Rock ‘n’ Roll

Herrick 18 Stories

Capt Mau Gris. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer.

A song and dance

It’s been a fun time for the CCT since I last wrote. Life has been dominated by the Combined Services Entertainment (CSE) Show. This is on the opposite end of the spectrum to what we exist to cover but has its difficulties. For those who haven’t had the pleasure of attending one, a CSE show combines comedy, music and dancing to help troops take their mind off work where ever they are deployed for a couple of hours.

Having directed a music video before I am well aware of the pitfalls of filming entertainment. The combo of noise, movement and lights if not handled correctly can be an absolute and utter nightmare to edit, doubling or even tripling the time it takes to complete a job. This was the first time that I had seen one of these entertainment shows and, like any typical soldier, I was sceptical about the show’s ability to distract me without the aid of alcohol. I was even a bit nervous for the stand-up comics, as sober soldiers on operations would be a tough audience.

I was proved wrong. Within minutes of the first comic coming on, I was relaxed and enjoying the show. So relaxed that I pretty much forgot I was working. Good for morale, bad for work. I realised, as we left the show, that Lloydie would need more interviews to create a video piece. We would have to come back and do the show again. Again, I thought I would be bored. Nope, second time round I couldn’t get enough of the dancers and the band called Front Cover, but still we needed more. The next night promised massive crowds as it was for the whole of the camp Bastion.

Sgt Barry Lloyd. Cpl Si Longworth (phot)

Capt Mau Gris and Sgt Barry Lloyd. Cpl Si Longworth (phot)

Sgt Barry Pope. Cpl Si Longworth (phot)

Sgt Barry Lloyd. Cpl Si Longworth (phot)

Large events like this pose their own problems for the guys – both Lloydie and his Holiness (Sgt Pope) have to contend with the crowd, who don’t like people pushing past them to get closer to the stage. Also moving around a venue that is much larger takes time and can make cutting a bit trickier. Lloyd and his Holiness nailed it – working like madmen to get the shots they needed. To add to the fun we had the talented Brigade Photographer Cpl Simon Longworth along to take some amazing ‘drag flash’ photos (I think that’s what he called them anyway.) We were nearly there, almost enough footage. We had one night to get the last shots that would make the piece.

Sadly just when we thought we had achieved our mission, operational commitments meant that the last show was cancelled. Just when you think nothing more can go wrong! So quick thinking by the guys meant that we worked out that a multimedia piece could still be possible. The Army definition of a multimedia piece is a video that relies fairly heavily on photos or even exclusively on photos with some audio on it. We learned a valuable lesson realising this.

There are multiple ways to skin a media cat in order to get that story across.

 

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

CSE Show in full swing. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

See you next time guys. Take it easy.

Read Mau’s other blogs here: Capt Mau Gris

Follow Mau on Twitter: @mau_gris

Filming close quarters combat in the third dimension

Herrick 18 Stories

Capt Mau Gris. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer.

‘Spray and pray’

With Lloydy gaining a bit of fame in for his 3D filming (he’s been interviewed by BBC Radio Merseyside) I thought it was time to talk about our 3D filming, so far, in this blog.

Last week, I found out that the Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF) were going to the Close Quarter Battle (CQB) range to practice their skills. So I set up a day to go down and capture them in action.

CQB ranges are pretty claustrophobic and seriously intense; as they are made to replicate urban warfare. Though for Helmand this is a thing of the past it’s still practiced, and it is ideal subject matter for a bit of 3D action. To give you an idea – here is a video we made on Close Quarters Marksmanship:

[http://youtu.be/OGetZAelPbg]

The ranges are set up in a kind of winding alley format, with lots of corners forcing the guys to practice the drills. They face all the problems that might happen in the real thing and they have to deal with them as they go.

With the perfect subject, we set about assessing gear that the production house 3Dizzy had given us. We’ve been given a p2, which is a large standard news camera, which has a large 3D lens on it. Advantages of this – great HD quality footage with complete control. Downside – very awkward to move with and fricking heavy. We also had a 3D Helmet camera, which had the opposite qualities – easy to use, but no monitor to watch the footage, to use military slang; a ‘spray and pray’ camera. We also had a 3D handycam which was in the middle of the two.

