Drone photography and videography for Steff Gruber | Aerial Visuals in Phnom Penh

Steff got in touch with me to provide drone photography and videography services for a long-term photographic project he’s working on about the community that live on the railway tracks behind the station in Phnom Penh.

He was trying to get permission to film from one of the trains to give the perspective from a train passing through the community. This proved too complicated and he came up with the idea to photograph and take videos of the area with a drone to complete the project before he flew back Switzerland the following day.

Steff has been visiting the area for several years doing a study on the area that is right in the centre of Phnom Penh but remains massively underdeveloped. While slightly daunting for Steff and I and the team, locals barely battered an eye-lid as trains passed centimeters from them.

Steff plans to host an exhibition of his photos and my drone shots in the coming months. He aslo got me to shoot some drone videography to be used on the website for the exhibition and who knows, maybe a couple of the clips may feature in the exhibition itself.

It was great to work alongside Steff and listen to advice from an accomplished filmmaker and photograper. It also good to see someone working on a long-term project that has spanned several years in a world that is increasingly becoming more instantaneous and disposable.

You can see more of my drone photography work here and other examples of my drone videography work here.

I look forward to sharing more information about the exhibition he’s planning. Below are some of the drone photos I took:

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.

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.

Shooting PD for the BBC on a segment about Phare for The Travel Show

Working as a shooting PD (producer, director) on a segment on Cambodia about Phare for The Travel Show was one of those occasions where I feel lucky to have the job I do.

The shoot started at Phare Ponleu Selpak in Battambang to document the performing arts school before heading to Phare Circus in Siem Reap to catch a performance.

I’d never been to the school or the circus, but I’d heard a lot about both, so I was eager to find out what it was all about. The school is in a cool spot on the outskirts of Battambang. The walls are adorned with lots of colourful artwork, there’s a large practice hall and they even have a big top where performances are held.

I interviewed one of the founding members and one of the teachers before fimling some rehearsals and a performance that was taking place for a group of visiting school children.

From Battambang, I travelled to Siem Reap to film some interviews with some of the graduates of the performing arts school and to see a live performance. It was a great end to the shoot and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Siem Reap who wants to see more than just the temples. Roll Up! Roll Up! Get Your Tickets Here…

Once again thanks to Nick at the team at Hanuman Films for giving me the opportunity. The segment is in the link below and starts at the 12-minute 28-second mark. You can see another segment I was shooting PD on about the Angkor Archaeological Park here and you can see more examples of my video production work here.

Working as a shooting producer, director on a segment about Cambodia for BBC’s The Travel Show. I filmed the school in Battambang and the circus in Siem Reap.

NGO videographer to cover school feeding programme | On Assignment with WFP

I was hired to work as an NGO videographer for World Food Programme (WFP) in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The video was to highlight the ongoing activities of World Food Programme’s (WFP) school feeding programme and the support that they receive from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The programme has helped to build infrastructure at schools. This includes gardens the children are responsible for tending to, where they grow healthy, green vegetables that are a vital source of nutrition in the meals that the school provides for them. They have also built handwashing stations, so that the children can wash their hands before eating. Having a facility such as this and training children in washing their hands with soap regularly is very important and has been shown to improve attendance rates.

Another key aspect is upgrading the cooking and the food storage facilities. This allows the school cooks to prepare food in a more hygienic environment. After getting up before the break of dawn the cooks trek across the rice paddies in the dark to make sure that the school children have a healthy, nutritious meal that helps them to stay healthy and improves their concentration when studying.

It’s always rewarding providing WFP with videography services and it’s great to see responsibility for the programme being handed over to the Royal Government of Cambodia.

Below are some frames from the video I shot. You can see other examples of my work as an NGO videographer for WFP here and here.