Filming travel videos for Canadian TV channel in Vietnam
Filming travel videos for Canadian TV channel in Vietnam
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam – Canada diplomatic ties (Aug 21, 1973 – Aug 21/2023). 1973, when Vietnam wasn’t yet reunited the North and the South, when Vietnam hasn’t yet have a place in the world’s politic, Canada was one of the first countries in American continent that established diplomatic ties with Vietnam (only after Cuba and Chile).
To join the celebration of 50 years relationship, Vietnam Filming Fixer and Foreign Press Center are honored to have worked with Zone 3 – a production company based in Montreal, Quebec to produce 7 episodes travel videos about Vietnam for evasion channel.
The Season is named Tadam Vietnam and featured Jean-Michel Dufaux and Benoit Roberge, filmed by Ian-Mathieu and Benoit Chamberland. The filming trip started on Feb 23 and finished on Mar 31 with total of 22 days filming (the rest is travel and day off).
Vietnam Fixer’s responsibilities during filming these travel videos
- Applying for press visa, film permit, drone permit
- Arranging transportation
- Finding interviewees who can speak French
- Contacting places for filming permission
Schedule filming travel videos
Feb 25:
9am depart from hotel, Grabbike to Binh Tay market
5pm at le Cafe des Stagiaires
Tàu Lửa Quán – The Train Restaurant
Feb 26: 8am depart from hotel, 8:30-9:30 film at The Independence palace (Dinh Độc Lập).
10am at Ernest and Martha
Lunch
2pm Maison Marou / 167 Calmette
7:30pm Marcel gourmet burger 19A Ngô Quang Huy, Thảo Điền, District 2.
Pham Ngu Lao street
Feb 27: 12 noon: The workshop coffee
2pm: Saigon Skydeck at Bitexco Financial Tower.
5pm: Restaurant The Deck Saigon.
Feb 28: send drive to Ms. Thi Be Nguyen so she can help sending to Canada.
Mar 1st: fly from Ho Chi Minh city to Phu Quoc. We stayed at Intercontinential Long Beach Phu Quoc because we have a filming arrangement with them.
Mar 2nd: in the morning, renting 3 motorbikes. JM and Ben each ride a motorbike, while Ian ride another to carry Ben – cameraman to film. I ride in the car and sometimes Ben – cameraman sits in the car as well.
10am: Sao Beach
1pm: Ham Ninh fishing village
Break
Dinh Cau
Chuon Chuon bistro & bar
(Then leave the bikes here and take the next morning)
Sher-e-punjab Indian restaurant
Mar 3rd:
Meet Carine at coffee shop Cà phê cà pháo.
Then go to Chuon Chuon bistro & bar to take the bikes and go to Rach Vem.
Then from Rach Vem on the way to go back to the hotel, we stopped at Long Phung 3 restaurant to return the motorbikes, then we all ride in the car to come back to hotel.
Mar 4th: cable car ride Hon Thom, Phu Quoc
A dinner with a group of friends of Carine at Phu Quoc Green Land
Mar 5th: fly from Phu Quoc to Da Nang. At check-in counter of Phu Quoc airport, there are separate lines for foreigners and Vietnamese, because there are many foreigners can come to Phu Quoc directly without having to get a Vietnam visa, but they can only stay at Phu Quoc then come back, and can’t get to other parts of Vietnam. So the airport security needs to check if all foreigners who fly to mainland Vietnam has a Vietnam visa or TRC or not.
Stay at Bridges Danang hotel
Mar 6th: rest day in Da Nang, and then travel to Hoi An for the next filming day. Stay at Ivy Villa Hoi An.
Mar 7th:
Black Sesame Sweet Soup at the street along the park, opposite to 4 Nguyen Truong To.
Hoi An roastery coffee
On the way to Vy market restaurant, visit: pedestrian streets, historic buildings, old city, Japanese bridge.
Filming Cao Lau dish at Vy market restaurant.
Filming basket boat ride at Rung dua Bay Mau
Filming at Hoi An night market
Filming Secret Cocktail Experience
Mar 8th:
Travel by car from Hoi An to Da Nang in the morning, then transfer to a small car for crew, while Benoit, JM and Ian ride scooters to travel from Da Nang, over Hai Van pass to go to Hue.
Food tour with Arnauld
Mar 9th:
Morning: Filming at Hue Imperial City (Đại Nội Huế) with Arnauld, owner of Senteurs du Vietnam.
Afternoon: Filming Perfume River (Sông Hương) tour
Mar 10th: move from Hue to Da Nang to catch the flight from Da Nang to Da Lat the next day.
