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Program wot I shot.. on Nat Geo UK


Robin R Probyn

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Can you give a link to a trailer or something..?

 

 

I have asked them for the trailer .. but no cigar as yet.. could be a Nat Geo thing.. not sure .. I,ll google it..

 

I found this link but the video wont play for me..due to geographical location.. so annoying .. might work for you

 

https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/nazi-megastructures

Edited by Robin R Probyn
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What'd they pay you for that nightmare?

 

haha it wasn't that bad actually... part of a series so not all in tunnels ! we had alot of boats too ! and very interesting from a historical point of view.. the radio station that sent the Pearl harbor attack is still there as it was !.. tourist place but very few visitors.. a massive amount of tunnels and stuff was built for a presumed land battle with the US.. and to house the imperial family etc.. the series is being aired in the UK first then the US.. the trusty f5 never missed a beat..

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I am still after an Alexa, I am a camera hype beast!!

 

 

Well that brings up a good point.. Im not sure any Arri would have been approved re the tech stipulations.. (well except the LF and 65.. obviously not going to work on this shoot)...UHD 3840 native.. I know they up res .. and the picture is great.. but a PM in an office in London, with the tech note from Nat Geo in the US .. in arse cover mode ,as they always are these days with the more complex techie stipulations.. that phone call would probably end in a no.. it was a fairly long shoot and well paid.. but having to rent a camera would have been a major financial loss... I keep on saying it.. get the camera that you can use for the work you have..

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Congrats mate! Must have been pretty fascinating.

 

I'm going to see if my VPN can move me to South Africa temporarily to check out the trailer.

 

 

Yes was pretty interesting.. I,d worked on one of the earlier series too.. they have drama stuff too.. which I wasn't any part of.. only did the doc stuff.. if you can down load it send it to me please !.. I think its on the Nat Geo Aus site too.. ?

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Pretty cool! I love the subject too :)

 

 

Yes its quite a good series .. alot of the old bunkers are just sitting there in the woods..only the locals know where they are..or amateur history groups.. many were built with forced labor and a bit spooky when your down there and know what happened during the building.. many lives lost..

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Yes its quite a good series .. alot of the old bunkers are just sitting there in the woods..only the locals know where they are..or amateur history groups.. many were built with forced labor and a bit spooky when your down there and know what happened during the building.. many lives lost..

Man that's so cool! Did you get a chance to capture your own footage or was it work non stop?

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Ohh what's the entrance thing in the water? That's pretty crazy.

 

 

About that non straight horizon .. was grab on phone from a boat !.. my excuse anyway.. actually that was from part of another episode .. Kamakaze boats.. didn't know there was such a thing..! used in the Philippines but not in Japanese waters.. although they were all prepared for the battle that didnt happen..

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These were also pretty much the cleanest bunkers !.. but all damp and some really seriously huge nasty insects .. this was small Island near Okinawa .. so hot and humid.. we were stuck here for a few days as a big typhoon came through and no flights.. Used 1X 1 Astra,s on batteries for lighting when needed.. worked well.. Sigma Cine zooms T2.. and the f5 2000 ISO all helped..

Edited by Robin R Probyn
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Didnt go to Philippines.. they had all these secret stations around southern Japan.. caves hidden in cliffs .. and the explosive dumps close by.. with 2 metre thick walls.. they of course are still standing .. without roofs mostly .. all boat only access.. we were pretty lucky with weather on the boat days.. or that could have been really miserable .. !

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I have asked them for the trailer .. but no cigar as yet.. could be a Nat Geo thing.. not sure .. I,ll google it..

 

I found this link but the video wont play for me..due to geographical location.. so annoying .. might work for you

 

https://www.natgeotv.com/za/shows/natgeo/nazi-megastructures

 

Isn't that something. You shoot the project and can't see your work. Sad.

 

Were you prepared for the bugs or was it a learn on the job thing?

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Isn't that something. You shoot the project and can't see your work. Sad.

 

Were you prepared for the bugs or was it a learn on the job thing?

 

 

I usually get DVD,s well these days video files of the programs after they have aired .. this was a long series (I didn't shoot all of it) and Nat Geo stuff can take along time to air.. and it still has to go out in the US.. but the trailer they often share.. but as lawyers take over US tv that is getting harder too..!.. but thats very standard you don't get any copies till everything has aired.. Actually when Murdoch took over Natgeo..within days.. I got an email from Vimeo that I had two illegal non permission clips on my showreel Vimeo account.. and they have a 3 strike policy.. so one more and Im banned for life !! WTF!!. I had actually had 3 clips from Natgeo shoots that I had shot and the UK production company had said I could use on my reel, they had been on there for a couple of years ... I pleaded with Vimeo to give me the contact of the person who had made the claim.. no surprise Fox lawyers..naively I thought I could talk some sense into this lady .. I told her I had personally shot the clips.. they were only like 30 seconds and not complete scenes etc.. and there must be some misunderstanding.. and I had another clip from that series that their Bots hadn't found on the same reel.. really nasty women.. she didnt care and then threatened me regarding the 3 rd clip.. !! in the end I took down the other clip if she would rescind on the claim to Vimeo.. and I could get my 2 strikes back and regain a no strike status with Vimeo.. what's that joke.. the similarity between lawyers and sperm.. one in 3 million has the chance of being a human..

 

The bugs ! yes I have shot for the same series "Nazi Mega structure s" before.. you invariably end up in some dark underground bunker .. there was one very valuable lesson I learnt.. on an early shoot as I was walking in this big tunnel. I felt something land on my head.. not really sure what it was I just instinctively brushed the top of my head with my hand.. a HUGE .. centipede hit the floor.. and I mean Alien like.. I jumped a mile and let out a huge scream.. later I pondered the prospect that had the timing been even half a second different ,that thing could have gone down the back of my shirt !!! .. wear a hoodie.. !! never lean on the walls.. tuck trousers into socks.. if you just even think you saw something move.. it probably did.. move away !.. I mean there is nothing that's going to kill you in these tunnels in Japan .. but you can get pretty ill from a bite from some them.. and I really hate big insects !!

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