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The Bloodhound Project Rudi Riek

Rudi Riek

Track Preparation

I have been involved in logistics in the South African Film Industry since 1995. For the majority of that period I was a unit Location manager.

I started working on the Bloodhound Project in 2010 when I found Hakskeenpan after it was evident that the other South African site, Verneukpan would not be viable.

Since then, I have been intimately involved in liaising with the Northern Cape Government on the best methods to be implemented in preparing the track at Hakskeenpan as well as doing numerous quality control inspections over the years to ensure that the track is being prepared to Bloodhound SSC specifications.

I am also a consultant to the Commercial producers Association, the largest association of its kind in Africa and my role here can be best described as “fixer”. This involves liaising with government departments and lobbying on behalf of the Film Industry to ensure that regulations are not prohibitive to our industry.

I am also chairperson of the South African Association of Stills producers and administrator of a non profit company called the Film industry Fund.

Related Articles

Hakskeenpan track - April 2014

Friday, 2 May, 2014 - 10:41

Track Boss Rudi Riek has sent us the following report from Hakskeenpan as at April 2014:

"This is a video I made of a run from North to South on the Eastern Side of the Track. The markers you will see passing on the left are the kilometer markers.

It's a relatively boring video but I think boring is what we are after. This is the first time that I have been able to drive at speed in a straight line without having to dodge an obstacle. You can see the kilometer markers as I drive past them.

Desert update - December 2011

Tuesday, 3 January, 2012 - 16:08

 by Andy Green

This year started with an unusually wet season in the Northern Cape. Hakskeen Pan was still under water in May, and the track preparation team didn’t get back onto the Pan until late June – about 2 months later than we were expecting. Luckily, the start of the new rainy season (normally around November) has been delayed, so work has continued right into December and the team has pretty much caught up.

Hakskeen Pan Update

Wednesday, 27 April, 2011 - 13:05

We have just been told that, due to unusually heavy rains in the local area and in neighbouring Namibia, water is still running onto the Pan so work on the track is still suspended.  If this situation persists, Andy Green and Richard Knight, the Project's Communications Director, will be postponing the visit currently scheduled for 23rd May.
 

World Record attempt underway

Wednesday, 17 November, 2010 - 11:23

by Rudi Riek

On Monday the 8th of November I woke up at 04h30 at the Molopo Lodge 70 km from Hakskeenpan, I had traveled the 1200km the previous day from Cape Town in order to be on time for this momentous occasion.

I arrived at the pan at 05h30 and was met by a sea of activity, three hundred people had reported for duty.

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