on a high. What an amazing experience. As I was driving home, alone in my car with my thoughts lulling me back to self, I realised what a privilege it is to be able to create a constant flow of beautiful images as a means of telling a story. A story that evolves and diversifies with every, single moment. And I get to capture every moment that I sit behind that desk. What a job! Wow, do I love it!

Tomorrow I get to do it all over again! Til then...

Ephiphany of Reflection

I was at work at Big Brother the other day whereby a situation arose between two Housemates, which forced my eyes to singe and my mind to rattle!

One of the carnal couples in the 'House of Sin' was treated to a night of indulgence in the Treatment room. Inevitably, this lead to debauched antics of sloppy lip-action and bodily contortions! "Lucky for them," I pondered, "any action is good action these days" and I was quite shocked at this twisted response that emanated from my mouth! Witnessing their lustful expression was not quite the action I had in mind for my own satisfaction.

Further instances have transpired lately, that have caused a lot of tension and instability in the Big Brother House. Tasks are given to the housemates; challenges are created and the consequences result, ultimately, in confusion, drama and false beliefs that events are taking place, when in fact, they are mere fabrications created to toy with the Housemates' minds.

This lead me to explore the concept of reality television, particularly the Big Brother show. I have worked behind the scenes on almost all of them and for some reason, I keep going back. I was quite intrigued as to why I had never really dissected this inner-fascination for reality television before. Sure, I was aware that I enjoyed the concept of 'cutting' live television, but I had never really unpacked the hidden reason as to why I found it so intrigueing and riveting...until yesterday.

We, as crew members, are completely manipulating these people's lives. It starts with ideas from the core - the Production Dept, it then gets fine-tuned by the Content Department and ends up in the Control Room where the Technical Dept. executes these ideas - that's me. The element of surprise constantly disrupts the Housemates' routines and bombards them into changes of action. I was constantly witnessing the thought processes that evolved in each Housemate's mind, from beginning to end and I was being privy to the choices that they made as a result of these events. It struck me: I am in the business of watching how people think and act as a result of the elements of life being thrown at them sporadically and impulsively. I am watching life in the process. My own private idaho!

I have always been a keen observer of life and of people around me; sometimes choosing to dissasociate rather than to partake, but the concept of how people react and why they react to things the way they do, has always been a source of endless amusement for me. Now I get it! And now I'm getting it eight hours a day! And I still want more! Even if it's dull or uneventful, the mere priviledge of observing the way life takes shape and acts itself out, is highly stimulating for me. I concluded this thought-provoking topic with the realisation, that I think I am a voyeur! How interesting.

As I read this analogy, I am amused, once again, to see how life has found a way of manifesting itself in my mind as a result of exploring other people's minds. And so the journey continues...