Being a newbie is always a bit daunting. When you have a whole lot of exceptional individuals around you and absolutely no idea what to do to impress any of them, you become nervas and end up spelling “nervous” wrong!
I arrived at Flow four weeks ago to complete my experiential learning programme. When I first walked into the offices, I had the “wow, it’s pink’’ type of reaction, and so I Googled the meaning of the colour pink. Turns out it “represents friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and approachability”, according to Jennifer Bourn, founder of US creative agency Bourn Creative.
My colleagues’ friendly faces, smiles, willingness to help and spontaneous emails back and forth definitely fitted in with the company’s signature colour and purpose: communications. My time at Flow was not only educational – it was also a beautiful pink experience.
The GTA shoot
The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) is one of Flow’s clients. The destination marketing company aims to inspire domestic and international travel to the province.
One of ways that the authority does this is through the vast amount of information on its website, covering everything from neighbourhoods, events and attractions to advice for meeting planners and industry, as well as pictures and short video clips.
I was honoured to accompany one of the Flowstars, Stuart Buchanan, on a great photoshoot adventure – even though we got lost and almost ended up in the Free State. Below, I will share my experience of some of the areas we visited, but for more, explore “Neighbourhoods” on the GTA website. (If you’re going to follow in our footsteps, remember to keep your GPS on!)
- Rosebank: The fun part of the job here was when I had to shoot a Gautrain station drive-by video. We then photographed at Rosebank Mall, followed by the five-star 54 on Bath hotel, which was extremely warm on a cold July morning. Then there was the African craft market, located at the mall.
- Vanderbijlpark: I tasted wine for the first time! It wasn’t the plan, but I had the glass in my hand for a shoot and thought I might as well act the part at Stonehaven on Vaal, with its wine centre, restaurants and gardens. The 50-minute boat ride on the Vaal Dam was breathtaking. Also check out Emerald Resort & Casino for mouth-watering burgers, and the Vaal Mall shopping centre.
- Centurion: I got to see and touch calves and chicks at Irene Dairy Farm – the calves are the cutest animals ever. I’m not really into sports parks, but SuperSport Park is a must-visit. When you are in the area, also check out Zwartkops Raceway and the Centurion Mall.
- Midrand: I enjoyed visiting this area. The impressive attention to detail at Nizamiye Complex had me in awe. I had not exercised for a while, so the giant spiral staircase gave me a good back-to-gym head start. The Mall of Africa is the biggest mall I have ever been to, with shops I have only seen on reality shows. This was a good experience.
- Maboneng: I had tons of fun exploring Maboneng, with some of the best bars and restaurants that Gauteng has to offer. Oh, how will I ever forget that foot-long hot dog from the Stuff Café. Please go there and have a bite, so you can tell everyone you know about it before they tell you.
- Newtown: Are you into theatre, jazz clubs, art galleries, crafts, flea markets, museums and dramatic street art? Well, then make your way to the Bus Factory art gallery, Museum Africa and the Newtown Junction mall. I did, and it was amazing. Even walking the streets of Newtown was so inspirational.
This is what Stuart Buchanan had to say about our adventurous shoot: “It was great to have company on the road during the film shoot. I appreciated Manoko’s gung-ho attitude, which saw us climbing a giant spiral staircase, hopping on a boat, getting horribly lost (often), and dealing with a tyre puncture, all while keeping a smile on her face!”
