CAMILLA ANDERSEN:
PRESENTER, PRODUCER TALKS EXCLUSIVELY TO StuHefner.com

How many people were involved with making Julian & Camilla’s World Odyssey?
There were 4 of us on the road and many others involved at home and in the editing process.

What are your individual backgrounds?
We all met in 1998 at South Seas Film and Television School. Since then the 4 of us have done various projects such as short films, television shows, music videos and anything involving visual images….

How did World Odyssey come about?
In October 2002 Julian had the idea, called me up and there the project was born. Julian is a seasoned traveler and I think he wanted a trip that was more than a holiday – he got more than he bargained for!! It was bloody hard work!

Was it fun traveling with friends for that long living practically on top of each other?
It was fun and we became more like a family….we were no longer friends, but brothers and sister. So of course, being family you fight amongst yourselves, however if anyone threatens your brothers or sister you will fight them!

Was any of the conflict we saw between you and Julian staged?
Not at all – our show is real – what you see is what you get…all the conflict and competition was very real. In fact the fight in the Cuba episode was a result of Julian and I having left our radio mic’s on and not realizing that we were still being filmed!

Are you friends still?
Yes and we will be for life – I think the shared experience of it all does that to one.

Which countries is World Odyssey being shown in at present?
It is showing in 16 territories – the big ones are France, Singapore, Switzerland and New Zealand.

How has the New Zealand audience responded to World Odyssey?
So far it has been very well received – I have been getting many e-mails from people who find the series a very real experience…

Will World Odyssey be playing in a more accessible time slot for those of us that work daytimes?
I bloody well hope so – these decisions are left up to TVNZ – so if you like the show let them know!

Did you have to carry much equipment with you?
We all carried about 66% of our body weight so it was a lot – we lost about 40kgs between us in the 10 months we traveled. All up our gear value totaled about $45 000.

Did you have anything stolen?
One thing – we had a simple power cord stolen out of my bag in a bus in Laos – worth about $2…so no nothing really stolen. Our camerman is a nazi when it comes to looking after gear so it is due to him that we managed this feat.

Were there any dangerous situations that didn’t make it into the final cut?
Hmmm – plenty of them…too many to tell. We actually went to Colombia for a few days and that was pretty dangerous, but oh so fun….however we felt a bit nervous about filming and there weren’t enough pretty girls for Julian so we headed out pretty soon after arriving.

Was the series scripted or did you arrive in a country and ‘wing it’?
It was a combination of the two – we had some stories

Was it expensive to make the series?
Yes. Four people traveling for 10 months and a year of editing is not cheap – however we did it on a shoestring budget – much cheaper than any other travel series I would imagine!

Have you made money or was it a ‘labour of love’?
At the moment we are working towards recovering the money spent by our investor, but the 4 of us who shot the series have not been paid for our year’s travel – so that part has been a “labour of love” – however we are keeping our fingers crossed for a sale in the USA – that is where you make money!

How can someone interested in this kind of career get started?
I don’t really think I can offer this kind of advice as this job kinda fell into my lap – just keep your ear to the ground I guess.

Any plans for World Odyssey 2?
Not so far – Julian is living and working in London at the moment…but who knows what the future holds…

Now for the non-series Q’s
In Auckland:
Favourite bar – Bonita Bar and Landreth and Co on Ponsnobby road are both favourites
Favourite restaurant – Gina’s for Italian and Satya Indian on K-Road, but mostly you will get me at Food Alley in Albert Street for yummy Thai.
Favourite night club – Rising Sun on K-Rd or Fu Bar…I’m a beats girl
Favourite waste of time - What’s spare time?

Travelling to Europe? Go Here First!