EXPEDITIE ROBINSON PRODUCTION
CASTAWAY ENGINEERING During the multicamera part of the production, two almost-identical eight- camera directional installations were employed. One was a semi-permanent installation built in a temporary control room for the purpose of registering the Island Council. The other was a portable installation, built in flight cases, to register the various games the contestants were tasked with. To use the images from the different cameras interchangeably, accurate synchronisation of frame recording between them is essential – this ensures seamless transitions when switching between cameras. Any equipment used needed to be robust and reliable in a subtropical climate. Having contingency plans in place meant everyone was prepared for the unexpected. But planning for every possible eventuality requires a special combination of experience and creativity. The team needed to assess all the necessary parts in advance and ship them ahead of time; but packing replacements for every piece of gear is not always practical. As Knepper explains:
“Of course, it may happen that we end up with defective parts which we didn’t bring replacements for. In that case, we look for an alternative solution. In the past, we experienced the challenge of a defective input connector. Since the input connector was the same as the AES input, we transferred that connector to the input as a temporary fix while we awaited a new connector, which didn’t actually arrive for three weeks!”
It’s fascinating to see how individuals cope with adversity both on and off- screen. It’s important to ensure the dynamics between cast members are authentic; filming needed to be continuous, as there was no way to stop production. The team had to be resourceful – and they delivered. Irvin de Vette is marketing and communications manager for EMG in the Netherlands
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