AMREF/Sony Tanzania Project

: 5th Dec 2011
: By Jackie Murray, Head of Photography, Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography
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I am reading the on board safety instructions on flight 188 from Nairobi to Johannesburg. The illustrated figure gliding down the airplanes inflated slide looks as if he’s having the time of his life. Arms thrown jovially in the air accompanied by a big smile. I guess this is to encourage the passengers with some kind of ill-fated faith. To be fair, believing in something even if it seems hopeless at the time is a pretty decent message. Proof that there is significance in visual imagery no matter how ridiculous it looks.

The Academy’s relationship with WPO began a few years back when two of our students won the Africa/Middle East section of the Student Focus Awards. Since then we have been discussing potential undertakings, which place photographic education at its core. This dialogue involves researching innovative approaches to the nature of contemporary photographic instruction.

The AMREF/Sony project in Tanzania has come to an end. I am conjecturing as to how the video footage and photographs might look since I haven’t had the time to scan through the results of each days work. My feeling is one of excitement and anticipation. The Academy is appreciative of this opportunity initiated by WPO.

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It has been an amazing experience for all involved. The Sony and AMREF teams worked non-stop for 10 days creating a series of six mobile HIV/AIDS awareness events in various parts of the country. The events consisted of a projection and screen (showing educational and entertainment films), live music and dance performance, testimonies from people living with HIV/AIDS and a number of HIV/AIDS testing stations. The idea was to excite the imaginations of a captive audience in order to make HIV/AIDS awareness both fun and effective.

Our small film crew consisted of Verity Cowper: a producer from the UK based production company Large Blue, Craig Brown: an independent cameraman from Cape Town, myself: Head of Photography at the Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography and Wikus De Wet and Robert Bingham: two graduating photography degree students from the Academy. Our creative brief from Sony was to produce two main documentary films, one for Sony (who donated projection and sound equipment to AMREF and HD video and stills equipment to the Academy) and one for AMREF. Each film was to have its particular nuances with an emphasis on the personal impact of the programme. We were also asked to shoot stills of the events and the unfolding of the process.

Our crew worked well together, both on a personal and professional level. Wikus and Robert soaked up all the information they could from myself, Craig and Verity; three experienced people with varying and overlapping skills gained from working in the film and photographic industry.

AMREF3 AMREF4 Having come from a stills background the boys were suddenly faced with the challenge of filming on the Sony AX2000 HD video cameras. There are many similarities between stills and video, so the boys had some embedded knowledge to draw from. But there are also many variants between the two mediums. The concept of “the moment” shifts and methods of anticipating a worthy image are dealt with on an altered time scale. It was interesting for me to observe how the students learnt to adjust to new technicalities and creative experimentation. In addition to this they had to regulate to another pace and style of production and to work within a team. Not to mention acquainting to the heat and engaging in cultural differences.

The pilot has just announced the start of our descent to Johannesburg. The airplane begins its slow downturn towards earth. I can’t help thinking of all the flying what ifs. What if the pilot has a heart attack? What if a big bird gets jammed in the engine? What if the guy next to me tries to light his shoe? And then I move on to the whys. Why do airline-catering companies assume vegetarians don’t want dessert? Why am I afraid of flying when I never used to be? Why am I thinking these absurd thoughts? I check the safety instruction sheet again. There are no pictures of heart-halted pilots, pulverized birds or matchbox maniacs. Just graphics of people surviving and having fun while they do it.

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