I've decided to release a documentary I shot about Mongolia online. It's called "From the Heart of Asia" and this is only a small segment as an example. I did this years ago for a Japanese company and it was for an online web-documentary portal. The project took me over a year to shoot and required living and travel throughout Mongolia. One key concept and format is that I met various people along the way at which point I'd film. I would appear unannounced and interviewed locals to get their life perspectives and stories. The method was to ask 3 questions at a time and allow them to answer them all together in dialog. Usually 3 cameras were used to get all the vantage points. This created a more visceral result and gave the effect of being a ghost in the room and listening to someone narrate about their world. I also captured the events of the Nadaam National Games. It's an event that celebrates strength, harmony, and precision. (Wrestling, Overland Horse Racing, and Archery). This was my first film and a great learning experience. The basic framework and my narration was scripted but most of the film otherwise was not. Although looking at it now, I find it could at times be slow. It's never boring and the visual imagery is beautiful. Adding to it is an incredible soundtrack of traditional Mongolian folk music. Here's a segment posted as a test as to how the site handles video. Be patient, I'm still learning...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Releasing my Film Online
I've decided to release a documentary I shot about Mongolia online. It's called "From the Heart of Asia" and this is only a small segment as an example. I did this years ago for a Japanese company and it was for an online web-documentary portal. The project took me over a year to shoot and required living and travel throughout Mongolia. One key concept and format is that I met various people along the way at which point I'd film. I would appear unannounced and interviewed locals to get their life perspectives and stories. The method was to ask 3 questions at a time and allow them to answer them all together in dialog. Usually 3 cameras were used to get all the vantage points. This created a more visceral result and gave the effect of being a ghost in the room and listening to someone narrate about their world. I also captured the events of the Nadaam National Games. It's an event that celebrates strength, harmony, and precision. (Wrestling, Overland Horse Racing, and Archery). This was my first film and a great learning experience. The basic framework and my narration was scripted but most of the film otherwise was not. Although looking at it now, I find it could at times be slow. It's never boring and the visual imagery is beautiful. Adding to it is an incredible soundtrack of traditional Mongolian folk music. Here's a segment posted as a test as to how the site handles video. Be patient, I'm still learning...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I Had a Hard but Great Day
BEFORE |
AFTER |
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Long Day
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Leaving for here
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Round 3
I'm departing for Tohoku again Sunday to volunteer in clean up assistance and to work as a photographer. I've been asked by a company to go with a team to the area around Ishinomaki in order to document and assess the current situation. Afterwards the report and images gathered will enable them to coordinate aid and address critical needs. Unlike the other trips I've made, this time the team will take the Shinkansen to Sendai then rent a 4x4 for the excursion to the disaster area. Instead of a 5 to 7 hour drive, the Shinkansen will get us to Sendai in about 2 hours. We'll go to the disaster relief command center for the NGO Peace Boat. At which point we attend several briefings and will be given our clean up duty assignments. We are instructed to be prepared with head lamps, rugged clothing, leather gloves, boots, dust masks, rain gear, and safety goggles. Going inside the structures will have hazards that require proper protection. I look forward to this trip as it's yet another opportunity to make a difference. Whether it's cleaning a home, a business, or public building; it all contributes to bringing the community back to life. It's round 3, I look forward to the next.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Night Sushi
So I went out for sushi at 1:00 AM. The evening was unseasonably cold and I headed down to a narrow alley near my apartment. Nestled a short distance from the main road is a quaint sushi bar. It's open until 3:00 AM. A 12 seat bar/restaurant with a long counter. It's wooded interior is warmly decorated with traditional Japanese crafts. Inside a friendly non English speaking chef named Shibuya-San runs a one man operation. He's been here for ages and has a regular following of customers. On any night anyone from a simple local businessman to a famous Japanese TV/Movie personality can be seen eating here. Tonight as I stepped in from the darkness, it's just he and I. He's a skilled chef and told me it took him 15 years of apprenticeship to master this art. Here in his shop there's no menu. Customers either know a certain type of sushi top of mind and order it. Or he'll make something to suit their tastes. As for me, he always makes me a variety of the things I've noted I liked and each time he'll make and introduce to me at least one of two items that are new. It's a great way to learn about sushi and this type of Japanese culture. He executes orders with incredible speed and beautiful presentation. I'm quite fascinated by anyone who's good at what they do. With Shibuya-san he's taken a craft and turned it into art. Each piece of sushi is perfectly rolled in oiled rice and wrapped tightly enough that they never fall apart. The fish is always the best choice fish and extremely fresh as he goes to the market each day before opening shop. The seaweed, wasabi, soy sauce he chooses, and even the teas compliment the beautifully laid out food. Each time I have to stop and take a nice long look before I make the tough selection of which one goes first.
There's always good conversation with him. Every time I come here I loose a little bit of my troubles at the door and forget about them after I leave. Sushi is not always about food, it's as much that as it is the experience of having it made and presented to you. It's the ambiance of the moment and a witnessing of mastery. This I've learned from Shibuya-san and my many visits to my favorite sushi bar in the world. As I've not written in a while I wanted to write about it and share with you all one of my secret little hideaways from life's daily grind. It was a good night. I slowed down.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Amusement Park
During Golden Week I had some time to organize my photos. There were a lot which I had not seen in years and some from hard drives and disks that I had to rescue. Finding lost things is always good. Many of the shots posted above; I thought I had lost forever. Gladly They've been rediscovered. Herein the entry for tonight. These were taken years ago during a cold winter day. As I recall it was late afternoon when I came to this children's park. It was -20 C and steadily dropping as the sun was setting and the weather turning. This park was centrally located in Ulaan Baatar and at the time of these photos the place was closed for the season. I was the only person on site and had it to myself. I like places like these. It's always interesting to visit somewhere long after the crowds leave. It's the same feeling as an empty boardwalk on the beach after summer. All the stands and shops shut and the festive things frozen in time. There's a spookiness here that charms in the gloom. Although silent it's not difficult to recall or imagine the sounds of crowds, music, laughter, screams, and mechanics. The Carousels, Ferris Wheels, Mini Roller Coasters, Boats, and other amusements were left out in the open as if their keepers just walked away after boarding up the ticket booths. The park had the rough simplicity that came from a bygone Soviet era. Nothing grand but very suitable for family outings and a child's imagination. It served well for many of the people that came here. Although it's likely that people elsewhere have more sophisticated and glittery amusement parks; to a kid it's all relative and this was likely a location of good childhood memories. I heard that a season or two after I shot these photos that the park was finally closed forever. I can understand why as it seemed to have had a very long and steady decline. There's likely not many remnants of it left and most of attractions and venues are gone. Finding these lost photos brought me back here again and made my day.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
linhvienthai's photostream
linhvienthai's photostream on Flickr.
It's hard to imagine a ship so far inland. I was walking through this valley shooting photos and from a distance I noticed this ship sitting atop a great deal of debris. I could not help but want to explore. I came up to it and climbed on board investigating it. It was tilted and pointed it's bow towards the valley. There were many punctured holes in the hull, but all seemed fixable. Surprisingly the cabin and bridge looked fine. Although taken in by the tsunami it was remarkably in relatively good shape. As it was carried in, it must have collided with buildings, houses, vehicles, and other structures. It's likely reason for survival was that it offered no resistance to the forces around it and was moved about fluidly. It's one of the sights I'll remember for a lifetime.