Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

The film shoot was something new to me and I found their ways of doing things quite interesting.
The event was not as spectacular as one could imagine. But that is okey, they never had in mind to do some stunts.
The shoot was for some scenes in an Afrikaans romantic comedy film to be called BLOUWYN. 

Most bikers arrived well before nine-o-clock. I counted 15 BMWs (mostly GS boxers), about 17 Harleys and a handful of other makes.

The shiny, chrome laden HD bikes and their riders came along wearing their HD colors, covered with badges and names and pictures and studs and regalia and what not. 
Likewise, (true to our own image) the BMW guys were wearing their ATGATT, wondering how on earth one can ride anything other than a dual purpose bike. And how could you load your bike with anything that is not functional. 
I need to note that all the bikes from our club were very clean and the riders were very neat & tidy.

The e-mailed flyer by the organizers stated "food and drinks will be provided..."

Well, there was a table with instant coffee & milk & sugar & boiling water (read drinks) and rusks (read food).

The actors were a bit late and we all had some food and drink until they arrived.

Close to ten-o-clock the director of the cameras briefed us. 

He nonchalantly dragged a V in the gravel with his shoe and said he wanted us to form a wide V-formation, following the lead bike (a not-so-huge but still very fancy white HD) ridden by an actor i do not know and a massive HD trike, carrying actress/singer Nianell and the driver/operator.

Imagine 30 odd bikes forming a V-formation on a narrow country road! As one can expect, once onto the road the procession immediately formed into two rows of staggered bikes.

In the parking lot we were formed into a quite nice V, but that was the last of the V.

Standing there chatting with my HD neighbour, he actually mentioned that in view of the narrow roads the organizers should rather have the HDs ride on the inside (tar) and the GSs on the outside (ie on the grass verge)

As soon as the director marched off the parade ground, the bikes started to form up. It was quite interesting to note that most of the bikes right behind the lead bike were HDs. After all, the purpose of the presence of the bikes is to show them - so let us show our bikes & make sure they are in the film.

Soon the lead bike took off and we all followed.

No cameras in sight, but not to worry yet.

Riding out of Philadelphia we turned left (towards Klipheuwel) onto the R304 and after 3km left again onto the old Malmesbury road towards Kalbaskraal. For me this long snaking convoy of motorbikeso was a very impressive sight from where I was near the tail.  

I soon realized that this shoot is about a (very) happy part of the BLOUWYN film.

In front we have this long-haired, sun-tanned attractive guy on his (dream?)-bike, and a huge blue trike with a happy girl (Nianell) wearing happy colors, all smiles and carrying a guitar (sitting behind the helmeted driver/operator/pilot of the blue machine)

Riding over a hill or two, the pack of bikes rode into a beautiful countryside with strong yellow canola fields both sides of the road.

This is where we met up with the bakkie carrying the video camera. 

The convoy followed the bakkie for a very short distance, then suddenly the bakkie stopped and made a U-turn. Oh-no! all the bikes had to turn around, on this very narrow road.

It was quite a joke to suddenly see that by far most of the bikes now behind the lead bike were GSs --- reason? they could turn around in a flash and could use the grass verge to ride past the three-point-turning HDs!

We did four runs (and three U-turnings) in this section within the wonderful yellow canola countryside. 

I always like to see a long line of bikes behind me or ahead of me. Here are some looking-back pictures

During the last run home we were filmed by a drone, flying ahead of us much like the cloud that lead Moses and the Israelites in the desert.

Heading home, I stopped at the bridge over the (small) Dieprivier to try and capture the long line of bikes. I manage to get part of the tail end.

Back at the town we were met by a large group of the local population. I think they were requested to come along and bolster the number of people. 

Most of us hung around, waiting for further instructions and/or food & drinks.
We had no food or drinks for lunch, only instructions .... we were asked to mingle and chat in groups while the actors were filmed doing this and that.

At times we were asked to be silent and sometimes we had to mime speaking --- I found it very awkward to do this mime thing, soundless talking and laughing at the awkwardness.

Again someone mentioned lunch. Then a delivery van "Delicious Deliveries" passed by, but headed to one of the local restaurants.

We decided lunch may be not that delicious, maybe hamburgers and water. Soon we realized there was no lunch and most guys were already gone or were leaving.
To be honest, expecting lunch may have been bit optimistic. Lunch (of any kind) would have been a challenge, considering the number of people.

So, before heading home, a beer and lunch at the Pepper Tree was the right thing to do.