Steve, Marc, Petra and the crew on set
Last week I travelled to Edesheim, Germany to help film three new DVDs for our MTX Pro range, featuring the ever popular Marc Oliver Kluike and his wife Petra, and I must say that it was an experience. Baggage issues aside (watch out for my London Airport blog ... maybe!), I arrived in Germany and made straight for the set, and was greeted by Marc and Petra preparing their dance choreography. Being on set is a side of the business not many of us get to see; we're so used to watching the finished product that it's easy to forget the hours of rehearsals and the meticulous attention to detail that gets it all looking perfect. Just watching their rehearsals I felt exhausted; they're so energetic in everything they do and filming is no exception.
Generating the same energy one-on-one with a camera, as with a room full of students, I've noticed, is a different skill altogether, even for top presenters. But both Marc and Petra handle it with ease; Petra is a natural in front of the camera, while Marc entertained us all throughout the shoot with his pure energy and enthusiasm. I was given the directors chair to watch from, unfortunately though I didn't get the opportunity to shout "lights, camera, action" (I tried but no one was listening), although I did help with the sound, construct sets and even made the tea. The direction of the shoot actually came from either Marc or Petra, so it was all in very professional, safe hands.
It was a whirlwind 48 hour trip, and we only had a day of filming to finish all three programmes, so, between travelling and preparing the shoot, we had no time for sight seeing. This was a shame as Edesheim is known as the Tuscany of Germany and was the type of quaint little town that I could have spent days exploring. Hopefully I'll go back soon and try some of the fantastic wines that the area is famous for producing.
All in all, it was an amazing trip and I can't wait to see the finished versions. And my luggage again.
The new MTX Pro Dance-Step, Dance-Aerobic and Spirals will be available to Multitrax members soon.