“We set out to send South Africa’s most beloved car, the Gusheshe, into space,” says Steve Tyler, director and founder of DreamDrive.co.za. After four months of prep, it all came down to a single, high-stakes flight lasting just over 2 hours and 50 minutes. Launching the scaled-down version of the BMW, made in Germany to replicate the iconic E30 325i, proved to be a logistical challenge. This job needed a team of experts, so Steve brought in production heavyweights 7 Films and cinematographer Hayden Brown to make it happen. This mission required serious planning; sticking to strict weight limits, braving freezing temperatures below -40°C , and building a rig to house the cameras, batteries, tracking devices, and the hero car. With only one chance to get it right, the pressure was on. Here’s how they pulled it off.

“Myself and Steve go way back,” says 7 Films Founder and Director Lourens van Rensburg. “We’ve worked on projects like Mercedes-Benz ‘Return to Chapman’s Peak’ together. Steve is genuinely one of the best humans in the industry, no ego, just smart, and really creative, he likes big ideas. So when I got the call for 7 Films to produce this, how could I say no?!”

Key to the mission’s success was meteorologist Dr Marcus Geldenhuys (who makes a really entertaining appearance in the film). Marcus’ technical calculations ensured the rig made it to space and landed safely. The team relied on him to determine weather conditions, calculate the launch trajectory, and predict the landing zone.

The balloon used for the mission was no birthday party decoration, it was a high-altitude weather balloon (not available in South Africa and you certainly can’t order it on the Checkers Sixty60 app…yet). It was sourced all the way from China measuring 2.5 meters in diameter before inflation and expanding to nearly 10 meters in space when blasted with helium. This space balloon was designed to carry a weight of no more than 2 kilograms into space. Enter a host of logistical challenges; the team had to figure out how to include a car, four cameras, batteries, cables, GPS, a parachute, and a sturdy box to hold everything together all while ensuring it could withstand -40°C temperatures.

The rig was built by HammerHead Sets in Cape Town. A light polystyrene box was made to house everything without adding too much more weight to the load. To balance the car during the flight and stay underweight, they had to use wooden stick, hey even McGuyver used chewing gum sometimes. The stick served as both a stabiliser and a mounting point for the cameras, ensuring the car remained upright and in frame as it soared into space.

Cinematographer Hayden Brown setting up the GoPros

Capturing the journey required a really carefully planned GoPro setup. 5 GoPro’s would be mounted inside the box, positioned to capture different angles, documenting the car’s ascent through the atmosphere. Because of the severe -40°C conditions at the high altitudes they were sending these cameras into, and because GoPro’s are temperamental at the best of times, they needed to do a lot of testing. Some of this pre-launch testing included running the cameras in freezers overnight to simulate the freezing temperatures.

Next was calculating the exact amount of helium required to generate enough lift to propel the hero BMW, along with equipment, 35 kilometres into the stratosphere. Let’s put that into perspective quick, that’s more than three times the altitude of commercial aeroplanes, which typically fly at around 10 kilometres high. It turned out that three cannisters of helium would do the job.

The stick balancing it all

Finally, production day arrived, they had just 48 hours, starting with a shoot featuring football legend Siphiwe Tshabalala in Johannesburg, followed by a road trip to Beaufort West the next morning. The farmlands around that area offered them open skies and the weather, well thankfully the weather gods were listening and they were cleared for lift off.

The ascent took around 2 hours and 20 minutes, followed by a shaky 30-minute descent, once the balloon tore at maximum altitude and the parachute took over. Despite months of planning, there were hurdles. One camera overheated before launch, and two more shut down mid-flight due to the high resolution causing overheating. “In hindsight, we should’ve reduced the frame rate,” admits Steve. Fortunately, the GoPro 360° camera captured stunning footage.

The car and rig had travelled 60km over the farmlands and with only rough coordinates the team then had to figure out the landing point. Jumping farm fences and one encounter with a rightfully suspicious farmer, the team finally found the car. It had made it, with only a tiny scratch to show for itself. 

Apart from the logistical elements required to pull off this spot, the handbrake turn that the film takes from the storytelling of Tshabalala to meeting the one-of-a-kind meteorologist Dr Geldenhuys, was a personal fave. Doc, ten out of ten, no notes.

“7 Films, Executive Producer Nina van Rensburg, Hayden and Editor James O’Sullivan approach every shoot with eyes open, always looking for the magic in the moment,” says Steve. “They’re amazing collaborators which is why I knew they would be the ones to bring this idea to life with me.”

“Projects like this remind me why I rebelled against my parents to join the film industry. I wanted a life that felt like a circus, never like work. And this? This is exactly why we do it, it never feels like work,” adds Lourens. 

Wanna (s)talk some more? 7 Films on IDIDTHAT and Company Website. Wanna win a car? Go to Dreamdrive.co.za