Planes, trains and automobiles - wonders of engineering science, works of art or tools of the trade? Trevor Ou Tim talks to some passionate motorheads and propellerheads who supply vehicles, to be used in front of as well as behind the camera, to the South African film and TV industry.
Cars have become synonymous with certain films and TV stars - like James Bond escaping rockets fired at him while driving his Aston Martin DB5 or KITT, the talking turbo-boosting TransAm from the 1980s TV show, Knight Rider. Vintage cars give the film scenes a stronger sense of authenticity, transporting viewers back into a bygone era.
Time travel
Roy Watson is an engineer who has started up a business called Watsonwheels. He has been supplying the industry with vehicles since 1966 when the family Bentley was used in an advert for BP. Watson's impressive collection of aircraft and motorcars spans the last 100 years. His passion is shared by his two sons, Patrick and
Courtney, who assist in restoring and taking care of the vehicles.
'I keep the cars as a hobby and enjoy the filming aspect,' he says. A look around the large garage and garden at his home-base in Bryanston, reveals real gems of automobile history. The list of his fleet reads like a catalogue of a Sotheby's Auction - a 1911 Fiat which was used in movies like Cecil Rhodes, The Foster Gang and Platinum; the 1913 Humber and 1919 Ford, amongst other delectable delights. For period racers, how about a very rare 1927 Bugatti Type 38A, used in an MTN commercial, or a 1935 Alfa Romeo Monza? For aerial shots, Watson's Tiger Moth biplane looks as if it is set to take on the Red Baron in a dog fight set in World War 1. It featured in The Real McCoy and a film for SABC shot en route to Margate. Watson and his sons are all licensed pilots.
The valuable cars require a lot of attention and care. Watson says: 'The problem often with film shoots is that the director is only
concerned about getting the perfect shot, so has no concern for the car. Some are only too eager to modify or have the vehicles driven dangerously, like for chase scenes.'
Read more in the February 2007 issue of Screen Africa
