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Sacha the eagle recently spent a day being filmed in the UWE's wind tunnel by Oxford Scientific Films for a natural history feature film they are making about the meerkats of the Kalahari. Mike Ackerman (CEMS) and colleagues had been approached by the company who were looking for a suitable venue to film the eagle for a special effects sequence where they will superimpose the bird over specially shot helicopter footage that they shot over the Kalahari desert.
The producers had seen the wind tunnel in use on a recent BBC Top Gear programme and were impressed by the level of equipment and expertise of the staff involved.
Mike Slee, the films director says, "We looked at a number of solutions from building our own wind tunnel to lining up a bank of wind machines in a studio but the tried and tested tunnel at UWE was the very best option…..we could not have had more help or support and the final shot in the movie will be a spectacular first as no one has flown an eagle in a wind tunnel before."
Before filming, Sacha was brought to N block several times over a number of weeks by her handlers Lloyd and Rose Buck to get the eagle used to the wind tunnel. Chris Toomer (CEMS) also had a group of students doing a multimedia project on the wind tunnel facilities at the time and they were able to take photos and video of Sacha.
Mike Ackerman says, "We were delighted to help Oxford Scientific Films with this project. Our facilities are very specialised and of a high standard, and helping with filming projects like this enriches the experience of the staff and students involved. Special thanks go to our technicians Andy McGauley and Geoff Rowley who made a big contribution to the success of the work through their effort and enthusiasm. We are all looking forward to seeing the finished movie when it is released in cinemas next year."
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