Filming sport event in Vietnam (SEA Games 31)
Filming sport event in Vietnam. Beside tourism, agriculture, industrial, Vietnam has a lot of sport activities that are being filmed.
- May 16, 2022:
It has been a great day! Vietnam Filming Fixer is working with Adelicia Company from Nashville, Tennessee, USA to make a documentary film for Joey Schihl of Chasing Cambodia LLC. The film is about Johnny Phan – a Cambodian American cyclist who is racing for the Cambodian National Cycling Team. The team is competing in the 31st SEA Games, and will be in races on the 19th and 21st of May in Hoa Binh, Vietnam. We will be working together in person for 8 days, but we’ve been communicating and preparing for about a month.
Learning that Johnny wants to help cycling team in Cambodia grow and thrive more and more. There are 9 athletes in the Cambodian team. Many of them competing outside of Cambodia at a big sport event for the first time. This could be a historical documentary for cycling in Cambodia.
May 17, 2022:
We started at the Sakura hotel at 7:30. We followed the team at 7:45 to the mountain biking event. After 9:00 we followed the team on a practice ride. They did two laps. We finished and back at the hotel by 11:00. Afternoon: filming the team at the hotel.
We’re lucky. Everything is last minute but everything seems just fall into places perfectly. We got the best driver, his driving skill is excellent and he has a great attitude. We also got a car with moon roof which is helpful for filming from the top of the car, which we didn’t know we would need.
Ben and Kyle were asked by police about who are they and what they’re doing here. The polices were very police and calm, they invited Ben and Kyle some tea to drink and speak with them. It lasted about 15 minutes and everything went well because we registered for press permit and visas.
The atmosphere and mountain racing course was amazing.
Press authority called me asking about confirmation to use drone in Hanoi. So we’re approved to use drone at 2-3 locations in Hanoi. However, as it’s in SEA games season, security level is at max, so we should inform them again on 20 or 21 if we want to fly the drone on the 22nd as they would assign police/security to go with us.
Normally this doesn’t need to happen as we have a drone permit, but because in SEA games season, they may shoot any drone flying (without permit). As they don’t know which drone has permit, which not, just by looking at it, so they need to assign people to go with us. Crew decided to not use drone in Hanoi.
I asked Johnny Phan how did he become interested in cycling, and Johnny told me that it started with him cycling from his place to university to study. Then he found out that it’s fun, and he wanted to ride longer distance, like 30km, then 40km, then 100km, then one thing leads to another, he is now here at SEA games 31.
- May 18, 2022:
Found an article about the Cambodian National Cycling Team written by Vietnam side.
Kyle went with Brad – a coach from the Cambodian National Cycling Team on a motorbike to film the team practicing before the competition.
Ben and I, we drove around Hoa Binh city to film some locations around town and also fly the drone to get some establishing shots. We ended up at Tuoi Tre park and fishing village under Hoa Binh 3 bridge, group 14, Thinh Lang ward, Hoa Binh city for some beautiful scenes. A local person approached us and we had a nice conversation with him. He told us that his family is raising a ton of fishes (carp) and they don’t use industrial feeding but feed them by grass and corn. He was on his way to pick up his granddaughter after school and sound like a very happy man.
- May 19, 2022
Women and Men’s Criterium competition day. The road is blocked for the competition. Johnny Phan and Cambodian team compete at the Men’s Criterium competition. Johnny’s wife and father-in-law came to support him. Ben and Kyle set up go-pro on bicycle of another Cambodian cyclist so hopefully it can capture a bit of Johnny on the race. Ben flew the drone while Kyle filmed at the race. Later Ben also came to the race to film.
- May 20, 2022
Today is a relax day which we went to visit Bong Lai temple, Hoa Binh, Vietnam and the beautiful caves around the temple. These 2 people I am working with are so good, always understanding, always grateful, always appreciating, and most of the time, joyful. Such a great experience that money can’t buy!