3D filming of close quarters marksmanship. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

3D filming of close quarters marksmanship. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Close quarters marksmanship being filmed. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Close quarters marksmanship being filmed. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

3D filming of close quarters marksmanship. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

3D filming of close quarters marksmanship. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

On 3D cameras you have an additional elements of ‘convergence’ and ‘depth budget’ to consider alongside the ordinary considerations such as exposure and framing. Simply put these are controls for whether something pops out at you from the screen and how three dimensional something is. Too much can actually ruin a shot or even make it ‘illegal’ according to broadcaster standards.

With all this to consider Lloydy and his Holiness (Sgt Pope) were really earning their pay on this shoot. As the producer I had to concentrate on holding my tongue and getting them the time they needed to do the job, as well as not ruining their shots by accidentally walking into them, which I have done more than once. Don’t ask me how, it just happens.

3D filming of close quarters marksmanship. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

We set up Lloydy with the big camera as he’s the specialist video guy, getting the tough arial tracking shots from an observation deck. Then his Holiness got the nice, tight shots on the handycam, we are hoping to show the results later in the year! Drop me a line in Twitter if you want to know more.

Filming from the Hospital

I also promised to talk to you about the difficulties of shooting in the Camp Bastion Hospital. From a producer’s perspective – it is about the clearances and preproduction you have to go through – for legal reasons actually filming patients is a no go, you can get their permission afterwards and in the UK but because of the nature of this environment it’s not always possible to track people down after they have left.

ISAF are teaching the afghan doctors and surgeons more advanced medical techniques to enable them to look after and care for the more seriously injured soldiers. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

ISAF are teaching the afghan doctors and surgeons more advanced medical techniques to enable them to look after and care for the more seriously injured soldiers. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Working in the hospital. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Also in that environment were people are very aware of cameras, you often have to contend with people messing up the shot by trying to avoid being in it. Or trying to stop you because they have not been told that you have permission. That said if you do go through the pain – the shots of the work people are doing there are worth it. Nothing worth anything is ever easy.

See you next time guys. Take it easy.

Read Mau’s other blogs here: Capt Mau Gris

Follow Mau on Twitter: @mau_gris

Herrick 18 Stories: Good times, sad times, wasting time

Capt Mau Gris. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer.

 

The meaning of CCT becomes clear

Hi guys – its been a little while since I posted something but a fair bit has happened.

One of the sad duties I have to do is cover vigils of fallen  comrades. It’s probably one of our most important tasks; documenting the vigil to a fallen serviceman, but you cannot help but feel a little scummy, a bit like the paparazzi as you take the photos and video of such a solemn occasion. I do wonder how people could do it for a living.

Vigil service for LCpl Jamie Webb of 1 MERCIAN Regiment. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

The team got its first run out as a deployed newsgathering unit. We had go down to Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand to cover the official changing of the Brigade from 4th Mechanized Brigade to 1st Mechanized Brigade. This happens when a new tour begins and a new load of people take over. We found ourselves working alongside Caroline Wyatt, the BBC’s Defence Correspondent and the British Forces Broadcasting Service guys.

We arrived a day early to film the goodbye Shura – which is an Afghan meeting with Afghan musicians and traditional food. There was this exquisite potato flat bread call Burkahra. All the top Helmand residents descended to say thanks to out-going Brigadier Bob Bruce and welcome Brigadier Rupert Jones.

With a real-time deadline of 12.30pm for 1pm News to get the material back to the UK in time, we had a real rush. The satellite decided it didn’t want to work. Great! So we had to rush around like mad men trying to hop on a computer anywhere we could. We managed it by the skin of our teeth and got to see our images on the news for the first time!

