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Tag Archives: China documentary
July 10, 2011 Preparing for an Independent Shoot & Finding a Great Camera Store in NYC
A couple of months ago I purchased a Panasonic GH2 to take on my trip to NYC and Atlanta so that I could shoot some interviews and footage of artist Michelle Scott — the talented granddaughter of KUKAN cameraman Rey Scott. As with most new cameras, it’s a learn as you go and make mistakes process. The second day in NYC, I had my battery go out in a test interview and got a corrupted mts file on the SD card (techie language for a screwup that you do not want to happen during the real thing). I decided I needed an AC adaptor for the camera — that should be easy enough in the big apple shopping capitol, right?
Surprise, surprise, the two biggest camera stores in Manhattan were out of stock. Fortunately, I discovered Alex & Tony at H & B Digital on 46th Street. Not only did they have the part, but they were the sweetest salesmen that I’ve run across in a long time. They patiently looked up how the adaptor worked, let me test it, and then spent almost an hour advising me about filters and giving me a pep talk about doing a shoot on my own — something I have to face when the budget won’t tolerate hiring a larger crew.
So if you find yourself in NYC with camera needs, check Alex and Tony out on 46th St. They are a small shop, but well-stocked and have great prices too. Most of all they have a passion for photography & filming and seem to love what they do.
June 5, 2011 — First Online Funders
What a wonderful surprise to open my email and find a notice from Paypal that the esteemed New York City artists Richard Cramer and Carol Markel had made an online donation to FINDING KUKAN. They are truly an inspirational couple and obvious trend-setters. I hope their ground-breaking generosity will encourage others to take the step.
For a fun peek at this great couple, see Ari Seth Cohen’s blog “Advanced Style”.
May 21, 2011 — Official FINDING KUKAN Website Goes Live
“If you build it.…they will come.”
I’m adapting the lines from the great baseball book/movie Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams and hoping they’ll apply to this website and eventually to the finished documentary FINDING KUKAN. Since this project has been fueled by online research and discoveries made possible by other websites, it’s only appropriate that I put out one of my own. Now it’s up to the cyberspace gods to work their magic…
May 16, 2011 — Bryan Pearson Records Narration for Fundraising Trailer
British stage actor Bryan Pearson stepped in to record a few lines of narration for the Finding KUKAN fundraising trailer currently in its final edit.
Brian refers to himself as the “original Terminator” since he played Thor in the 1959 cult classic Teenagers from Outer Space under his stage name Bryan Grant.
I found Brian through a fascinating loop of connections that started off when I interviewed war-time Chungking journalist Wing Yung Emery and sister of Choy Wai Chuen, the first Chinese man to play at Wimbledon in 1948. The loop of connection was made possible by the diligence of Chris Essex, webmaster for Framlingham College alumni. Framlingham was the prep academy that Choy Wai Chuen and Bryan Pearson both went to.
Another eye-opening zig in the amazing zig-zag journey I’ve had since finding KUKAN.
January 2011 — Work on the Fundraising Trailer Begins
Cameraman Ron Darby and Producer Robin Lung begin filming interviews and b‑roll in Hawaii for the Finding KUKAN fundraising trailer.