Directions to Alabama Site

Margaret's cellphone _________________

Margaret Sedlecky (left) and Lee Yokell (center)-on-camera talent

Crew calls: TBA

If possible the Satellite/Video crew should arrive on Wednesday PM and survey the site. Contact Margaret Sedlecky (Weeks Bay Reserve) for help.

Directions to Weeks Bay

The Weeks Bay Reserve lies just east of Mobile, AL on Hwy 98 between Foley and Fairhope. The Reserve headquarters is easy to find, just east of the Hwy 98 bridge over the Fish River.

The Reserve HQ is a good landmark but it is the BACKUP location (weather) for this event. The actual event site is a MARINA/RESTAURANT located directly on the Fish River just under the bridge.

Note that the Marine site is not directly accessible but requires driving off an small access road a few hundred feet west of the bridge, turning back and driving under the bridge. Alabama DOT is building a new bridge alongside the old one and you may need to thread your way past large construction equipment. You will see the Marina as you cross the bridge.

The truck may be parked at the far end of the Marine adjacent to the abandoned restaurant. There is no problem shooting the southern sky from this location. Look for an outdoor "Tiki" bar with various shelters and park near there.
The "Tiki" bar shelters may be used in the event of bad weather. The longest camera cable run will be no more than 400-ft. 110volt power, internet (dialup) and restrooms are available at the location.
Below--Tiki deck where much of the action takes place.

Below -- some events will happen on the flat-bottom boat, "Estuarine Queen", tied to the dock.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Holiday Inn Express - Hwy.59/ McKenzie St. Foley AL. (251) 943-9100 this motel is approximately 10 miles from the Reserve.

Key West Inn – Located on Greeno Rd. (Hwy. 98) in Fairhope (251) 990-7373. Room rates range from $50 - $65. This motel is approximately 10 miles from the Reserve.

Holiday Inn Express – Fairhope (251) 928-9191 Located on Greeno Rd. / Hwy 98. Room rates are around $74. This motel is approximately 9 miles from the Reserve.

Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast – Located on Oak St. in Magnolia Springs just off of Co. Rd. 49.

1-800-965-7321 or www.bdonline.com/al/magnolia . Five rooms are available ranging from $94 for a queen bed to $104 for a king bed. This B&B is approximately 5 miles from the Reserve.

The Grand Hotel (This is the hotel where the annual NERRS conference was held in 1998) – Located on Scenic Hwy. 98 in Point Clear. 1-800-544-9933. Room rates range from $99 - $125. This hotel is approximately 10 miles from the Reserve. Government rates may be available but a government identification card is required.

Bay Breeze Guesthouse Bed & Breakfast - Located on Mobile Bay (South Mobile St.) in Fairhope. (251) 928-8976.

RESTAURANTS:

In Fairhope:

Close to the Key West Inn and Holiday Inn Express (some are within walking distance): Burger King, Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesday, China Wok, Hardees, Subway and McDonalds. Many more restaurants are located in downtown Fairhope.

Close to the Grand Hotel: The hotel has a restaurant. Additional restaurants of all types (too numerous to list) are just a few miles down the road in Fairhope.

In Foley:

Restaurants of all types and price ranges are located along Hwy. 59 close to several motels.

Restaurants close to the Reserve: The Pink Pelican Bar and Grill, Nanny’s Restaurant, Jesse’s Restaurant all are within a few miles of the Reserve.

NOTES for CAMERA CREWS and SAT CREWS:

You will be working with non-professional talent. These are scientists, researchers, educators...help them out as much as you can. You are really the director/producer/camera crew on site.

These segments will be live, one-hour, one-camera shows. You will likely be handheld for most of that hour moving from station to station. You will ALWAYS be on. Work with your talent to determine places you can use a tripod. They will have plenty of volunteer help so you can have your sticks moved from place to place and waiting for you. It is okay to gently lift the camera on and off the sticks. Work with the volunteers who are helping pull cable for you. In most cases you will have 1500 ft (at least) of cable stretched out. Remember, they are newbies probably never having been involved in television at any level.

Obviously work with the talent to look at your "path" and stretch out as much cable as possible so you're pulling as little as possible at any time. Help your talent with "blocking" (i.e.- moving from place to place, how to point things out by walking you over to them and not truly pointing, etc.)

Audio -- make this as simple as you can. We recommend you use a handheld wireless mic and work with your non-pro talent on how to use it. Depending on what equipment you have and the amount of "wind" you can certainly put a wireless lav on the main talent. I urge you not to use a boom unless you can really get it in there because this is streaming video (internet) and for good sound we really need "close-mic" when possible.

Obviously there is no place to change batteries in this one-hour block so make sure your cameras/equipment will run one-hour plus if it has to be battery powered. Try to have backup equipment if possible. We only have one shot with each of these sites.

If you're using triax and can get a return sat feed please set up a monitor for the talent and have a volunteer grip carry it around (or at least to those special places when it will be of most use). Also the talent will have a "field producer" (also a non-pro) to help them. Provide them with an intercom if possible if you're using triax. We MAY be trying to feed questions via the truck to the talent at times. Do what you can to help facilitate communication.

In some locations crew might have to move from outside in sunshine to inside a lab or museum area. Do your best to deal with exposure. If you have to rotate a filter out, then that's what you've got to do. We will have to live with it. ALSO you may have to shoot some video monitors of perhaps an underwater camera or video microscope. We will try to do that from a set of sticks. If you do have to do that it is okay to include the talent pointing things out.

It is conceivable in some locations that the guys in the truck might be asked to playback a beta tape for some b-roll. Likely that would come from home base but you never know. Also there is the possibility that they might ask you to hook up an underwater camera or video microscope if the location is close enough to the truck and you have enough cable. Help them out if possible. If you can't, then the camera folks can shoot it directly off the screen.

Just be prepared for the wild and wacky. These are amazing natural sites filled with wonderful creatures and anything can happen. If a seal climbs up on the pier you may need to get a shot. If they find a rare life form you might have to shoot in on the video microscope. You may suddenly see a rare bird. If a sudden storm approaches be prepared with a protection for your equipment (and yourself). Unless there is a hurricane, typhoon or tsunami...we will shoot no matter how rainy it is. Always be aware of where you are and don't fall in the water (or sink up to your knees).

We really appreciate your help and support. You folks will ultimately be running the show from your location. We won't bother you unless a problem develops. We can pretty much guarantee you an exciting (and out of the ordinary) day.

THANK YOU!