Nairobi Kenya

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

Looks like this is going to happen, so I just wanted to see if any of you people have shot there or nearby and what's to be expected as far as gear (dolly, track, other camera support) or should we travel everything +backups?

 

What I've hear is that on the North end, they bring in from Spain and on the other end, South Africa has gear.

[Brant S. Fagan SOC]

Back in the late 90s, I worked on a feature called "Endurance" that shot in Ethiopia but was based out of England. All the gear came from JDC in London until I arrived with some my Steadicam and some accessories from TCS in NY. No local gear there but the locals did know all about my Anton Bauer batteries and charging systems which was a relief for all.

 

Bring multiple backups for EVERYTHING! For my trip, I took two arms, three lens control systems, my field tool kit and lots of hardware.

 

Expect things to be shipped in as you indicated but don't hold your breath on any details until you have the items in your hands. Don't trust power adapters unless you have tested them and perhaps metered out the power once on location.

 

Get your shots well in advance to make sure they are actively protecting you before you land.

 

Don't be suprised when lots of helping hands start picking up everything in sight to help move from setup to setup.

 

Watch out for yourself if you will be working at elevations significantly above sea level and keep yourself hydrated day and night to help acclimate. You may want to bring some Western food items to help "dovetail" your digestive system into the local cuisine. I spent weeks out in the "countryside" with little or no Western food except for what I had brought in with the gear. For me, it was peanut butter and grape jelly slathered onto flour tortillas since they were "packable" with the gear and traveled very nicely.

 

Ask questions and get firm answers. The devil is in the details. Try to exclude Murphy by making a list and covering all the bases ahead of time.

 

For me, customs was a breeze on both ends, but the locals in Addis Ababa were interested in items that could be sold locally on the black market rather than my fourteen cases and Magliner; just my SLR and video cameras.

 

Good luck!