4:45 am is very early to be waking up on a Sunday morning… I was not alone though, I heard shouts and commotion outside and looked out of our lounge window (we live in an apartment in Green Point) onto a sea of runners taking part in the Peninsula Marathon. The energy was palpable and I immediately felt vital and grateful and hugely excited to be taking part in our own race. I drank my coffee, it was too early for breakfast, and set off to meet up with Julia and Renee at Big Bay, where our Olympic distance relay event would start. The distances to cover would be 1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run. We picked up our registration packs and it was confirmed that we were the only relay team – this caused some confusion along the route as the marshals weren’t sure where we were and weren’t supposed to be, but we muddled through it and quickly realised that we were going to win our category as long as we finished. Yes, you can claim the win even if you were the only team to enter!
- Renee, avid mountain-biker, looking very cheerful despite the early hour
Renee with Julia, our champion swimmer
The Elite athletes set off long before the rest of us and sped through the sprint distance at an impressive pace. We hung around, trying not to show each other how nervous we felt, Julia specifically trying not to think about getting in the sea (this would be her first open water swim), Renee debating whether a mountain bike was such a good idea on a road course… The announcer informed us that the sea was a nippy 14 degrees and Julia’s eyes widened. Eventually someone suggested it would be best to get in and out of the sea first, so Julia got kitted up and we walked down to the start line.
The Olympic distance race began and Renee and I headed back quickly to transition.
Ren got into her kit and I waited at the arch for Julia to come out of the water. The fastest swimmer was out in 17 minutes, Julia was only 7 minutes behind him – all her hard work in training had paid off. Although she looked a little shell-shocked coming out of the water and had to be reminded to run to transition.
She gave the timing chip to Renee and Ren was off on her bike.
We went to change and have a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast for Julia. Renee had warned us that she would be out for at least two hours, but we were advised by some seasoned athletes that she would be closer to 1h30. Julia headed onto the cycle course to cheer Renee and I made my way to transition. Ren came in a little over 1h30, gave me the timing chip and I was off on the 2 loop run course.
After a near miss (I began by running in the wrong direction until a marshal called me back) I got onto the run course and went through Big Bay residential area including a stretch along the coast. The conditions were perfect, not a breath of wind, and on the first loop I had plenty of company. On the second loop I realised I was quite far behind the other participants as marshals were starting to pack up. I put foot in order to pass 3 people (I couldn’t very well come in last could I!) and somehow came in after 49 minutes.
We had such a great day, surrounded by awesome and inspiring people. Thank you to Julia and Renee for agreeing to take part in this and thank you to our very generous sponsors who not only helped make this possible, but helped us support a little school called Simunye that is very close to our hearts!
Showing off title sponsors, Moonlighting Films and Egg Films
Dale, Julia and Renee supporting finisher medals
We are two events down, two more to go. This coming Sunday we will be taking part in Xterra Grabouw (1.5km swim, 47km MTB, 12km trail run) and in April I will be running the 2Oceans Half Marathon. Watch this space for updates!
This TVC for Shoprite was shot at an old favourite location, Broadacres by Wishbones. The classic Constantia home provided the perfect backdrop for all the vastly different rooms as well as the outdoor patio.
I’m loving this exquisite, classically decorated home in Constantia, named Twillingate. Complete with English-countryside gardens, farm-style kitchen, glamorous chandeliers and charming fireplaces, it houses a tasteful collection of antiquities. Wooden bookcases adorn a gentleman’s study and the patio is perfectly protected from the elements, allowing the family to enjoy the outdoors in any weather.
Images courtesy of www.bakkesimages.com
This new location, Quirky Corner, had me hooked after the first image I saw – which happened to be these incredibly cute chickens. I adore the owner’s style as she combines tasteful and ‘quirky’ touches with wallpaper, classic interiors and funky ideas. Clearly South African-influenced but managing to steer clear of the clichéd African look, there are so many areas – including the chalkboard wall in the kitchen and the red-cross medicine cabinet – I’d like to copy in my own home!
This latest SPUR commercial, produced by Wishbones, was shot at classic Constantia home Mary Poppins. The shower was actually built from scratch and shot in the driveway:
Meet Renee Gowar, a focused and driven woman with a great sense of humour and a contagious laugh! Renee is our senior film location consultant who works closely with scouts, production companies and individuals needing help in the field. Unbendable about service delivery she upholds the brand in a way we are extremely proud of. Disarmingly unpretentious, Renee is a country-girl who is an accomplished Amateur Actress and regularly performs in local theatre productions. She is an absolute asset to our organisation and recently gave me a few minutes of her time to satisfy my curiosity…
How did you end up in the film industry?
I came to Cape Town wanting to be an actress, did a few commercials and some Stand-In work which was my first taste of the film industry. Sometimes I miss the buzz of being on set but I don’t miss the 14 hour days!
What led you to Amazing Spaces?
I was, first of all, a character agent but was looking for something new. My friend Maxine from Gavin Schneider Productions told me about a position available at Amazing Spaces and, well, the rest is history – I have been here going on 6 years now.
Tell me about your favourite work experiences
I think my favourite moments are when we consultants banter with each other to relieve stress or just because it’s fun and keeps it light in the office when we need it to. I love 4 o’ clock madness – when we play an old cheesy favourite to remind us not to take life too seriously.
What are the biggest challenges you face in your daily work?
I think juggling briefs, seeing scouts, setting up recces, negotiating rates, doing contracts, handling complaints, all in one day, can be quite stressful.
How do you overcome this?
My job is to find solutions so that’s what I do and I try not to react but to listen and then make a plan. Just Breathe!
How do you feel about the current season?
There has been a lot of negotiating this season with many of our clients losing jobs to Miami and South America based on prices so we have all had to work together to win them here. Shooting in Cape Town has been quite tough this season. It still surprises me how many residents in Cape Town are anti-film shoots when in fact they are such a great way of putting Cape Town on the map, bringing in revenue and creating skills for people who would otherwise be without jobs. That being said I have also seen a few new clients spring up and it’s great to see that happening in these tough times.
Where can we typically find you in your spare time?
On a stage expressing my theatrical side ☺
With a huge number of briefs crossing our desks each season, we’re in a fantastic position to guage what’s coming trend-wise in both international and local markets. We find it fascinating watching ‘old fashions’ make reappearances – with a twist of course – and seeing utterly brand new concepts that seem at first ‘wacky’ but quickly become old hat.
A few trends we have picked up on for this season so far include farm-style kitchens, interesting window spaces, from the modern glass and steel look to distressed and rustic, rooftops with industrial cityscape views, bungalows and very dark to black interior walls. Derelict buildings – a trend we first saw at least three to four years ago, is still going strong and proves popular for a wide variety of subjects, from lingerie to sports kit and music videos.
Here’s how the season looks in pictures:
