Stories

On the Only in Guizhou shoot: the crew and I have to eat lunch in the dirty carpark of an old hospital. We have 15 minutes before we need to cross Guiyang city to film another story.

Here's some unsolicited filmmaking advice: understand the whole system.

Try every job. If you're an editor, direct some actors and record some sound. Even if you're a cinematographer, colour grade your shots and spend time in the art department. Even if you're a producer, cook and make coffee for the cast and crew.

When you look beyond your cog in the very complex filmmaking machine, you'll be able to tune in to your comrades and appreciate how your small efforts have big effects on the cinema screen.

Actually, machine is a poor analogy for filmmaking. Unlike this automated carillon that I snapped in the Belfry of Bruges, the most important parts of a movie are people. Messy, creative, egoistic, brilliant things that you have to understand just as well.

Like making a Belgian waffle, how the flavours of butter, syrup, cream and chocolate combine into--... now I'm just waffling.

This is one of my favourite shots taken during my time in Lhasa, field directing for NHNZ/CICC on the documentary China's Secret Lands. The view is from the rooftop of a local restaurant at the edge of the ancient city center. In the distance is the Potala Palace, tucked under the god-rays. These buildings probably haven't seen many decades of age - but enough time to fade the sharp colours of prayer flags and brush away the flatness of functional Chinese architecture.

Here's some more shots.