It was at this point that I began to realise the pressures and difficulties that traditional news teams must have when chasing a story. It’s not just being aware of the environment and the constraints on the kit, it’s getting the interviews, that are ‘clean’ – ie free from distraction in the picture and the sound, as well as the GVs (or general views) of whatever it is you are covering. That is before you have to worry about transmission back to wherever will be showing it!

Images of the 4th mechanized brigade Shura. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Filming of 4th mechanized brigade Shura. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Images of the 4th mechanized brigade Shura. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Images of the 4th mechanized brigade Shura. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Shawqat farewell

Following that faff, we were prepared for the next deployment to  Forward Operating Base Shawquat in the Nad-e Ali to see the Mercian regiment leave Afghanistan for the last time. Shawquat has is based around an old British fort that was used the last time the British were in Afghanistan! So we got some good pictures of where our predecessors would have stayed.

Take over of authority at Main Operating Base Lashkar Gah. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

As you can probably tell I’ve been doing a fair bit of travelling which is just as susceptible to delay as in the UK. The Afghan weather plays havoc with the Helicopters so the Baz(es) and I have been doing what all good soldiers do, when they get free time – sleeping.

Time for a well-earned rest. Sgt Barry Pope RLC (Phot)

Next time – I will talk to you about filming the elite Brigade Reconnaissance Force in 3D – the first British troops to ever be filmed in 3D!  I also will talk about the difficulties and constrains of filming in the Hospital.

See you next time guys. Take it easy.

Follow Mau on Twitter: @mau_gris

Trooper Sam Lowe (RDG) arrives in Afghanistan

Trooper Sam Lowe

The Royal Dragoon Guards have deployed to Afghanistan as the Police Mentoring and Advisory Group and are also responsible for Mobility Protection, with soldiers working in the Warthog Group. In the second of the Royal Dragoon Guards’ Blogs, Trooper Sam Lowe describes how he has found his first few weeks in Afghanistan. Sam, from Rotherham, is 22 years old. He is working in a Tac Team and this is his first tour.

Go go go…

On our arrival into CampBastion in the early hours of a Tuesday it was all go go go, straight into day one of the Reception, Staging and Onward Integration (RSOI) package. This is the final bit of training that we all do before the tour can properly get started. Day One was a load of briefs that told us all about what we needed to know for our time in CampBastion. Most of the Regiment got a ‘day zero’ to recover after their flights but because the flight was late, we were all pretty tired and so it was a very long day. The remainder of the week involved everything from marching in body armour (to get us used to working in the hot conditions) to stands about Health and Hygiene. Day Four even includes information on the life expectancy of fruit and veg in our Patrol Bases (PBs)! I thought that day 3 was the best day of RSOI because the staff taught us the most up to date life saving techniques and it gave me more confidence in being able to carry out my drills correctly.

Our new home!

At the end of RSOI, most of the lads flew out to their new bases, but not for two lucky people (Cpl Bob Littlefair and me) who had to conduct even more specialist training. But we eventually finished our training, had some time to get our kit squared away, and got on the flight to MOB Lashkar Gah… our new home!

Soldiers from the Royal Dragoon Guards wait for the first of several flights taking them to Camp Bastion

A real eye opener

On Patrol in Lashkar Gah

On landing in the base, we were greeted by some of the lads who came out on the earlier flight, and we were able to start the take-over from the Welsh Guards. The Royal Dragoon Guards lads have loads of different roles out in Afghanistan, but I’m one of the ones responsible for driving and patrolling everyone to the locations they then need to get to. The first time on the ground for me was a real eye opener, speaking with the local Afghans and starting up a new working relationship with the Afghan National Police (ANP). It was pretty daunting seeing how busy the area is, but you soon become more used of what’s normal and the way people act around you. Having been out a few times now, I now feel comfortable carrying out my job professionally and have belief in myself.

Going out in the vehicles, is not as daunting as doing the foot patrols, because you have the added protection of all the armour. Vehicle patrols also mean you get to see more of the Afghanistan countryside. It’s not much like our home in Catterick but at least there’s a lot to look at. I’ve had a really varied start to the tour and have visited most areas to protect lots of different shuras, as well as taking some long vehicle patrols. I’m really enjoying myself and I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of our tour holds for me and the lads.

