The folks at Zacuto have been producing FilmFellas, a “webisodic series” featuring round-table discussions with filmmakers of all variety, from novice to seasoned professional. The clip above is the first segment of the “DP Series” Cast (Philip Bloom, Trent Opaloch, Jens Bogehegn, and Robert Primes, ASC).
For anyone in the film industry, I highly recommend having a look. The round-tables are very informal and conversational, so a huge range of topics arise… often with opposing, thought-provoking, informed opinions. Very interesting and the entire project is a great example of innovative new digital media.
Fanihi (The Mariana Fruit Bat, a type of Flying Fox) have long been considered a delicacy by the inhabitants of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Unsustainable hunting has brought the population of Fanihi to critical levels on the archipelago’s small island of Rota - despite recent laws prohibiting the killing of the endangered species. Fanihi: A Cultural Digest explores the slippery slope of cultural preservation versus environmental conservation… and whether the two efforts are necessarily mutually exclusive.
I acted as Director of Photography for the film, spending two weeks shooting on the island. The film is a project by my good friend and fellow producer, filmmaker and shooter, Jim Tharp.