Camerado Movie and Media Production

A long way from Cambodia...have been hauling ass on the final cut of Susan Hero in Robert Deniro's Tribeca Film Center here in NYC (where I am now cutting and visiting friends)all week;though burned out from the edit in the Bay Area, have now finally been able to collaborate in person with G,co-editor of Susan Hero, for the first time in two years. Prior to now, all collaboration had been limited to DVD cuts of the movie sent by snail mail to Cambodia, where I've been living for nearly a year and a half. Now I truly believe the picture is pretty much as good as it will ever be,may need a pro mix and color correction, but not much more can be done. Thus, soon, will begin submitting in earnest to agents and fests, including Sundance. Tomorrow, a likely meeting with Dr Alan Rice who played cloning expert Dr Kurt Morell in the movie. He's based here in NYC, works at the Museum of Natural History...where they now have an exhibit on Darwin.

Still in Mill Valley, CA, in Marin...been editing away for the past week or so and making what I thought would be a minor adjustment/polish edit on the new machine. But it's actually been more intensive than anticipated, have made significant and numerous changes, about 25-30% different than before! Picture is better now, much stronger, and now I wonder how I expected it to get snapped up by a fest when it was only 75% there. Now, in this new pass, have been startled and amazed by the edits that are taking place, they almost seem to be coming from nowhere, as if the movie is editing itself. That is, certain sequences are getting tweaked in ways that I did not anticipate, and it's as if I'm just sitting here doing the cutting.... Anyway, final scene today, then titles, then wil set aside for color correction and mix.

Just came back to the US day before yesterday to visit for a couple emonths before heading back to Kampuchea. Haven't been in the US for a year and a half. Lots of new cars, cars everywhere. No people on the streets, and no old ladies selling chili snails. Lots of hamburger places. Nice clean bay without plastic bags strewn everywhere. But no kids playing "The Shoe Game". No cripples or thin bums with handcranked wheelchairs. Not too many people smiling or saying Hi, especially not so toothily and goofily. Fresh air off the Marin Coast, able to hike without worrying about landmines or robbers...many plump women with blonde hair wearing fashionable, loose fitting black clothes. They are well educated, and they mean business. They drink Big Coffees from Starbucks. Clean streets, big houses, shiny California State Troopers. Price of gas very high, but no one seems to mind too much, lots of cars whizzing by with one sole occupant. IPods, shiny new things, very plum...

(copied from HURRICANE, the uncut ongoing production diary of Camerado) Went to Pailin with Long Heng and Hi, his colleague who used to visit former top KR leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan, and met with both through great luck, with the hopes of getting their participation in an innovative, non journalistic documentary portrait about themselves. Anyway, strange meeting with Nuon Chea first, aka Brother Number Two (Pol Pot was, of course, Brother Number One) After a long hard day on the road by bus and shared Toyota Camry, we arrived in Prum, the small town where he lives -- LITERALLY right next to the Thai border (so he can still make his escape if need be). The taxi let us out next to a Casino on the border, then a few motodops arrived to see where we were headed. Hi told them we were headed to Nuon Chea’s house, and of course everyone knows where it is…headed down the small dirt road, now muddy a bit from the rain, mountains nearby fully wooded and shrouded in fog which rolled fr...

Now that we're gaining momentum with our second feature, SUSAN HERO (is tough to put in the time, since I'm in the thick of completing a massive biodiversity doc for Wildaid, Cambodia ), there are a few important items now online: The SUSAN HERO PRESSKIT (3 MB) The SUSAN HERO TRAILER The radio spot for BIG VENDETTA (the newly released, fictitious movie within a movie which is playing at the multiplex where Susan works) An interview with BIG VENDETTA star, Chuck Wing ...more items coming soon, as we continue to polish the cut and begin to submit to fests!

Well,no further run ins for now with the psychoticmissionary,so for now at least I can breath easy and enjoy life once again. On another note,no breakthroughs with SUSAN HERO, our cloning road movie, and I fear that I mayy have to go back to the US in order to oversee and assist with another edit to furthersmooth and polish it, hopefully nothingmore substantial than this. Problem is I'm all tied up now with this new Wildaid biodiversity doc and I'm not sure when I'll have the time to go back tothe US. Has been almost a year and a halfsince I set foot there, somehwat ambivalent about going back. My Khmer is improving and I'm now able to meet and chat with plenty more Cambodian women (see photo); still having trouble with the alphabet, but I find that editing amovie in Khmer, having to listen tothe words over and over again, helps tremendously.

