On location in Phnom Penh as a lighting camera operator for ITN Productions and Everland

ITN contacted me to work as a lighting camera operator in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on a shoot they had for Everland. They also asked me to recommend a journalist to write and present the piece and conduct the interviews.

Everland help to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cambodia counties the REDD+ initiative. Hopefully, giving Cambodia carbon credits to not cut down their trees will preserve the natural forests and their ecosystems, allow people living traditional lifestyles in the forests to continue do so.

The scheme will hopefully have a positive impact on the environment as a whole. Unfortunately, the reality of the situtation is that there’s too much money in the timber in the forest, so the only viable option is to provide a financial impetus to conserve the forests.

Everland partner with a local production company here, so they kindly provided me with a sound recordist for the day while we shot all the Phnom Penh footage and I worked as a lighting camera operator for the interviews and pieces to camera for the intros and outros.

The studio intro was shot at the ITN studios in London, where I had the privilege of working for a few months when I was based in the UK.

On a personal level, it was an interesting project as I’ve spent extended periods working with indigenous Bunong in Mondulkiri while working on Last of the Elephant Men and have since worked with the mahouts at Elephant Valley Projects for Wild Animal Protection and on a self-funded pilot for a travel show.

A link to the final video is below.

Lighting camera operator on corporate shoot with CEO of Forte Insurance

Ooshot contacted me to work as a lighting camera operator on a corporate video shoot with the CEO of Forte Insurance Cambodia as the main interview on some branded content for Scor, a global reinsurance company. I also filmed b-roll of the CEO in their offices in Vattanac Tower and interiors and exteriors of the office space.

The brief was clear and Ooshot provided me with a good samples of what they wanted.

It was a 2 camera, 4k set up with 3-point lighting using Aputure 300c MKii lights. One of the cameras was locked off on a Miller DS10 tripod and the other was on a Zhiyun Crane 3 gimbal to add movement and dynamism to the interview.

We worked as a 3 person team with me acting as the producer, director and lighting camera op. The other team members were a lighting/ camera asssitant and sound recordist.

For the sound recording the we used a shotgun mic on a boom stand and a radio mic as a belt and braces approach to make sure we captured optimal sound.

For the lighting, we used the hyper reflector and the 2x fresnel mount through scrims to maximize the brightness of the lamps to balance the light with the bright outdoor conditions.

You can see more of my work on corporate videos as a lighting camera op here and more of my work as a camera operator here. Below are are sample of images we captured.

Videographer on a case study for the World Health Organisation in Cambodia

I was asked by the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Western Pacific office to work as a videographer in Cambodia on a regional series of videos they were making to highlight the work that they do throughout the region.

The assignment was to produce a 2-3-min video on a case study about a garment factory worker who had received primary healthcare to document WHO’s primary health care activities in Cambodia. The video is part of a broader campaign by the regional office that included stories from 21 countries.

Although it was a challenging subject matter the participant was understanding and patient. She gave a great interview to explain how she may have died if she hadn’t received the primary health care she did free of charge as part the work that the WHO does in Cambodia.

It was greatly appreciated for her to invite us into her house and let us film her at her work place, at the local healthcare clinic and in her community with her friends.

The regional office were a pleasure to work with. They were clear in their process and provided a good model for what they wanted. I look forward to hopefully collaborating with them on future projects.

You can see more examples of my work as an NGO videographer for case studies here and here.

In the field as an NGO photographer for the World Health Organisation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Below is a selection of photographs I took while on assignment as an NGO photographer and videographer for the World Health Organisation’s Western Pacific office.

The aim of the Cambodian content was to produce a series of photos and a 3-minute case study to highlight the work that WHO are doing on primary healthcare in Cambodia, with a particular focus on how the project activities have benefitted people working in the garment sector.

We travelled to Sok Voeun’s house in an area just outside Phnom Penh where a lot of garment factory workers live. Although it was a sensitive subject, Sok Voeun was understanding and patient and did a great job of allowing us to photograph throughout the day. We filmed and photographed her at home, in her neighbourhood, at the local health centre and at the factory she works at.

Sok Voeun was very happy with the help that she’d received as part of the WHO programme and truly feels that the medical advice and support she received saved her life.

You can see a selection of the photos I took below and other examples of my work as an NGO photographer here and here.

On Location as a Camera Assistant and Drone Pilot for CNN in Cambodia

Work as a camera assistant and drone pilot on the Cambodia episode of CNN’s Nomad with Carlton McCoy for the second series.

It’s not often that you get a call from CNN at 2pm and by 4pm you’re onset, working for one of the most established production companies in the game. Zero Point Zero are the company behind Anthony Bourdain’s shows. If you haven’t seen the closing gambit from the Cambodia episode of a cook’s tour, it’s a testament to Bourdain’s writing and humanity.

The camera assistant / drone pilot who had travelled with the team from the US tested positive for Covid on arrival, so they needed someone to step in at short notice. Shortly after receiving the call, I was in the back of the van going over the kit with camera team.

On the evening of the first day, the DP tested positive, so we travelled to Siem Reap as a camera team of 2 before flying back to Phnom Penh less than 24 hours later.

When we got back to Phnom Penh the camera operator tested positive for Covid. Fortunately, CNN had flown in a DP from Thailand. We were the camera department for the next couple of days before the original camera assistant and drone pilot thankfully returned to the fray for the last couple of days.

It was an incredible learning experience to work with such an experienced team and a great crash course in lots of camera and lighting kit (and techniques) that I hadn’t used before.

Once again thanks to Nick at Hanuman Films for the recommendation. I look forward to sharing the show once the episodes airs. Below are a couple of drone photos I managed to snap along the way. You can see more examples of my drone videography here. Please get in touch about any video projects you have in Cambodia, SE Asia or the rest of the world.