Email: Emotion

This is an email portion written to a friend about the importance of emotion in my coming film:

I worry about my film..how to do it? I think I need to fall back on honest emotion it has always served me well. Whether through the photographic work or in speeches like the eulogy I did for dad, pure emotion, heartfelt honest emotion works best...

I have always been pretty good at finding emotional connections on my trips, crying bar workers, telling me about their lives (1999 Bkk), doped out drug rants (oakland), impassioned  half crazyed man (volunteer), poor fly covered sickly children (Dump).... orphan boxers sadly explaining their lives (klong toey slum)...a different kind of love (3 hearts project)...etc etc...the trick is to get that emotion on film! and to communicate it in a effective, coherent, truthful way....it will be the hardest artistic challenge of my life

If my film has emotion and makes viewers tear up, even cry, if that happens I have probably done a good job with the message.. I also want to put in a bit of humour...not sure on how to do that. Need to do it in a way that does not undercut the seriousness of the project.

Bought Me 2 Extra External Batteries

Just bought 2 extra external batteries for my Blackmagic Pocket cameras. I got 2 already with the eBay sale but they are older (how reliable?) and these batteries take 12-16 hours to charge fully. If I am shooting in the dump or other locations daily and using up lots of battery power I will need to recharge them daily as well. A high work load on 2 old batteries, also I am not sure I will have 16 hours between shooting sessions. I would hate to go out into the field with only partially charged batteries. So today I swallowed hard during my work shift, went on eBay and paid $103 USD to get the 2 extra batteries. That is around $27 USD cheaper than buying the same items from USA sellers.

I can now take 2 external batteries with me (1 new and 1 old) and leave 2 charging in my room each day I go out to shoot. This way I will always have fresh battery power ready to use. I will also have backups if 1 or more batteries fail. I have learned that I need backups to pretty much everything when working in Asia. Reliable gear and backups are absolutely vital. That is one of the reasons I bought 2 BMPCC bodies not 1.

Note* I also have 19 mini batteries (inside camera) that I could use with difficulty if needed (each battery might only last 20 minutes). I will save them for emergencies and for shooting on the fly with just the BMPCC body. They are useful for when I am shooting with the BMPCC alone and a small light lens, no cage, no external battery.

Update* Just over 200 days until I go to Asia to make my movie. It is a LONG way away, the bright side is that I can train to make movies in the meantime. Will  be doing more stuff with mom this week.    

Externl 12V YSD-129080 Battery made in China

Audio Diary

Found a new use for my editing HP EliteBook, making "Audio Diary" sound files. The idea is to make short audio recordings over the next year plus (did my first tonight) recording the process of making this documentary and my life in general. I can be more up front and honest in these things as they are private without the world reading in (yes that means you!). A side benefit is they might be used in the actual film or at some later date for some other projects. I always thought it would be cool to write a autobiography, so maybe these recordings could fit in there somewhere. One of my old photo contacts told me she was writing a novel, that opens up possibilities in my mind all round! What would be a good autobiography title how bout, "Ain't Life Grand!"

Anyway will see how these "Audio Diary" things go, they might be easier than writing, more fluent and honest. The voice can be more effective than the pen, at least for me, you can hear so much more nuance. You can feel the life experience of the person speaking to you.

Documentary Notebook

I need to get a single large notebook to organize all my documentary ideas, thoughts and studies. Over the last month I have been writing stuff all over the place, in different sized note books, found papers, white papers, scrap papers, it is all so confusing! How the heck am I going to benefit from any of these writing if they just disappear into a mass of misplaced mishmash. I need to write everything down in one large notebook then take that notebook with me to Thai to make the movie. I can add to it there and refer to it for past ideas etc.

Will pick up the book next week at Staples.

Quote: Mel Gibson

Speaking about his controversial films and the reasons behind them.

"That's what were supposed to do, your supposed to, as an artist, your supposed to do that, your supposed to shove the bounderies and your supposed to do stuff thats out there and your supposed to do stuff that makes people uncomfortable maybe.  I mean that's your job I think"

Most Exciting Time Of My Life?

I feel so filled with anticipation and happiness. Could this be the most exciting time of my life? Not being with dad, is very difficult, I want to share so much with him. But even without my beautiful father, could this be the happiest most exciting time of my life? My photography has steadily improved through the years, I feel I have my best best work still ahead of me. Now I am facing the ultimate challenge, making a movie. I got a 6 month leave from work to chase my  art, everything seems to be lining up nicely.

I believe my departure to Asia will be in September (did some calculating tonight), after my responsibilities to the Art Gallery of Saint Albert are complete. Until that time I will learn how  to make movies, print my photography exhibition and plan for my first documentary film. It is all so exciting, daily my mind fills with ideas and hopes. When September comes I get to live out those dreams, I get to go to Asia for 6 months and create. This is not all just thoughts, wishful thinking, this is ACTION!! What a challenge awaits! I get to become involved in the lives of many good and interesting people, then try to tell their stories in effective ways with both photographs and video. Wonderful, simply wonderful!

"Ain't Life Grand!!"

Bought Me A Triple Hotshoe

I also picked up this little hot shoe adapter. The little unit turns 1 hot shoe into 3. The idea being I can attach 2 mics and a video light to it. The video light will allow me to shoot in the dump at night when the people are working the garbage. I am thinking of shooting that work up close to get a more surreal feel to it, showing the depth of their hardship. Children also wander in the nightime garbage working and with their parents. The bright video light spotlight effect in combo with the garbage and youth will be a strong graphic that tells an important part of the story effectively.

This unit cost a bit more, $20 USD plus $13.50 USD shipping but I liked the lower profile of it. I wanted something that would allow me to mount everything to the camera unit but also that would not look like deer antlers. I want to be as inconspicuous as possible in the dump, so am trying to keep my video gear compact and hopefully a bit less flashy and noticeable.

Triple hot shoe adapter