Not sure who really won the “Dream Day” experience… me or the contestant, Dean.
I had the incredible opportunity to work alongside, one of South Africa’s leading long form storytelling agencies, on a major international production for and.
As the DOP on the project, my role was to follow Dean’s full journey from the moment he received the life changing announcement, all the way through to North London. From capturing behind the scenes access at Arsenal’s training ground to filming the emotion, atmosphere, and energy of match day at the iconic, this production pushed me creatively, physically, and technically in every possible way.
What people often do not see behind productions like this is the sheer amount of pressure, responsibility, and real time problem solving that happens every second behind the camera. This was true run and gun documentary filmmaking at an international level. Long days. Fast turnarounds. Constant movement. Tight schedules. One chance to capture real moments as they unfolded naturally.
While filming abroad, I was responsible for managing camera, audio, lighting, exposure, movement, storytelling, logistics, and overall production flow while adapting on the fly in unpredictable environments. There were no second takes for genuine reactions and emotional moments. You either anticipate the shot and capture it, or it is gone forever.
There were moments where I had to think like a cinematographer, sound engineer, producer, field director, and documentary storyteller all at once while still remaining fully present enough to connect with the human side of the story. Balancing all those moving parts while carrying the visual responsibility of the project made this one of the most demanding productions I’ve worked on to date.
At the same time, it reminded me exactly why I love documentary filmmaking and long form storytelling so much. The unscripted moments. The chaos behind the scenes. The emotion of seeing someone experience something bigger than themselves. Those are the moments that make this craft special.
I did not handle the final edit, but seeing the finished piece come together made me incredibly proud of what the team created together. Grateful for the trust, the opportunity, and the experience of being part of a production of this scale.