Mar 11th: fly from Da Nang to Da Lat
Mar 12th: wake up at Hang Nga crazy house
Getting a new wallet for JM and Ben at Lee & Tee, no. 54, 3 thang 2 street
Banh mi xiu mai
Swan pedalo at Xuan Huong lake, Da Lat
Da Lat night market: Dalat pizza (Bánh tráng nướng), avocado icecream (kem bơ), Dalat donut (bánh tiêu xôi)
Mar 13th:
Datanla Waterfall toboggans
cable car
Interviewing Nicolas Leymonerie – owner and cofounder of the Antenne French Training Center (http://antenne.vn) about French influence in Da Lat at 100 Roofs Cafe.
Mar 14th:
Filming train ride from Dalat to Trai Mat village. Tickets were booked on website of Vietnam Railway Company in advance. Ticket cost was 90,000 VND/person for 30-minute train ride depart at 9.30am from Dalat.
Linh Phuoc pagoga.
Visiting Sơn Pacamara Roastery & Coffee Shop then visit their coffee farm (Sơn Pacamara Specialty Coffee Farm)
Then visit Dalat Domaine church
Mar 15th: travel day, fly from Da Lat to Da Nang with Bamboo Airways
Mar 16th: rest day in Da Nang.
Mar 17th:
Filming at Bao Fam restaurant
Filming at Bana hills and Golden bridge (with the stone hands). After getting the film permit, I need to email customer service of Sunworld Bana hills in advance to ask for permission and they approved.
Filming at Le comptoir restaurant.
Mar 18th:
Meeting with Win at coffee shop “43 Factory Coffee Roaster”
Then filming walking at My Khe beach
The filming at Linh Ung pagoda (Lady Buddha temple)
Filming visiting Jean-Michel’s old neighborhood and apartment – Caryta Apartments at 45 Le Thanh Nghi, Hai Chau, Da Nang
Filming playing hockey with Hockey with JM’s friends at Da Nang Sport University.
Mar 19th:
Filming Marble Mountain.
Visiting Win’s cousin’s home for dinner, nearby 425 Ong Ich Khiem street. Filming Benoit singing a song about Da Nang.
Filming Dragon Bridge releasing fire and water
Filming at Sky 36 bar.
Mar 20th: rest day in Da Nang
Mar 21st: Travel day from Da Nang to Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines.
Travel by production van from Noi Bai airport to Sa Pa. Stay at Topas Ecolodge Sapa.
Mar 22nd: Tour with Nywv Zaag. Departure at 9am for 3 hours of beautiful walks in the rice fields in the mountains around the small hamlet of Lao Chai, halfway in a bamboo forest.
Lunch at 12:30 in Nhu’s family. Great hospitality from Nhu’s family with beautiful moments of sharing and conviviality. Typical Vietnamese lunch. Resumption of the road in the rice fields at 2 pm for a very pleasant walk. Magnificent points of view in the heights, very beautiful photos. The walk will finish around 4pm in Sapa.
Go to Sao Viet bus station to depart for Hanoi by sleeper bus.
Stay 1 night at hotel at 30 – 34 P. Hàng Mành str.
Mar 23rd: depart for Ha Long bay with car arranged by La Casta cruise.
Boarding La Casta cruise and spend overnight on the cruise.
Mar 24th:
Leaving the cruise and depart for Ninh Binh, on the way have lunch at Big C (GO) Nam Dinh.
Staying at Lalita Ninh Binh.
Mar 25th:
Filming at Ninh Binh: Tam Coc, goat meat and Mua peak
Mar 26th:
Travel day from Ninh Binh to Hanoi
Stay at The Chi Boutique hotel.
Mar 27th:
Morning time: filming at train street
Then Old quarter, Hoan Kiem lake, the Opera house.
At 12:45 pm, we got some bike drivers to drive us from the Opera House to Banh Mi 25
From there, we went to Hanoi Coffee Station by “xich lo”
Then go back to the hotel for a rest, then go to Bun Rieu Cua, chicken beer can
Mar 28th:
Filming with Diego at Westlake near the Twin Dragons in the morning
Broadcasting travel videos
Trailer of Tadam Vietnam is finally available.
First episode about Ho Chi Minh city will be broadcasted on evasion channel on June 19th.
Trailer 2: https://fb.watch/m0luRqk7BP/
In Hanoi: https://fb.watch/m9I93047g0/
Bun Rieu Cua: https://fb.watch/m9IoiN6cRZ/
At Tam Coc, Ninh Binh: https://fb.watch/m0kOp3TuiY/
At Hang Mua peak: https://fb.watch/m0kW0VQ7VR/
In Da Lat: https://fb.watch/m0l4gccOGZ/
Hoi An: https://fb.watch/m0l8-oCdha/
Ho Chi Minh city: https://fb.watch/m0ldUQIfpj/
At Intercontinential Long Beach Phu Quoc: https://fb.watch/m0lk9pmgfQ/
https://www.facebook.com/reel/636519891871149
At Binh Tay market: https://fb.watch/m0lqNLe4zs/
At Nguyen Hue walking street, Ho Chi Minh city: https://fb.watch/m0nj5SMn3c/