"The house is a character - it has quirks and personality which makes it a Big Brother house, so we had to recreate those quirks and personalities in a brand new space." So says Endemol's Angela Law-Boef, Series Director for Big Brother Africa when asked about having to relocate the Big Brother house after the recent fire at Sasani Studios.
The fire made an already mammoth task almost insurmountable; however, Law-Boef says that it is fortunate that Endemol is a "can-do" company which can handle all eventualities. The entire Endemol team set out to make the impossible possible. In three weeks they scoured all available sites and areas to find the right house that could handle all the intricacies of a Big Brother house.
The Big Brother house is a massive technological undertaking to have to find the right property which would allow for a seamless transition to a "Big Brother Proof" house in an extremely short space of time. There is a myriad of things to think of and prepare. The Big Brother house is like no other, a "Big Brother bubble" needs to be created, to give the housemates the universally loved experience of Big Brother thematically and visually.
The Endemol team has come up trumps with the new house which is being primed and prepped for what promises to be the most explosive season yet. Expansions to the bathroom, extra showers, extra toilets, an extra geyser (also a bigger geyser to allow for Shower Hour and housemates to be able to wash dishes at the same time.) Extra security, magstripe- locks, is just some of the extras needed in the house.
The technical team had to rebuild the entire technology framework of the original house to fit into the new house in record time. Three weeks is all it took for the dedicated crew to not only find a suitable house, but also to kit it out with everything to make the world class show Africa has come to expect.
A new house and new systems mean training on all of the new equipment. It is a monumental task to get everything running seamlessly with all of the electrical wiring and lighting having to be changed as well as structural changes to the house. New holes were created in the walls to accommodate one way glass for filming purposes. An industrial sized generator has been installed to make sure that the house maintains electricity 24/7.
All of this and more has been done in record time and the team has been meticulous in its detail to make sure that Big Brother Africa comes to your screens this Sunday, bigger, better and louder than before.
Big Brother Hotshots launches today (Sunday, October 5, 2014) at 19:00 CAT on AfricaMagic DStv Channel 150.
tangaz
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