Don't have much time to post, but I had an intense discussion the other day with a representative from one of the local missionary groups here (many of these in Cambodia), and the guy had somehow heard about SUSAN HERO, Camerado's newly completed feature -- see www.camerado.co for trailer, etc Anyway, as you may or may not know, SUSAN HERO deals with human cloning on a very non-sci fi, down to earth "what if" level. This cloning element does not sit nicely with most religious groups as you can imagine. So this guy stops by to chat, after "learning" about my movie from some source he refused to identify. And we sat and talked for a while, and gradually it became apparent why he'd stopped by: his group disagreed with the message of SUSAN HERO and they would prefer that I do not move forward with the release of the movie! Well I firmly but politely told him that there would be no way I could not release the movie now. Besides, I told him, the movie is a ...

Back from the first one week shoot in the Southern Cardamom Mtns, [for Wildaid] very remote shooting conditions -- generator and batteries strapped to motos, riding through the very narrow winding paths between villages (Thma Bang to ChhunNopub, Chun Noub to Chi Phat) walking sometimes because the inclines are too steep and narrow for our motos. My driver almost bought the farm as he was waling his moto over a rotting improvised log bridge over a crevasse, I grabbed his arms and steadied him from the abyss... Wildlife, larger mammals at least, was not easy to see, but did catch some great bird activity on the mangrove channels near Bokum. Only damage to myself: one tick on my ankle which I found wafter our kidney killing moto ride from ChunNoub to Kurtz-ian river town of Chi Phat, where I pulled the runt out with my medical tweezers, first time they've come in handy actually. More later and more leisurely described in HURRICANE, but spent some time out with local rangers who showe...

Lotsa things happening, too numerous to mention. No bloggae for a while, have been working on HURICANE instead, which will be pubslihed as a cheap Cambodian pulp novel upon release of Susan Hero. Speaking of which, Filmmaker Magazine has posted a great update of our exploits, with the slight misinfo regarding our shoot (which took place in working class, run down locations in Albuquerque, not Santa Fe...oh well...the blurb is still highly appreciated. Anyway, now gearing up to helm a biodiversity doc in the remote Cardamom Mountains, one of the last global biodiversity hotspots, and truly wild and in some places still uncharted (first biodiversity survey over was conducted there in 2000) So, as we wrangle equipment and try to prepro as best we can here in Phnom Penh, myself now also having to move simultaneous to the prepro action _-not helpful-- my trusty Khmer Associate producer Chan Norn and I returned from the last gatherings of our essential items, esp mosquito nets as there is ...

Just a quick clarification regarding the Okay Guesthouse, which appears in an earlier post and therefore seems to be a de fact positive report on the place: I left the Okay Guesthouse originally because 1) my stuff which was being held there was stolen, supposedly in a safe room. But when I came back, I found my papers missing, English teaching materials gone and scattered, etc. Later, the owner found my PADI scuba card and returned it to me 2) the thin, suave Khmer guy who works there (and some others) can be a real prick, very insulting and condescending. This I personally experienced last March wqhen he was so rude that I nearly got into a scuffle with the bastard...yet, yesterday (which is why I must clarify today) a friend of mine who had stopped by to ask directions to my place, in the Local Adventures building down the street, was rudely waved away as the guy told her: "what , do I work for you?" *This is AFTER I set up a friend of mine to stay there for ten days tw...

Hello all-- HAven't been updating the blog so much lately for several reasons: 1) I don't have INternet at home anymore, until/unless i get new service which thus restricts me to Internet cafes 2) Have been busy teaching this new video class at Royal University of Phnom Penh as well as working on my own other projects, bidding for a new NGO doc 3) Have been making most entries in the form of the hardcopy diary, HURRICANE... Somehow, I feel like I'm pulling away from the blog since the blog isn't tactile, and I'd prefer to print up a few hundrd pulp paperbacks out here of my experiences in the form of HURRICANE (which has been the ongoing production diary of the making of our most recent feature, SUSAN HERO, as well as other assorted "experiences") Also: the nature of bloggin is inherently exhibitionist, and I'm not sure I want to continue in this direction exclusively. BUT, with this having been said, hello again from Phnom Penh, where the new introdu...

Back from teaching at Royal University of Phnom Penh, where I'm helping put together (and teach) their brand new video production course in their communications department...am modelling some of the excercises on my own old days at NYU. Have just started building up a DVD library of movies which I think are solid, can be learned from -- and which can be acquired at the Russian Market (bootlegged) Amongst them: Taxi Driver, Lawrence of Arabia, Eraserhead, Star Wars, Rashoman, and others. Meanwhile, back in New York, G has just about finished tweaking the cut of Susan Hero, now with the 500Gigs of HD in hand, brought graciously back to NYC from Cambodia by my pal Cormac Creed who was just visiting here. So, as of today, Susan Hero has been submitted to a few fests, basically the ones who waived the entry fee due which I needed to request due to my slim Cambodian salary (though huge by Cambodian standards) Basically now waiting to hear what happens with the current fest submissions, n...

