“Bec C’s Full Brazilian”?? AHA! Got your attention now haven’t I? Except that it’s not what you think…

Bec H may well be galivanting across the Americas for the World Cup, from airport to airport, queueing in queues, cursing with currencies… But I get to experience the World Cup only 3 hours drive from our little farm, in the depths of Artarmon, Sydney, Australia. No 30 hours of flying for me. In fact, unlike Bec H witnessing the World Cup first hand, I get to come home in between gigs. Can’t do that from Brazil…

I’m desperately trying to gain a bit of kudos here, but I do of course realise I’m treading a thin line (it is, after all, hard to compete with Brazil!). That said, I have actually scored myself a pretty good little job for the duration of the World Cup (who would have thought – the Two Becs’ involved in the World Cup?!). I’m job sharing with a friend on SBS’s excellent, almost-daily live World Cup entertainment show “The Full Brazilian”, hosted by comedian Jimeoin.

Our special broadcaster SBS, it appears, lives from World Cup to World Cup. At these peak times, her staffing levels increase, and her corridors hum with activity. Studios and Control Rooms are in constant use, sometimes – miraculously as I have discovered – with 2 shows being broadcast from one control room at the same time. And that was BEFORE the Tour de France began.

I spend alot of my time in a room such as this:

As the control room, it’s a dark room with no access to natural daylight, lit primarily by the multitude of screens which link directors, producers, technical producers, vision switchers, tape (now digital) operators, lighting, sound, and director’s assistants to the cast and crew hiding in the studio in a separate room.

As a younger lass, I worked on a referendum, a national election, the main hub of ABC’s 24hr millenium New Year’s Eve broadcast, a plethora of entertainment shows, and news and current affairs. When I first walked into this office for a ‘meet and greet’, I realised I knew probably a third of the team in the room, despite having never worked for SBS before. Ah, the benefits of having worked at Australia’s national broadcaster and television’s then training ground – the ABC – for 10 years…!

Certainly, The Full Brazilian is a big team, but that’s understandable considering they are broadcasting an hour long show almost every single night for 5 weeks. It would normally take one week to get just one of these shows ready – here they have one day. The first few weeks were… interesting. Now, we are like well oiled machine with – after 25 shows so far in 5 weeks – a few worn parts. I’ll say this for such an approach – it really allows everybody to get into a rhythm and feel like part of a something… special.

For example our host, comedian Jimeoin, is really hitting his strides. He’s a very funny guy with great comic timing. Wow – a comedian who doesn’t swear to get his laughs? Jimeoin is living proof they still exist!

So you’d think I would be learning alot about the World Cup, wouldn’t you. Well sadly, no. Whilst I definitely know more than I would otherwise have known, I spend much of my time trying not to lose the focus of why I am there – timing, and organisation. So please, don’t ask me anything. Except for maybe who won. The whole thing. At the end. One show to go. Viva Argentina!

And then, what’s next? Another job starts next Wednesday. This one however, will be local. More on that another blog. Bring it on!

Travel safe Bec H and co. We miss you.