Juggling expectations

Day 2 of the Bimini shoot, and what started as a good day, soon took a turn for the worse when digitising rushes in the evening. Alas, it seems the camera is still proving to be a challenge, but I’m trying to remain positive, even though I’ve pretty much wasted 90% of footage shot due to some unexpected settings causing havoc. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to digitise on site, as the viewfinder on the Canon doesn’t show up the problems when shooting, so tomorrow will be more ‘test shoots’ before i knuckle down to the ‘real’ content.

On more positive news, the island continues to keep me smiling all day, thanks largely to the warm hospitality. Ashley and I took a trip to the South Island today, so in two days I’ve just about been to all corners of the Bimini island group. I met with 96 year old banjo legend Piccolo Pete, and have arranged an interview for tomorrow. I think i’ve found an interesting way into the culture of the island through a historical event, and hope to get some good stuff to support these ideas.

Working on a these structure ideas, it’s hard to get the islanders to understand the recce process, and have promised no guarantees for their inclusion in the final piece, but i approach this politely, and continue to juggle their expectations with my own. It’s slightly stressful to discover that money is a key factor in all initial discussions with potential contributors, as in most cases I’ve never had to pay for an interview when producing doc content, but I appreciate the island has a fragile economy that relies heavily on tourism, and I’m seen as a potential source of income. Ashley is extremely supportive and understanding of the whole project, and thankfully through his local knowledge and means of communication, we’re gradually reaching an equilibrium to all these initial concerns.