Colombian food

A couple of time I have received the question "Do you like Colombian food?"

Uncomfortable, I have responded with a smile: "To be honest, no!"

Colombian "traditional" food might be "nutriciously" alright, but it completely lacks spices! There is only one exception: coriander.
When I ask Colombians about this, they say "We like the natural taste of things!"

I am trying hard to enjoy the natural taste of rice and beans, potatoe and plantain (and without any sauce!), but I am just too used to a variety of spices... And still, in terms of flavors, the European cuisine is probably completely tasteless to the average Asian...

Yes, I long for pepper, garlic and onion, basil, oregano, parsley and mint, vinegar, wine, mustard and lemon, curry, ginger and cinnamon, saffron and horseradish...not to mention additionals such as mushrooms, almonds and peanuts... or our Scandinavian favorite: lingonberry sauce!

Luckily, Colombia is so much "tastier" in something else: people!

Alpha day

Today: Alpha day. I was part of this "Holy Spirit" day.

Shooting commercial, with a cold

Today we shot three scenes for the ViValores commercial "Who educates...". I had a cold and my nose and eyes kept running all day. Not the wisest but we had planned with so many actors and everybody could do it, so I didn't want to spoil it.

We shot in a pretty tight apartment. One challenge was the crane-panning shot, we actually constructed a kind of mini-steadicam but at the end we used a telephoto pan shot instead. The drawback was that we didn't have a good telephoto lens, only a Canon kit lens which we had to push until 400 ISO. But, the shot movement didn't look to bad.

Again we were working with a child actor, she is only about ten years old but did pretty well. I was both director and DP, which is not the best, because one is distracted from direction into all the lighting questions and you forget about things.
Anyway, we kept the schedule pretty well (2 hours per scene) and got our main shots, so I shouldn't complain.

Location scouting

Today we had our team meeting and we also went looking at a location for tomorrow's shoot. I was an apartment, nicely decorated, everything already in a color palette, and enough of equipment space, so we decided to go for it. I will be director as well as director of photography.

I proposed that we would spend two hours in the morning to pre-light the set as to have a plan when the actors come. We have three scenes to do and of course each will have their own lighting scheme (as well as changes between framings). All the three scenes take place during late afternoon in the movie world whereas it will be going from day to night in the real one, so I decided that we would cover the windows to have control over the light amount.

One challenge will be to simulate tv flicker, which we will accomplish through intermittently covering a blue-gelled light. Another challenge will be a type of panning diagonal crane shot, but without a crane... instead we will use a Steadicam Merlin, which is a beautiful little tool to do floating shots. As a director I should have total knowledge of the script, but I will only take a look tomorrow morning... these have been intense days. I have a cold but I hope I won't be too bad tomorrow...

Film forum

Today we filmed some more statements with "name actors" in Bogota for ViValores.com. Later I participated in a film forum in my church in Medellin, where we showed short films and had an art and photography exhibition. In our film team we are now preparing for another "values commercial" shoot at the end of this week.

Bogota impressions

After a few days in Bogota, I have noted some things:

>Everything is square.
>The morning sun is pleasant.
>People are nice and generous.
>Women talk fast and show up on time.
>All men wear were suit.

Showbiz people promoting values

Sometimes you need a little help from celebrities.
Now we are working pretty much on promoting ViValores (a new foundation to advertise life values through tv-commercials), and we decided to ask some famous Colombian television people if they wanted to say, in front of a camera, that they want a better Colombia and that they are supporting ViValores.

So far we have encountered nothing but positive responses and today we filmed with the actor Pedro Pallares and the tv host Rodrigo Castro. Tomorrow we will shoot with Adriana Bottina (singer/actress) and Yuli Pedraza (actress).

Rolling camera

I've heard that when making films, you should never work with animals or kids. Today we shot with a three-year old girl for one of our ViValores commercials. She was excellent. She did just as we told her to.

I had hoped for an early morning sun to give us some romantic backlight, but the day woke up cloudy. We don't own a powerful outdoor HMI light, so we threw up some tungsten lights of 1000, 650 and 300 Watts in the location, a public park. The lights gave some skin and hair glare, but (obviously) didn't shine enough on leaves and trees. The sun would have been better.

Audition

Holding an audition is an art in itself. First you need to welcome people, then register them on photos, pictures with the actors holding up a sheet with their name and contact information. Because what happens if that photo ends up in a folder somewhere and nobody knows who it is?

Then we do a short video interview, to have their voice recorded for reference. Then we have them act (and be filmed in) the scene in question, and usually I also improvise another scene as well to get a sense for how well they improvise.
Our audition today was quite small but went well. Something I learned: the more actors you manage to call, the more options you will have and the more talent you will see.

Tomorrow we will shoot a scene in a park.

Prepping for audition

Filmmaking is a job which is 90 percent done before. Planning, casting, locations, equipment. Today I called invited some actors to a casting session tomorrow, to audition for one of our commercials for ViValores. The film is about the importance of spending time with your children.