Credit

Trooper Sam Lowe; Photographer: Lt Crean

Soldiers from the RDG wait for the first of several flights; Photographer Lt Crean

On Patrol in Lashkar Gah; Photographer: Sgt Elliott

All material is Crown Copy Right

From Britain to Bastion, to protect and deter

Trooper James Campbell

Trooper James Campbell is a member of the Headquarters Squadron of The King’s Royal Hussars (KRH). He is based in the Combined Force Lashkar Gah (CF LKG) Main Operating Base (MOB).  The KRH are the lead unit for the Lashkar Gah area.

Today is the 2nd May and I have almost been in Afghanistan for a whole month.   The training we first conducted when we flew into Camp Bastion seems like last year, as my time here so far has flown by.

We arrived into Bastion in the early hours of the morning on 4th April, so I didn’t see much of the camp but we were informed that it is a similar size to Reading.  We were shipped to our accommodation, which consisted of 70 man tents with bunk beds, an experience in itself! Especially as the travelling from England to Bastion had been pretty hot so showers were needed for many!

‘Lash Vegas’

In the morning we woke to begin our training.  As soon as I stepped out of the tent I was blasted with the temperatures outside that were around 30 degrees and these will continue to rise as it is not even the middle of the summer.  Looking back at our time in Bastion I can now understand why we had a couple of weeks in theatre at a slightly slower pace to acclimatise.  The training in Bastion lasted just over a week and taught us the most up-to-date techniques needed to operate safely in theatre.  The training was good as it gave me a bit of time to adjust as it would have been difficult to go straight out onto the ground.

A week later we flew to Lashkar Gah also known as ‘Lash Vegas’ – not because of the alcohol as there is none in theatre but because of the good living conditions provided at the camp.  This would be where I would be spending my next six months.  My mates and I, who are in the same team known as a Patrol, moved into a large room together and straight away we started to make it a bit more like home.  Some of us bought rugs and posters went up quickly.  I am part of the Commanding Officer’s force protection team called the CO’s TAC group.  This ‘elite’ team, as I like it to be known as, provides the CO with protection when he has to go out to visit local public officials.  We are a really close-knit bunch of lads and we all get on really well together.

Me and the some of the equipment I use in Afghanistan.

Thriving with business

Since being in Lashkar Gah we have been on many patrols.  I normally provide all round protection from my vehicle with a 50 calibre machine gun that is mounted on top of it.  My job is to protect our patrol from any attack that may happen, so I act as more of a deterrent but it is quite a responsibility and I really enjoy it.  The first patrol was pretty daunting to be honest which we did on our second day in Lashkar Gah.  I would be lying if I said I was not nervous but shortly into the patrol into the centre of Lashkar Gah (the capital of the Helmand province) the environment seemed very relaxed.  There were many locals who were waving and seemed happy to see us.   However, one child had the accuracy of Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor with a stone landing very close to me.  Overall though, I was surprised to see how much the centre was thriving with business.

In our spare time when we are not working we do get some time to chill out and as we have our own welfare facilities we can spend time on the PlayStation and watch DVDs and plays darts.  We have even got competitions going on the PlayStation which is great fun!

Ground Force

Outside of patrolling our daily routine tends to consist of maintaining the vehicles that we use and also building a few extra comfort areas where we can relax at the end of the day.  Yesterday we spent some of the day building a gazebo like structure; admittedly it was not quite a Homebase piece of work but it was close enough.  To be honest I think we could do our own Ground Force programme.

I have now been out on a number of patrols and it is really interesting to explore the local area and meet many of the locals.  Sometimes being inside the base it feels as though you are away from the real environment outside.  The time on the ground with the Afghan Forces doing some patrolling has surprised me as I was not expecting them to be so professional.  I am looking forward to working with them more and I hope over the next few months when I write my other blogs to tell you all about it.