Taking Shots

Today we leave the classroom and head out to get some establishing shots of some of the countryside and the people of this area in northern Thailand. We'll also be shooting at the market and while there, a few of us will wander over to take some video of some of the seedy side of Thailand. This is the business that takes girls as young as 12 into slavery and peddles them on the streets like cheap factory merchandise.

There is a ministry here that has achieved international recognition for the rescue of hundreds of these girls. The name is New Life Foundation and they've been featured on 60 Minutes (in a good way). One of our goals as a class is to create an informational and inspirational look at this ministry.

In order to make sure that they do the work with interest and effectiveness, we need to take the viewer through the area visually. I divided the class into 3 teams and just told them to drive around and look for shots. Our small group, consisting of Aym, a young Thai gentleman, Lek, also Thai and Dandy, Norvi and Rayna who are Filipino, stumbled across some terrific shots.

Below you can see some of the team getting into the mud of a drying out rice field and shooting the farmer with his cattle. You can also see a Buddhist temple that we were allowed to wander into. Also, we just happened to come across an Akha festival up in the hills. It's Chinese New Year and they were dancing and setting off firecrackers while dressed in traditional clothing.

The other teams did well I hear. When we get back into the class I can wield either the scepter of grace or the rod of correction given their work. Hopefully the former.

Whatever was shot, we'll have the openings for the two presentations that we're creating to raise funds and awareness for two very worthy ministries. And the class will have the growing skills to begin to tell their own stories and create their own presentations to reach their own people with a personal vision and voice. That's the exciting part for me; to think about what they can achieve within the next few years with a skill set base that we've helped set in place. I say we, meaning, all of the partners who have joined with us at Beyond Borders to make sure that this happens and also those at Media Light who have dared to create such an unusual ministry with such forward thinking.

Here is the Buddhist temple. Below that is the field of the old farmer and the students taping. And finally, 2 Akha girls in traditional clothing. All shots taken with my little cell phone camera.