Suzanne is excited about the way documentary film is being used here and abroad to connect people and ultimately tell compelling stories. Her production skills and passion for social justice and human rights topics are an excellent complement to Citygate’s mission.

At present, Suzanne is filming a short project in Kenya and will return to Citygate’s offices in mid-September.

Photo: Paul Barrios

One of the red bridges spanning the Han River in Seoul.

Continuing the Lessons Learned series on Citygate’s blog, I now have the pleasure of focusing on shooting in South Korea. I took a four-person crew to Seoul in June 2010, and hired a local gaffer and his lighting gear to join us on indoor shoots. We traveled with minimum gear (three Canon T2i cameras, three-mic sound gear and mixer, RedRock camera support and grip gear), but still had to deal with a carnet and excess baggage fees.

I set a land-speed record prepping for this shoot. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the nonprofit client could only give me three weeks’ advance notice. Fortunately, South Korea does not require visas for U.S. citizens on short stays, nor does it have any additional immunization requirements beyond what we had already received. But it is a carnet nation, meaning that there is an agreement in place with the U.S. for the importation of non-personal effects. A carnet is like a visa for your gear. It’s easily done on the Corporation for International Business’ ATA Carnet website. However, the underwriter required a current balance sheet or recent tax forms to underwrite the bond for the gear. That caught me by surprise because it hadn’t been required the last few times I’ve submitted a carnet application. Fortunately, I was current on my books and was able to spit out a balance sheet from Quickbooks right away and still get the carnet before the Memorial Day holiday arrived.

Carnets always seem like more hassle than they are worth. But they are a requirement and they will protect you from some problems with bringing in more cases than a tourist would need. But you should always call the customs office at your departure airport a few days before you depart to make sure someone will be there to “check in” your carnet. International flights often depart after business hours and I would have arrived at my departing airport well after the customs office had closed for Memorial Day if I hadn’t called in advance. (You generally don’t have to worry about this upon arriving at your destination.)

We flew Asiana Airlines direct from Chicago. They were pleasant enough, but lacked some amenities I would have thought were standard for such expensive and long flights, such as video on demand. We also had numerous ticketing problems, requiring a refund that I am still pursuing. But the food and cabin service were very good. We arrived at 4:30 in the morning, made our way fairly quickly through customs (use the phrase “ATA” instead of “carnet,” if you want to be widely understood) and proceeded to S’Roaming (also known as KCellrental) to pick up our rental phones. I had read that the networks of South Korean mobile phone carriers use highly specialized CDMA technology and unlocked GSM mobile phones like mine cannot be used there. These phones were a real deal: around $1/day to rent and about 42 cents per minute for outgoing domestic calls (incoming calls are free). We made calls locally and internationally on three phones throughout the trip and my total rental costs were only $45.

Sound recordist Lucien Dowdell getting some location sounds in the busy Myeong-dong market in Seoul.

We stayed at the Lotte City Hotel Mapo in the centrally located Mapo-gu district. I liked it much better than the busier shopping district of Myeong-dong or Seoul Central. The hotel had a circular driveway for loading and unloading our gear (something that didn’t appear to be common there) and was connected to a subway station. It also sat on top of three levels of a shopping mall. They called it an arcade. It’s not quite like an American mall, but it had plenty of coffee shops and restaurants and even one grocery store. All the caffeine and carbs a crew needs, not to mention batteries and band-aids. There is no room service, but there is a restaurant with an (expensive!) buffet and bar. The rooms are small, so I wouldn’t recommend doubling up–especially not if you have your gear with you. There is free wired internet and a desk outlet with both 110 and 220 plugs. There’s also a bank and an ATM in the lobby. All in all, everything a crew needs.

We hired LocationPro to supply our Arri and Diva lights, as well as basic grip gear. Raymond Im was prompt on email and brought everything we needed to each location and on time. He served as our gaffer, but it seemed his stronger suit may be as a location manager. Nevertheless, I was told by another production company in Seoul that English speakers prefer higher-paying jobs, so it is rare to find English-speaking grips and gaffers. (If you have experienced something different, please leave a comment!)

It is a delight to shoot in South Korea for several reasons, including the fact that no tips are ever expected and the city is exceedingly clean. But you will be much better received if you hire a fixer or work with a local contact who can advise you on the etiquette and customs in particular situations. For example, younger adults do not freely address older adults. Rank and status are highly observed and respected. Shoes are removed in most situations indoors, including many public restaurants. And if you shoot at the DMZ and don’t comply with the rules about photos, you can expect that your footage and/or photos will be deleted by a guard (at minimum) or your gear will be confiscated (at maximum). This is one location when shooting with HDSLR cameras will be to your benefit, as they will pass as tourist cameras.