Lighting workshop

Tonight I led a lighting workshop with our team. We discussed two scenarios on a whiteboard and tried to create a lighting setup that would work to accomplish a certain look.

First we "lit" a bathroom scene in theory, considering there were was a small window letting in daylight. Then we assumed we had to light a hotel night scene in a lounge. First we discussed the setup on the whiteboard, and then we went ahead and lit a corresponding scene in our garage, were we had a sofa, a table and two models. We created a low-key lighting using lots of barn doors and some French flags, trying to create wide areas of shadow and certain points of interest. The result wasn't too bad and we had fun doing it.

Meals with friendly Paisas

Today I experienced the true, open friendliness of the Paisas (the people from the department of Antioquia).

I was going to have a solitary lunch in a shopping centre, but as I sat down a man with a black mustache and a colored t-shirt approached me and asked if he could sit down. Of course, I said, and we started talking, and Ricardo, as we can call him, showed out to be a salesman for a clothes company, a profession he seemed to have the right personality for. Anyway, it was a pleasant conversation and after the lunch Ricardo invited me for a cup of coffee which I rejected since I had to get things done in the afternoon.

Later, in the night, I stopped by a empanada place and there a thin man in his fifties started talking to me. We can call him Aras and he showed out to be the son of a Colombian man and a Lithuanian woman who had fled the war in the 40's. Aras was once the national motorcycle champion of Colombia. Just like Ricardo, Aras invited to continued friendship and asked me to call him to take a ride on one of his motorcycles.

Final Cut Pro X

Finally I did it. I started using Final Cut Pro X (a video editing software). I had heard it was a toy program. But a friend talked about its benefits, and today I downloaded a trial version. I'm planning on using it for a current video project. One thing I noticed. It exports extremely fast. Good start.

A simple prayer...

Prayer is a mysterious thing. Today in church I prayed, "God, let someone invite me for lunch today". Not a very altruistic prayer maybe. As I left church and was walking down the street, a family from church walked by my side and we talked a little. Then the man said "Urban, would you like to join us for lunch today?" They invited me to a delicious hamburger meal.

"No"

Today I went and saw "No", the Chilean film with Gael Garcia Bernal that received an Academy Award nomation this year. The film was very well made in terms of acting and art. It is filmed in a consistent documentary/tv-camera style, to make it look more authentic I guess. Although I admire this bold choice of cinematography, it was also a bit boring. I would prefer a stylish, well-lit film-look. Also the story in itself lacked suspension, I was a bit dissapointed. It may have had to do with that I didn't understand everything.

Anyway, the acting was one of the best I've seen in a long time. Bernal is always good, but he was a bit flat this time. You can be deep and authentic, but you also need variety in expressions to make a role interesting and entertaining. But the other roles were superb. Every actor was extremelly believable. I don't know if it is more due to gifted acting or gifted direction. Anyway, good job, Pablo Larain.

Blackmagic pocket cinema camera

A couple of days ago a new camera was announced at the yearly television and film fair in Las Vegas called the NAB Show. It is the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

This little beast has some 13 stops of dynamic range and shoots in HD ProRes 4:2:2. And... it only costs $995! Now we are waiting for some tests and reviews... If it delivers, I'd say "gamechanger".

Visiting the street inhabitants of Medellin

Street in Medellin inhabited by homeless people. 11 pm

Today was a quite impressive day.

First I went filming two orphanages run by Youth with a Mission in Medellin, then I followed them as they went out on the streets to give bread and hot chocolate to street bums in the inner city.

I have never seen so many worn people at once. The people were in terrible condition: dirty, unhealthy, drug-addicted, malnourished and some sick. Many of the men with unkempt beards and the women skinny from years of drug use. On some streets there were long rows of people sitting or lying on their make-shift beds, some smoking cheap drugs or sniffing glue.

Most of them gladly received the bread and the hot chocolate and the people from Youth with a Mission talked to them and prayed for them and told them how much God loves them.

A good day

Today I had a really good day. Like if somebody were praying for me... Whoever does so, thank you!!

Entrepreneurial spirit

Today I was chatting with my American friend. He is 80 years old and an ex-pilot. Thing is, he is more entrepreneurial and positive about the future than I am, at almost half his age. He is moving and renewing his business, and is planning to start up other businesses as well. But the most impressive is, he says he wants to start flying again, as a pilot. At age 80. I don't know if they would let him, but his attitude makes him deserve it.

Holding on to the bag

One of those things I've noticed with the people in Medellin is that they don't set down their bag on the floor in public places. When they are seated, like in the metro or in a restaurant, they put their bag in their lap and hold on to it with their hands if possible.

After a while I started noting this, and even if it is a bit less comfortable I now do the same, trying to look normal… and as I wrote earlier in this blog, I actually learned doing this the hard way...

