They say travel is glamorous, but when you’re in production, travel means early alarms, tight schedules, and a whole lot of gear management.

This week, my team and I flew up to the sunny Gold Coast for a whirlwind two-day shoot covering the DTR Runway event. It was fast, intense, and incredible. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how we packed a massive production into 48 hours.

Day 1: The Runway Hustle

The 6 AM Start The day began long before the sun was up. The 6:00 AM alarm is never welcome, but it’s part of the job. We boarded our flight from Melbourne, and by 8:20 AM, our wheels touched down on the Gold Coast runway.

We didn't have time to enjoy the view. We grabbed our gear, jumped in a transport, and headed straight to the hotel. This wasn't a leisurely check-in; it was a "drop the luggage bags in the lobby and run" situation. We quickly found a local spot to fuel up with breakfast and crucial caffeine before the real work began.

Venue and Setup: 12:00 PM By midday, we arrived at the venue. The first thirty minutes were spent exploring the space, figuring out angles, and mentally mapping the lighting.

At 12:30 PM, it was go-time for load-in. For a runway shoot, motion is everything. Our setup for the day consisted of two operators running gimbals to capture dynamic movement, while I set up a steady cam locked off on a tripod for those crucial wide, stable shots.

Rehearsals and Decisions Once the gear was built, it was a waiting game for the models. When they arrived, we moved straight into rehearsals. This part of the day is vital. We spent time strategizing the choreography—deciding exactly how they would enter the frame, the path of their walk, and their exit points. We ran a few test shoots to ensure the gimbals were balancing correctly with the movement.

We wrapped the shoot at 7:00 PM on the dot. My shoulders were feeling the weight of the rig, but we had the footage we needed.

The Recharge We headed back to the hotel to finally check into our rooms properly. After a quick freshen-up to wash off the plane and production grime, we headed out for a well-deserved dinner.

By 9:00 PM, we were back in the rooms. This is the unglamorous part of the job: the "battery ballet." Every piece of gear had to be put on charge for the next day. With the red lights blinking on the chargers, I finally hit the pillow.

Day 2: Interviews and a Mad Dash Home

Another Early Rise Day two started just like day one: a 6:00 AM wake-up call. By 7:30 AM, we were showered, packed up, and out the door for breakfast. We swung back by the hotel at 8:30 AM to check out and loaded into an Uber.

The Airbnb Setup: 9:30 AM Our location for Day 2 was a stunning Airbnb, where we were scheduled to shoot interviews. We arrived at 9:30 AM and immediately started scouting. We needed variety for the interviews, so we spent some time looking around the property and selected four distinct locations to serve as backdrops.

The pressure was on to be efficient. We decided to pre-set all four locations with lighting and audio while the talent was getting hair and makeup done. It was a chaotic dance of running cables and setting light stands, but it meant that once the interviews started, we could move from one spot to the next seamlessly.

The Final Push The afternoon was a blur of interviews, focusing on getting clean audio and great visuals in our pre-set locations.

We called it a wrap at 7:30 PM. The adrenaline immediately wore off, replaced by the realization of our tight schedule. Our flight back to Melbourne was at 8:30 PM.

It was a mad scramble to pack down the lighting kits, load the car, and race to the airport. We made the flight, exhausted but satisfied with a massive two days of work in the can.

Until the next shoot!