2003 Firefighter!
by Peter Leitner
- We were already thinking about
the 2003 Firefighter Calendar before we had even got all of the
orders for the 2002 version out.
Our graphic artist for both of the first calendars, Birgit Haegele,
had found a job abroad and, as we did not want to risk a 'long-distance'
working relationship, despite the wonders of modern technology,
we started looking for somebody else. We eventually found Ronald
Timm, who is also a professional from the advertising world.
He was already familiar with out project and so we did not have
do much to persuade him. At this point we would like to thank
Birgit Haegele for her excellent work.
Ronald Timm introduced us to Klaus Rezegh from the company of
Holzhausen GmbH and his company then became our printer. Otherwise
the Firefighter team has not changed. Our photographer, Marion
Carniel, was looking forward to working on the new calendar "...the
most beautiful and fun job of the year!"
Castings for the 2003 Firefighter Calendar had already started
by March and, after selection of the models, shootings were underway
in April. Our main theme for 2003 is "Profession and Calling,
the fire brigade creating a professional image". At present,
a fireman who can no longer work for the fire brigade, is only
a labourer on the employment market.
13 April, 08.00 hours: it was so far again. Work started on the
action shots at the Grossau quarry. Now we would see whether
we had really thought of everything during the weeks of preparation;
were all the necessary props, equipment and vehicles there? Was
the accommodation alright (we were able to win over two colleagues
from Innsbruck to pose for our calendar)? Besides all this, we
had to organise an electricity supply, not to forget coffee and
other hot drinks, indispensable with the poor weather conditions
this year. The fire brigade youth group were also present with
a fire engine to give their support. The press had been informed
and, alongside several reporters from various magazines and newspapers,
the ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) filmed a report.
The day before an ORF film crew had accompanied one of our models
(Christoph) and filmed the daily work of the Vienna Fire Brigade.
One by one the scenes were set up and shot. Everything was on,
from the burning hot to the ice cold. The models were again pushed
to the limit, but everybody put their all into the job and enjoyed
themselves. Work was only interrupted by filming by the television
crew, and interviews and photo sessions with the press.
Things on the set began to calm down by the evening. The television
crew, the reporters and photographers were leaving and we were
starting the last session. The light was gone, it was actually
already more night than dusk. The flash of blue lights, flames
in the background and only two lamps lit the scene. Manfred was
only half-lit on the roof of a fire engine. Marion Carniel photographed
with very sensitive film, lenses costing as much as a small car
and a steady hand.
21.30 hours: "One more film!!!" - that is what Marion
kept saying, and then it would be just another couple. But good
photos need a lot of patience and stamina.
"Thanks!" - and we are completely finished, and not
just with the shooting! Now even our photographer starts to notice
that she is exhausted. Besides she is not so sure about the last
session as there was too little light to focus well.
We have another shooting at a different location planned the
next morning. We postpone the start to 10:00 hours and quickly
pack the camera equipment together so that our photographer can
get home to be fresh for work the next day. Afterwards we have
to make sure all the fires are extinguished and clear up the
quarry by the headlights of the lorries. Midnight arrives before
we know it.
14 April, 09.00 hours: we are already at the next location with
all the equipment. The old Piccano site, a demolition site, once
an enormous cold storage warehouse. Once again we had to unload
everything, set it all up and, as the weather forecast was for
rain, construct a kind of canopy for the photographer. We are
hardly finished and the skies break with a heavy downpour that
does not let up the whole day.
Another film crew comes at midday, this time from Wien Heute
(Vienna Today). Interviews and photos, then another couple of
interviews for Radio Wien and it still rains and rains and rains.....
After two outdoor sessions at last we get to do one inside. It
is just as cold, but at least it is dry. I wasp of smoke here
and a little fire there. The warehouse site is in the middle
of the town and we cannot start a larger fire or make too much
smoke otherwise the fire brigade would be alerted ;-).
We work from scene to scene. The cold and damp start to take
their toll. Dusk has fallen again and the space is only lit by
the glow of the surrounding town.
"One more film!!!" - yea, yea, we've heard that one
before.....then suddenly "STOP!" - "Marion, what
is up?", "Something's burning...!" Insulation
material had been set on fire by a gas flame, no real problem
- there were more than enough firemen about the set and there
had been enough water around all day. Anyway, the whole thing
was over in a second - just a small one for us, comparable to
a burning ashtray. We manage to finish the shooting.
Monday, 6 April, we are on Wien Heute and the ORF Thema Report
on the shootings. Then on Tuesday we get some bad news. Marion
is ill and it is not certain whether we will be able to do the
third shooting on Sunday. On Friday Marion is feeling a bit better,
but definitely not enough to work. Saturday brought an end to
the suspense though - the shooting can go on.
21 April, 09.00 hours: Floridsdorf Fire Station and the start
of the third shooting. Marion is still weak from the flu but
as soon as she gets to work enthusiasm kicks in and she feels
gradually better from film to film.
After lunch work continues in the garage workshop. Gerry takes
over behind the lens here. "Just one more film!!!"
and "Just one more!!!" Funny how many last films there
are. This last shooting comes to an end with the last traces
of sunlight and with it the shootings for the 2003 Firefighter
Calendar are complete.
The fruits of 3 days of hard work with 17 models are 20 subjects
and about 4000 photos!
The next couple days are devoted to developing and viewing the
prints. The first selection is done by Marion as always. 120
photos make it into the next round and are enlarged. A small
team decides which are to be used for the calendar., Marion,
Dorothee, Karambi - men do not have much say in the matter.
It is difficult. Only the night scene at the quarry is a common
favourite - that will be the cover photo!!! Choosing Mister January
is relatively easily but from here on in it gets difficult. This
subject or that one? Even the last shots taken on the second
day just before work was so abruptly interrupted look really
good and creep slowly among the ranks of the favourites - April!
That our colleagues from Innsbruck are chosen as the November
and December fire fighters is coincidence. After hours of discussion
and shuffling prints around the order of the photos is established.
Now it is the turn of the graphic artist. Ronald Timm thinks
"the photos are so good and strong that they do not need
to be 'jazzed up' or altered at all. The graphics should only
be used as a frame for the photos and a light and playful character."
Ronald Timm realises this in a professional way and introduces
something new to the concept by attaching a page of postcards
to the 2003 so that the firemen can also "posted".
Tuesday 9 July: Dorothee and I are at the printers. The press
is ready when we arrive. We give the go-ahead for printing. The
machine with five cylinders CMYK and gloss coating starts running
and sheet after sheet pour out of it.
Two days later we get a proof of our calendar and only the cover
with the screen print 2003 Firefighter has to be added. In the
meantime we organised the presentation which took place in the
Volkshalle of the Vienna Town Hall.
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