A couple days ago I was talking with a fellow American friend here in Medellin, and he said people often tell him, "Hey you should hide that thing! Somebody might steal it!" Then he went on to say, "People here in Medellin are so afraid of everything, they think somebody is going to rob you all the time." And it is true that they are very cautious about this, and people have warned me many times as well. But then again, I've also heard many real stories about people being robbed these two years I have been here. Not to mention everything you read about in the newspapers.

But my friend went on and said "I want to live with love. If somebody wants to steal this or that, let them have it! I am not afraid! I'm not gonna let them change my way of being!"

I thought his attitude was admirable, although it is one thing for a wealthy American to say it, another for a person who might lose two months worth of income in a few seconds. We went on to discuss the legacy of the Escobar era here in Medellin, and although that man doesn't walk the streets anymore, his shadow still hovers over the town.

If love and trust just could start "beating" crime and fear in Medellin, then people might even dare setting down their bags on the floor again. And who knows, maybe somebody needs to be the first to do it.

Paying on the bus

Something I've noticed when going by bus in Medellin is the manner how people pay. After quite a bit of bus rides, I felt I was the only one pulling out my wallet when entering the bus and paying. So I started observing people and saw that almost nobody ever showed their wallet (or don't they have one? I am not sure). When entering the bus, people just mysteriously pull out a couple of bills from their pocket, just enough to pay the ride (the fee is about 1700 pesos, around 1 US dollar).

I started wondering, do they prepare and count those bills at home, or do they do it secretly around the corner before reaching the bus? I am still not sure. To reduce any risk and melt into the culture I thought I would start preparing my bus ride already at home, counting some bills and coins, but I constantly forget it and when I enter the bus I still need to pull out my wallet. Foreigner!

Shooting a "construction" commercial

We are now getting up to speed with shooting commercials for ViValores ("Life Values") and yesterday we shot a scene for a commercial called "The construction workers".
A construction site let us shoot at their front gate and have their real workers in the background. It looked great and we were also using our DIY 7x7 butterfly scrim for the first time to get some shadow on our actors and avoid problems with exposing their faces.

I co-directed the scene with another person and that was an interesting experience. It requires giving  consistent directions to the actors so there is no confusion. It also challenged us to use the technique of giving the actors physical tasks to improve the authenticity of their performance.

The commercials for ViValores don't promote any product or company, they only promote values.

Preparing commercial

Today I did the shortest audition I have ever done with an actor. I met him in my barrio and filmed him with my cell phone, improvising the scene. It took about 3 minutes. Then I said "you got the part".

Tomorrow we are shooting a commercial for ViValores, a foundation that promotes good values. It is about a couple of construction workers. We got a permission to shoot on a construction site close to our office.

Late at night, I booked a trip to Bogota later this month. I will go there and film some interviews with "famous actors" that (hopefully) will promote ViValores.

Salsa bolognese

I think God heard my complaint... this night I was served a wonderful pasta bolognese (served hot!) with parmesan cheese and a delicious green apple salad with dressing, plus garlic toast on the side... A miracle...

Sauces & spices, we miss you

Ok I need to vent this... Today I was doing a smaller photography job for a "gringo" friend who lives here in Medellin as well. We were discussing local food. My friend was complaining about the lack of sauces served with fish and any dish. Rice, meat, salad. No sauce, no dressing, no spices. Fish, rice, lettice. No dressing, no sauce, no spices. Only tomato sauce (ketchup) and occasionally "pink sauce". No onions, garlic, herbs, butter, nothing... and no deserts. "If they have so many fruit, why don't they at least make pineapple pies?" my friend complained. Yes, I've almost lost my appetite too... but it was good to find a companion in my suffering...

Outreach to poor village - hot and chilly

The past day I participated in a "health brigade". It was a kind of outreach of a Christian team to a poor village. The team helped the village with medicine, constructing simple toilets, reconcilation, teaching for kids and just sharing the gospel of Jesus. I was filming the activities.

The climate was very hot and I was sweating gallons and trying to keep drinking. In the night I slept in a hammock like most of the rest of the 50-people team.

To get to the village, not too far from the Carribean coast of Colombia, I traveled in one of the buses offered by national companies. One thing I have noted about these buses, is that they use air condition on, let me say, full level. I think each time I travel with them, I say to myself, "next time I'll bring more clothes". So this time I brought two hood sweaters. Do you think it was enough? No, almost everybody else had a blanket as well. I didn't, and was freezing.

The woman at my side complained to the bus staff who just responded he would not change anything (I don't know if it was possible, maybe there is just on an off and he preferred not to switch on and off?) I think we had about 12 degrees Celsius in the bus.

When I arrived, I took out my video equipment from my bags which I had in the bus cabin, and touched the camera. It was cold like it was just taken out of the freezer. I had to defog it for half an hour.
Anyway, why all long-distance bus companies in Colombia want to cool down passengers almost to a rigor mortis level, remains an enigma.