So, the one and only CC was just over for a visit form NYC; hit Angkor temples, had a great time and alas, it's sad to see him go. Anyway, also gave him the 2 250G hard drives containing all material and programs for Susan Hero. Next stop for him is NYC, where he'll give the drives to G who will take over the fine edit, mix, titles, and general finishing work (although I'm still trying to find a way to go back to oversee the final output) Thus, a watershed event in Camerado's second feature, Susan Hero. Have submitted it as is to Rotterdam and Florida Film fests...we'll see what happens!

Now that the NGO doc (link to trailer to be posted soon after it's official release here, it's very sensitive material) is don, I've been able to focus all efforts solely on Susan Hero and am now within sight of it completion. Goal is to have a solid working cut ready by Halloween, then ship off to the US to have some sort of work in progress screening there as well as here in Cambodia. Can't write much, have been writing instead in the hard copy making of diary, HURRICANE, now a year and a half old and 310 pages long! Speaking of which: what is up with all the hurricanes? Came up with the title HURRICANE last year during what seemed to be a strange peak year for Hurricane's now they seem to be getting worse and worse each year... Musct go now and change my underwear. Bought a pair of "XXL" down in Sinnoukeville last week, but they are SQUEEZING my balls off...I wonder who deemed them to be XXL? (Strange Cambodian underpants)

As I have been hauling ass to finish the NGo doc and also the rough cut of Susan Hero...have been writing instead mainly in the non-online journay HURRICANE, which is now over 300 pages--a real testamanet to the gruelling process of making Susan Hero which has led me from NYC to New Mexico, to Cambodia. Finished the NGO doc finally! Trailer link to be posted soon. Now taking a break in Kompong Som, back to Phnom Penh in a day or two.

(From a package of DORCO brand razors I bought the other day) The features of Dorco "DORCO" By adopting micro grinding method which is far different from the existing grinding methods, Dorco "DORCO" could have the edge of curve and tooth shape that assures comfortable feeling while shaving and long durability. The lubricant oozing out from the lubricating strip attached to the top cap of Dorco "DORCO" reduces friction between the razor and skin and prevents skin damage while shaving. [Diagram] Two blades are positioned in such a way that the first blade stretches your whisker out as it shaves the whisker and then the second blade shaves the remaining portion of the whisker for a perfect shave.

Anyway, just thought I'd post these, a couple interesting observations about the metallic object I found in the jungle near Kebal Strung: 1) the compass on my Swiss Army knife spins wildly whenever I get within 4 or 5 feet of it 2) This morning when I woke up, I found a great deal of condensation on the surface, and a pool of water had formed around the base. It was cool to the touch--whereas everything else was room temperature (that is, warm to hot) Planning on taking it to the Royal University of P P next week, to have it looked at, determine at least the source of the inscriptions, its composition, etc.

Was back up North in the jungle near the Sesan river doing some reshoots fro the NGo video, and one of our assistants came across what looked to be some wreckage of a downed American plane from Kissinger's Cambodian bombing days in the jungle... ...the perplexing thing is, the material looked very new, was very lightweight and--I know this sounds cliche--was covered in strange markings. It was neither Khmer nor English, nor Russian. No one had any idea what it came from, but none of the guides would touch it. Anyway, we took it to the local border station, but I brought a piece back here with me and I hope to post a picture of it online tomorrow.

As I ride the humble Daelim motorcycle through the streets of Phnom Penh at night, perhaps on my way to Zeppelin Rock and Roll cafe, I catch glimpses of some shuddering moments I left behind: travelling all the way from New Mexico to New York for two job interviews, one with my Alma Mater (NYU--a mediochre use of bucks and time)the other asa potential DGA Trainee. The first, I went and interviewed buyt never even heard back from them, never even received a "thanks for coming", this again from my own Alma Mater... The other, well I made it to the next round of the very selective process, bu tthey kept asking me, based on my resume: "You like to make films, do you think you'd be happy in this program where you'd just be supporting a production?" YES--I thought and said, dying for a break, a gig in my field after starving for so long out West trying to push the picture forward. I remember the anonymous, mean highways of America...one time, Rich and aI slid off...

Yea, verily I chip away at the indigenous doc whilst I continue cutting Susan Hero; as for the latter, now figuring out how and when to load the second half of the material (15 more hours) which will be the final batch of material needed to make the picture ocme together. Will I make the Sundance submisison deadline in October? Hope so, but if not, then f*ck it, the movie's ready when it's ready. Some limitations are: very few NTSC decks to be had here, and I need one to load this NTSC footage. The Windows machine functions well, though Quicktime is a more robust format I think than .avi. Besides this: no more teaching, that gig ended as mentioned ( I think), some late night sessions at Martini's restaurant / girl-garden, installing software, troubleshooting systems...am back to the Internet cafe since we're changing our service provider, over here in Kampuchea you have to pay by the Megabyte for web traffic and this can lead to the usual corruption and overcharging ...