Finally, should anyone on your crew get sick during your visit, I recommend visiting the International Health Care Center at the Severance Hospital at Yonsei University. One of my team suffered a form of heat stroke and had to be admitted for hydration therapy. Though I had purchased medical insurance from International SOS, as I typically do, there was an administrative problem and SOS said that visit wasn’t covered. Fortunately, Korean medical care is FAR more reasonably priced than American medical care, so the visit and IV costs were only $75. That means more money for Korean barbeque dinners … which are an absolute must!

There are two diverse crowds at Hot Docs. The first is the loyal film fanbase in Toronto–the people who queue up in sunshine or rain for more than an hour to see new films. The second are the imports–the broadcasters, distributors, and filmmakers who “speed date” to find willing matches for their varying agendas. As a filmmaker, I was at the bottom of the social strata. I’m not the money. But hey, I’m potentially the content and that’s got to count for something.

I attended both the Rendezvous one-on-one pitch meetings and The Documentary Forum at Hot Docs. Rendezvous matched filmmakers with international broadcasters for private 15-minute pitch sessions. The Forum is more public, even though one has to be an accredited filmmaker to be approved to attend (at an additional cost). During the two-day Forum, dozens of filmmakers pitch a large group of international broadcasters and then receive immediate feedback. It’s illuminating to watch. My takeaway point was that in 15 minutes, a filmmaker has to convince the editors of the importance of the topic and then convince them of the importance of their story. Many filmmakers try to do the former in the trailer, which leaves the editors unclear about the characters and the story arc. Those filmmakers who pitched the topic verbally, and then used the visual punch of the trailer to draw the editors in to the storyline and the characters, fared much better.

Rendezvous and the Forum were some of the film market elements at Hot Docs. There is also conference running at the same time, addressing a variety of topics ranging from producing 3D films to financing film to producing case studies. I felt the conference aspect of Hot Docs was probably more beneficial to Canadians as many presenters referenced Canadian interests, as they should. No problems there, but U.S. filmmakers may get more out of the conference at SILVERDOCS. That may also be a reflection of the seemingly broader distribution focus at SILVERDOCS. Hot Docs is primarily broadcast-oriented.

But one thing Hot Docs does well is socialize. Lunches, cocktail receptions, evening parties–someone is always having fun at Hot Docs. If you are extroverted enough, you have the opportunity to meet a wide array of people in the industry. I have to confess feeling slightly sorry for the broadcasters and distributors, however. They are walking targets who try to deflect the drive-by pitch graciously, get to their meetings on time, and keep up their cheerful exterior through countless pitches. I’m sure they crave silence by the end.

Speaking of silence, it was a relief to end busy days of meetings and pitch sessions in a dark theater. I saw several interesting films this year: the abortion documentary “12th and Delaware;” the poignant story of history revised for those who grew up in the former U.S.S.R. in “My Perestroika;” the informative and darkly humorous “Space Tourists;” and the conspiracy-theory-meets-animal-activist film, “Feathered Cocaine,” among others.

Hot Docs is held on the attractive, ivy-covered campus of Victoria College at the University of Toronto, and in nearby cinemas. Once you get your bearings, it is easy to navigate. The campus is in a lively section of town, near the Royal Ontario Museum, lots of restaurants, the Queen’s Park, and loads of hand sanitizer stations. I’m not kidding. Every ten feet or so, you’ll find hand sanitizer pump. I never feel so germophobic as when I’m in Canada. Purell must make a killing there! But as far as I could tell, we all stayed healthy. So props to the hand sanitizers. And props to the hard-working staff of Hot Docs for eleven action-packed days.

Earlier this month, Citygate’s film, A NOTE OF HOPE, was represented in Cannes at the 2010 MIPDoc/MIPTV international film market by Stacey Parks of Film Specific. If you are a member of Film Specific or a fan of Film Specific’s Facebook page, you can glean some helpful insights from Stacey via both her email and video updates. Stacey reported that buyers are tired of heavy topics and are looking for more positive programming. May this bode well for Citygate’s future productions!

The rest of 2010 promises to be very busy, as well. In addition to the ongoing post-production for work A NOTE OF HOPE, we’re working on a number of other projects–including development and financing for two more documentaries. We’re also in pre-production for a few corporate projects, as well as working on a script for short narrative film to be completed by the spring. Later in the year, we’re scheduled to work on a nonprofit film that requires a shoot in Sydney, Australia. Another tough assignment for Citygate!

As with the previous post about pre-production, I want to share some of the lessons I learned from this trip with other filmmakers. Share the wealth, spare the difficulties. I hope these points are useful for you. If so, leave a comment!

