With the new Build 16 of the RED camera, we wanted to film something – well interesting – challenging and fun. We picked the Great Wall of China. (Yes that image is from build 16)

With the help of five local crew we went to great lengths to get our RED to the top of the Wall. It is all for next term’s fxphd which launches in a few weeks. The shoot went so well, and we ended the day sleeping on the Great Wall and photographic it again at dawn.

Actually you might like to know the weekend we had when we were told we have the weekend off in Beijing….

First, we did not arrive and get to our hotels until 2am on Saturday – after a 12 hour flight, which was delayed for three.

We started Saturday, again, at 6am and set off at 9am to the Ming Tombs. After walking around some beautiful 14th century burial sites, we set off to the Jinshanling Section of the Great Wall. This is a three hour drive from Beijing and a not much visited section of the Wall.

Before actually arriving at Jinshanling we stopped for lunch at a small dinner. Now I have learnt a couple of important lessons that I would like to pass on at this point in the story, about driving in China, road markings are just a suggested guideline, not to be taken too seriously. And dont sit in the front seat. We were passing a 16 wheeler truck, on a two line road we – we – were overtaken by a VW sedan. That is three cars all going West, while on a windy country road. I raise this so you understand the next part of our day. While taking a break from driving, we decided we would need a drink that night. We learnt that our tour guides had never had cocktails. Thus began our hunt to find cocktail ingredients in rural China.

The Vodka was not that hard, nor the lemons, nor the Contreau (I had my doubts but the third store proved a winner), but the Cranberry Juice proved challenging. For a start we could not work out the Mandarin translation and our plans for Sex and the City on the Wall, was looking shaky. But we found that an odd ‘cranberry’ type juice and bet this plus a little grape juice might do the trick. Thus it is that that night we were able celebrate our victory in style – but I need to back up.

After we had finished our shopping we headed for the Wall. We had timed it to allow us to film the sunset, what we had not fully allowed for was the vast climb required to get to the watchhouse that would be the ultimate spot for filming.

After a successful shoot we climbed back down from our perch. Only to have to climb back up again after dinner to sleep on the wall. If you think, like I did, that there is a car park at the base of one of these watchtowers, you have the same Disneyland postcard image I had. The reality is that is steep, really steep climbing and had we not had a team carrying gear we would never have done it. As it was we shot on a monopod to reduce weight and gear. I dont know if a Red on a Monopod is a first, but I like to think a RED Camera and Chinese Cosmos on the Wall might both give us a short byline in history.

Next day we arose at 4.30am for dawn, keeping up our tradition of only getting 5 hours sleep a night in China. We then photographed, had an amazing breakfast, and climbed down off the mountain.

We then drove back – stopping only a few times to set up the RED to film inside the car. We then toured the Olympic sites, went to an ancient drum demonstration, travelled in rickshaws, had tea with a chinese family, got run out of a site since you can film in HD, photograph with flashes but not use a Red One with military police around, had lunch, bought cables, went shopping, and finally got a shower before going out to a business dinner with our Chinese hosts… oh and wrote a blog entry – before crashing at midnight.

So that is how we spend a weekend off…