We arrived at Princetown car park to a small crew of two cameras various directors and producers and a few other folk busy prepping for the day ahead.
Release forms and contracts signed, we got down to the important business of waiting. tea was drunk, tales were told, kit was compared and drizzle fell, the Hunter force team were quite happy to entertain ourselves whilst establishing shots and scenes were filmed that didn't need us, by 11 we were keen to get on the move and start tracking. By now the main crew had left with the stars, leaving just the trackers a cameraman and a producer.
As always Hunter force consisted of Max from Shadowhawk along with myself and two other trackers that had been awarded their advanced trackers silver feather. It had been a while since I had tracked with this team and I was keen to get started, from the few wry comments and the look in the others eyes I could see I wasn't alone.the producer must have sensed it too as she commented that we were starting to look mean and scary, and would try and get us moving ASAP.
By midday we were let loose and spent the rest of the day on an interrupted tracking follow up. Track a bit, then some close ups of what we are tracking then a bit of running and back to tracking. Although the tracking was a little more for camera and a few bits were set up so that they could be filmed, all in all the majority of what we did was real tracking and as usual the team came together and performed like true professionals. Max was the only one of us with a mic. so it was him that did all the talking we tended to nod, agree and look scary
After a little bit of leap frogging It all concluded on the edge of Burrator resevoir. Did we get him...? well it wouldn't be right for me to let on before it airs, but I think its safe to say that I think from the look on his face James was glad the day was over. It had brightened up a little in the afternoon but most of the day had been one of low cloud (about ankle height.) and Dartmoor drizzle.
As it was I had nothing to fear when I had been wondering if my tracking was up to scratch, we had found all the spoor that the crew thought we would see along with a bunch more sign that was left unintentionally. the crew were all impressed by how much we were learning about their actions, and there was no doubt that had we been left to our own devices we would have found our quarry.
The UK version (Which used different members of the Hunter Force team) will air on BBC2 in October.