CASH FLOW: Depending on where you are filming, Africa is largely a cash-based economy. You can leave those traveler’s checks at home. In my opinion, they are more trouble to use than they are worth. But ATM cards are extremely useful. Notice I said cards–plural. It is essential to travel with multiple debit cards (and credit cards, if you have them) because the networks there can be rather finicky. On some days, one card would get through on the VISA network and on other days, in the same place, it wouldn’t work. I was always glad to have a back-up card. Which meant that I spread my production cash among several accounts before I left. It’s a hassle to reconcile once you get home, for sure, but when you are on the move it’s great to know that you won’t be held back because the one card you possess is having troubles. Notice, too, that I said VISA. It’s rare that anything else is accepted, at least in the countries we traveled in (Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Ghana).

If you are traveling in Uganda, especially in rural areas like we were, you are going to have to travel with all cash. When you depart the U.S., bring $100 bills in good shape (no tears or scribbling) printed after 2003. You get a better exchange rate with higher denominations and you don’t face rejected bills at the exchange bureau if they are in good shape. I brought several thousand dollars in U.S. cash and slept with one eye open on the plane over. But that was the easy part, because that amount of U.S. cash can easily be worn in a money belt. Once I exchanged it for Ugandan shillings in Kampala, I had two large mountains of cash — more than 12 million Ugandan shillings. While it’s fun to be a millionaire in at least one currency, it is a hassle to manage that wad of money.

By the time we departed Uganda and arrived in Zambia, I was out of cash and needed to start the ATM roulette. At the ATMs in the capital, Lusaka, and the town where we were shooting, Ndola, the daily limits were 2 million kwacha on average. That didn’t go far, so I was having to hit the ATM machines on a daily basis, sometimes more than once. One time, the ATM machine was out of cash, so I came up empty. After awhile, I had all the nearby ATM machines mapped in my head and could tell you when they switched over to the next banking day so I could hit them up again. Fun stuff. This routine continued in Ethiopia and Ghana, as well.

Which brings me to another good tip: Did you know you have a daily cash limit on your debit cards? I found that out trying to purchase expensive film gear before we left. Silly me–it’s my money. I thought I could spend it whenever I wanted. But many banks put daily cash limits on your debit cards for your protection, so you won’t be wiped out. (At least that’s what my bank told me, though I’ve also been told that if it is a VISA-branded debit card, my account has some of the same protections as a VISA credit card. Maybe it’s really for the bank’s protection, then, if my account is not entirely at risk.) Anyway, if you are going to be traveling and spending lots of money (and who isn’t on a film shoot?), then make sure to call your bank before you leave and get your daily limit lifted to something that will represent your estimated per-day cash flow.

FILMING REQUIREMENTS: In various nations, you will encounter regulations about filming. Some of these items are available online for you to discover before you leave. Some you will find out about on the ground. For that reason, always travel with plenty of business cards, official stationery with your production company logo, and extra passport photos of your crew. At some point, you may need to fill out more paperwork on the ground and these items (plus cash) are invariably required. I knew about Ghana’s press card requirements, so I had on hand the passport photos they required of me and my crew. In return, I received a Ghana press card, which is not only a great souvenir, it also was extremely helpful when I was trying to film in places of cultural significance and facing requests for additional paperwork and permissions.

I also knew in advance about Ethiopia’s requirements regarding professional film equipment. I learned about those while shooting there in 2008. In short, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Information requires that you apply for permission to shoot in their country, something will also result in a fee based on the cost of your production while in-country (around $100 in my two experiences). Given how many filmmakers have come in to shoot their poverty and possibly profit from it, I don’t blame them for wanting a cut. The kicker is that unless you have someone in country ahead of time who can accurately represent your company, your project, and your equipment, you will have to do this upon arrival. Which means the nice people at the airport exit will hold your cameras until you return with that form. (It’s just the cameras they require, not anything else.) Don’t sweat that issue — the gear has always been returned in good shape to us. It is what it is. But DO count on losing an entire day to this bureaucratic process.

I also want to share one VERY important tip for anyone planning on filming in Ethiopia: The Ministry of Information doesn’t exist anymore. I was told it was “cancelled” last year. But you wouldn’t know this from the information presently listed on the Embassy of Ethiopia’s website. This site and the staff at the Addis Ababa airport still reference the Ministry of Information. Since I knew about this requirement, I called, faxed, and emailed this ministry for several weeks before our arrival. No response. I only found out about the new government entity after riding around in the city (note: no street addresses in Addis) until my driver made enough inquiries to find out what happened to the Ministry of Information. So, for your future reference, the department you must deal with is the Government Communications Affairs Office. Their email address is loveethiopia2000@yahoo.com. For real. But still you will need to submit all the information that the Ministry of Information required, so please do visit the Ethiopian Embassy’s website for those details.

LOCAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Speaking of Ethiopia, on our trip there last year we discovered that within 200 yards of our shoot location was a great production company, Zeleman Productions. We didn’t need to schlep all the grip gear and lights after all! Recalling that information, I contacted them this year for support shooting a live, packed out New Year’s Eve concert. (Yes, Ethiopia’s New Year falls at a different time because they are on a different calendar.) I highly recommend working with them if you are doing any filming in Addis Ababa. Nathaneal Tsegaye was the production manager. Contact information is (tel) +251 116 632 800/01/02/03/04, (fax) +251 116 626 238, (email) zeleman.production@gmail.com, (website) www.zelemanproduction.com. They provided the lights and grip gear we needed, plus a gaffer to help with the set-up.

ELECTRICITY: It’s always fun to figure out how to power gear in developing nations. One great resource I discovered before we left was East-West International. They have nearly everything you need–transformers, multisystem electronics, surge protectors, 220 volt appliances, and more. I also recommend buying a voltage stabilizer to keep your lights from flickering in places where the electricity is not very stable. Also, be prepared for little access to electricity even indoors. The more batteries you have, the better off you will be. Finally, when we were in Addis, we discovered that the city is on a power-rationing system where certain sectors only have power every other day. On the off-days, people use generators to power basic systems. But there’s not enough juice to power the elevators with a generator, so keep that in mind when you house your crew and gear. Though lower floors in the African hotels we stayed in (which were mid-range places) were subject to roaches and other vermin, they had easy access for heavy equipment. In those cases, you have to decide whether bugs or strained backs are more of a nuisance.

TRANSPORTATION: With 13 people and more bags than seem humanly necessary, we needed large vehicles for our ground transportation. I can recommend Rainbow Travel in Addis Ababa (email rainbowsh@ethionet.et; www.rainbowtravelplc.com); Budget Safari in Uganda (email info@budgetsafari.biz; www.budgetsafari.biz) and Helgard Travel & Tours in Ghana (email: httcr@yahoo.com; www.helgard-travel.com). Each company provided a large bus and an English-speaking driver for a reasonable daily or weekly rate. (We had a private vehicle in Zambia so I don’t have anything to recommend there.)

HEALTH: About six weeks prior to our departure, I had everyone visit their local travel health departments or Passport Health to get the vaccinations and prescriptions they needed for this trip. (I should have noted that in the pre-production article!) While traveling, however, the single most important item you will need is a HUGE batch of sanitizing hand wipes. Soap and water are a scarce item in many areas and having hand wipes will prevent many illnesses from taking root. Africans are wonderfully hospitable people and everyone in the vicinity will welcome you with at least a handshake, if not more. (Americans could definitely learn the art of making someone feel welcome from the people we visited!) Having hand sanitizer easily accessible will allow you to be both hospitable in return and wise about common communicable diseases. (The challenge is to do this discreetly!) Also, I am also a big promoter of vitamin supplementation. In malaria areas, you will need to take Malarone (better than Lariam, in my opinion and experience), which can give some people oral canker sores. Lysterine and high doses of vitamin B can help prevent or minimize those sores. But a basic multivitamin with lots of vitamin B will help make up for the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables when traveling. (As many in my group learned, eat the fresh fruit at breakfast and experience diarrhea by lunch. Some restaurants and hotels did wash their fruit in bottled or purified water, so that wasn’t true everywhere. But it’s best to err on the side of caution.)

COMMUNICATION: Even in hotels that advertise Internet access, getting online is typically sketchy. Most of the time in our experience, the service was down. But about halfway through the trip, I discovered the joys of Zain cards. I had planned ahead of time to bring my unlocked iPhone and buy SIM cards to use locally to make calls. That system worked great–even calls back to the U.S. were inexpensive. But then I saw that if I bought a Zain SIM card, I also had wireless internet access. I only used this in Ghana, but it worked like a charm in some of the remote areas we were in. I definitely recommend going with local SIM cards because they are usually pay-as-you-go and can easily be topped off again. Africans use their mobile phones far more than email, so it’s really the best way to contact someone.

By now, you may have noticed the emphasis on the producer/production manager duties. It’s my experience that if these duties go smoothly, then everyone can concentrate on the craft of filmmaking. On most days of filming, I created a call sheet and shot list for the team–something that in documentary filmmaking is always revised as the day unfolds. I found that having a thumb drive to transfer documents to the various business centers I used for printing (whether in the hotel or elsewhere) was invaluable. Otherwise, my best decisions as a director were made well before the shoot in the casting of the film and the hiring of the crew. In both cases for A NOTE OF HOPE, I was extremely fortunate to have the people with me that I did. I hope you will hear from some of the them in future Citygate blog posts.

(Photo: British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines were our travel sponsors for this shoot. Here bassist Gerald Veasley and vocalist Rosella Washington are shown on the tarmac after landing in Lusaka, Zambia.)