Off to Africa

Posted by Scot, August 28th, 2009

Well, it’s off to Africa again. Tanzania this time. We’re shooting a new show for World Vision Canada. One of the biggest challenges is just getting there with all our gear. If we want to hit the ground running and start shooting, we have to take pretty much everything with us as carry-on luggage. We’ve been in the lost luggage movie a few too many times over the years to even risk it.

Trying to pack as light and small as possible but still have the tools we need to shoot is becoming a bit of a science. Thankfully there are some amazing small cameras on the market now. This is my first trip with the new JVC HM100U as our B-Camera. It’s an amazing little thing. Full 1920×1080 HD but only 3.2 lbs. Wow. Compared the Sony EX1 it feels like an empty plastic shell. If the pictures hold up, I may be tempted to grab it more and more often.

Apparently we’ll have some level of internet access in Tanzania so I’ll be blogging a bit while we’re there. If I manage to stay awake long enough. Time to eat a little dinner and get some sleep before our early flight tomorrow. I’ll need all my energy to argue about the size of our carry-on bags with the airlines!

More later. Scot.

A great shoot. Now the hard part.

Posted by Scot, July 21st, 2009

Making some new friends.

We spent our last day in Uganda shooting some street scenes and landscapes around Kampala. Along the way we gathered the usual small army of curious kids who would break into gigantic smiles and laughter every time we pointed the camera at them. Some of the best moments on these trips are the times we get to just hang out and spend time with these kids. Watching their faces light up when they see themselves on the camera’s monitor never gets old!

We left Uganda tired and sporting significant farmer tans but we were all feeling good about what we accomplished. Now we’re back home and starting the process of narrowing down 40-hours of footage into a one-hour show. Plus recovering from jet lag!

Back from Kumi and Shooting in Kampala

Posted by Scot, May 30th, 2009

We made the long 6-hour drive back from Kumi and arrived in Kampala safe and sound. We’re all exhausted, dirty and could use about three days sleep. But, the shooting went amazingly well. We spent a full day with each of the families that are going to be featured in the show. It really is a privilege to be accepted and trusted by these vulnerable children and their parents.

People often ask me how I feel seeing so much poverty and suffering. They wonder if it’s depressing or if I take away an overwhelming sense of helplessness. The truth is, I always come home feeling inspired and hopeful. The human spirit is an amazing thing. To see people live their lives with strength and courage in the face of such oppressive obstacles is truly life changing. Just normal people trying to make a living, raise a family, laugh a little and love each other. I think they give me more than I give them.

So far we’ve shot several stories about children with disabilities living in extreme poverty:

A young boy named Vincent with Bilateral Cataracts who can barely see more than rough shapes and shadows. He’ll be permanently blind in six months unless he gets surgery.

A 12-year old girl named Janet with Osteomyelitis in her right leg. If she doesn’t get treatment the bone will rot and eventually she won’t be able to walk. As the infection spreads she’ll lose her leg. If it manages to travel further up her body it will kill her.

 A 12-year old boy named Vigilio had his leg amputated two years ago after improper surgery to fix a broken ankle. His mother can’t afford a prosthesis or properly fitted crutches. It’s hard to watch him struggle to keep with the other kids. Because he’s young, the bone inside his leg is still growing and pushing it’s way out. When it does, infection will likely set in.

Janet

That’s just three of the kids we’ve met. The good new is that we’re making sure they all get the medical care they need. Their lives will be dramatically changed.

Back to work now. Five more days to go before we head home! It’ll be great to get back but we’ll all remember these kids for the rest of our lives.

Scot McDonald

Hello from Uganda

Posted by Scot, May 17th, 2009

Our first post!

Hello there. Scot McDonald here. I’m writing this first post in our shiny new Full Frame blog while overlooking the city of Kampala in Uganda. It’s about 7AM and the sun is just rising over Lake Victoria. It’s very beautiful. High up on this hill it’s hard to imagine there’s so much suffering here.

We’re here with CBM to shoot a new television show that documents their work with children with disabilities living in extreme poverty. It’s hard enough existing in this unforgiving environment when you’re able bodied and can provide for yourself. Many of these kids are hidden away in the shadows, shunned by society and forgotten by the outside world.

We’ve only been here a few days and have just started visiting children and families to select the stories we’ll shoot for the show. It’s always a difficult process. We see so many kids, so many tragic situations. But, that’s why we’re here – to hopefully make a difference. That’s the cool part.

Well, it’s about time to get into the truck and head off for our five-hour drive up to a town called Kumi. We’ll be shooting our first four stories there. Hopefully the heavy rains we’ve been having lately will cooperate and not wash us out.

More later!