Easy Rider
- 1 Feb 08, 03:35 PM
Posted from: Benjamin Constant
We are back on the river today, which feels great. It's just a 20-minute ride to the small riverside town of Benjamin Constant where we will be spending the next four days filming carnival. Brazil is about to go carnival crazy so it should be a fun shoot ahead.
It's a glorious sunny day and we film some travelling shots of Bruce sat on the front of the small boat describing where we are going and then Rob, Pete and I jump off onto the river bank to shoot some extra shots of the boat looking small in the landscape as it passes. Then it's back on board and minutes later we arrive at the small busy quayside of Benjamin Constant.
The style of camerawork we are shooting on 'Amazon' is to follow the unfolding action so as Bruce jumps off the boat I jump from one boat to another and then onto the dock. I do my best to follow him with the HD camera while filming. Waiting for Bruce are Teto and Venus who will help him to take part in the carnival.
Usually they are very normal-looking, slightly macho guys yet when carnival approaches the wearing of all things feminine is all they can think about. The guys are just lovely. They stand on the dock wearing matching black cut-off t-shirts with the name of their local party group or ‘bloco’ emblazoned across the front in neon pink.
The Carnival bloca banner
Each year these blocos compete in all sorts of whacky events. Bruce is welcomed with a t-shirt of his own and quickly puts it on to much pleasure from the lads. They gesture to Bruce on the back of a motorbike for a special fitting they have arranged. Pete, Rob and I also jump onto the backs of motorbike taxis and we all speed off through the busy streets.
The town instantly has a fantastic vibe with everyone busily getting ready for the biggest party of the year. Everywhere you look crates of beer are being piled onto the backs of overloaded motorbikes and girls walk around in their sexy new outfits. I’m facing backwards on my bike to try to film some shots of Bruce travelling and our circus picks up some nice waves and smiles from locals as we weave our way.
We manage to film a nice sequence of Bruce talking to camera from bike to bike as we speed along and the edginess of the shooting style gives it a great energy that matches the place. The road suddenly gets very bumpy and as I’m just holding on with my knees I feel as though I’m about to bounce off the back but luckily it’s back to smooth road again.
Rob, Pete and I jump off our bikes and film Bruce, Teto and Venus riding up over the brow of a hill. With a shimmering heat haze the three bikes appear in side-by-side formation, engines revving, each wearing their cut-off black t-shirts, mirrored sunglasses looking like a camp episode of the old TV series Chips.
The men's dressing room floor
As kids play street football outside we pull up at a small house and follow the lads as they go inside. Bruce looks around to see a huge array of sequins and ribbons in all shades of pink and various luminous polyester fabrics. Along with the lads Bruce is there to have his two dresses fitted by the best dressmaker in town as he will be taking part in the various cross dressing carnival activities, ending with a shot at the title of the ‘Miss Benjamin Constant Beauty Queen Pageant’. It’s a very comical sight as we film the three guys umming and ahhing over which sequined brazier suits one another most. Then Bruce is handed his pink thong. If this is a taster of the next four days, I can’t wait for the carnival to begin.
A peek at the Parry pants
Find out more about the Brazilian Carnival
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