Rebel With a Cause - Isara doc - Official Announcement

thartley

thartley

Veteran
I have the extreme pleasure of announcing a new collaborative project being made possible by the incredible faith and vision of Barry Green and Fiercely Independent Films. Rebel with a Cause (working title) will focus on Kirk Gillock (PK to most of you here on this site) and his personal journey in leaving the comfort of one world in exchange for the hardships of another and why he is so driven and determined to make a positive difference in both.

Sure, anyone who has spent any time on this forum may recognize the blue man logo of Isara, Kirk’s charity organization, but do we know the real story of the man behind the logo? Do we realize what it is to be a stranger in a strange land and what it takes to leave family, friends, and everything familiar behind and choose a life with relatively zero financial return? The truth, conflict and story behind such a leap of faith are going to be the heart and soul of this project.

We will begin shooting a series of interviews with Kirk’s family and associates stateside at the end of March and principal photography will begin in Thailand in April 2008. The project will be shot using two Canon HV20s, a Letus Extreme 35mm adapter, as well as some donated equipment items.

We welcome your comments, support and enthusiasm as we prepare to buckle up for the ride! Just don’t forget your helmet…
 
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This story has been a long time coming. When I went to Thailand last year I met with PK Gillock and we hammered out just what it is that we wanted to show.

Frankly, I think PK represents something absolutely great in Americans, and I want to see that story get told to the world. He had the "high life", living kind of large in a penthouse in Seattle, working for advertising for Microsoft, driving a Lexus... but something made him toss all that and fly to the other side of the world, to live among some of the most destitute and longsuffering of all of God's children. He's trying to harness the good and the power of America to change lives at the most fundamental level, where it can do the most good, one-to-one, person-to-person. And in the process, he's trying to revolutionize how charity works overall.

It's an amazing story, and we at DVXUser have been proud of one of our own giving so much of himself to those who need it, and we're proud to call ISARA our resident charity.

Part of my goal for 2008 is to see DVXUser become more and more relevant to the users; less emphasis on endless tech questions and more emphasis on getting careers for people. We're growing and expanding the DVXFest with that in mind, and I'm already trying to hire as many DVXUsers as I can, for as many projects as I can. My company is bankrolling this documentary and hiring Terri to spend six months in and among Thailand, India, and wherever else Isara goes, to get the story of something truly amazing that's happening over there.

I donated my HV20 to Isara months ago to get this project started, but it soon became pretty evident that we needed a dedicated filmmaker on the ground, living the experience, whose sole focus is on capturing the story. Terri Hartley, a longtime DVXUser member, has been picked for this job, and she and I have talked at length about what we want to see unfold here. I'm glad to have Terri on board! She's already spent a ton of time at doctors, getting inoculated, and packing up her stuff; moving abroad for six months is a major commitment and I commend her.

Already we're seeing support from the site. VIDLED has come forth to volunteer some much-needed lighting equipment. I'm sending a core package of equipment, but I'm sure there will be other ways for the rest of the community to participate.

I have asked Terri and Kirk both to keep this thread updated and to share some photos or stories of what they encounter over there. There'll be discussion here and also on the isara.org forums.

Thanks to all who've expressed such a warm welcome, and we look forward to sharing more with you as the project develops!
 
Sounds like an awesome project about a tremendous story ... I'm definitely looking forward to reading about the journey and seeing the final tale told to the world.
 
Thanks, everyone.

Gotta admit I'm a little nervous about being on camera. (I have a face that's better suited for radio.) BUT Barry "verbally" agreed to alter my entire body in post and make it completely cgi, using the same creative team behind Beowulf. Unfortunately, this will push the budget over $100 million, so if you can afford to donate a few dollars (or make Isara your homepage), please do.

:)

There's one more DVXuser connection involved in the documentary (with opportunities for more). Our current volunteer, Sean, heard about Isara from DVXuser LadyJane (TC's girlfriend). She had a blue-man sticker on a school notebook and he asked her what it was and now he's over here volunteering for us. Crazy how the smallest thing (like a sticker) can change the course of someone's life. Sean has a film degree from UCSB and will be assisting Terri with the production while he's here.

jdajda - Thanks for asking. Some interviews might be in areas Terri is unable to go and we might ask if there are any DVXusers in those areas that can help record some footage or a sit-down interview.

Needless to say, I am VERY excited about this opportunity. Thanks to Barry and Terri for their interest in charity. ....And agreeing to give me all rights to any action figure sales and/or video game rights.
 
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jdajda said:
Cool, I'm looking forward to seeing this! Is there any way the forum can help out?
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I'm sure there will be cries for help throughout this project. This thread will be where we post all the SOS'sesses. :tongue:

Luis Caffesse said:
The capper of course will be when we get PK on Colbert's show.
:)
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I can't believe the real reason we're doing this has already been leaked!

Zak Forsman said:
will there be a magic bus?
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Yes, we've got that lined up for India and here is a preview:

lh-pushkarBus.jpg



HorseFilms said:
This is going to be a great project! I wish you the best, Terri.:beer:
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Thanks Horse! Keep the beer cold and the seat warm. I might be needing both.

PK Gillock said:
There's one more DVXuser connection involved in the documentary (with opportunities for a few more). Our current volunteer, Sean, heard about Isara from DVXuser LadyJane (TC's girlfriend). She had a blue-man sticker on a school notebook and he asked her what it was and now he's over here volunteering for us. Crazy how the smallest thing (like a sticker) can change the course of someone's life. Sean has a film degree from USCA and will be assisting Terri with the production while he's here.
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I was going to include Sean under "other donated equipment", a la Shanghai surprise. I heard that while Sean was innocently asking LadyJane about the sticker on her notebook, TC was behind him with a spare tripod and extra large production bag. But you didn't hear that from me. :undecided


Barry...what can I say? Just thanks....again. For your vision, your faith, and your willingness to include me in this project. For those who do not know, my job of nearly ten years at Merrill Lynch was outsourced to a company in India and just when one door closed, this one very unexpectedly opened. I had turned down a position offered to me at Merrill Lynch because I could not even remotely picture myself continuing to work there. I had opted to take the severance package and had literally no idea of what I was going to do. I just knew I was going to go to Thailand for a while and do something different with my life. I just didn't know it would turn out like this. Thanks.... now, how do I use this darn camera? ;)
 
Wow this sounds exciting - definitely let us know if there's any interviews, b-roll, or whatever you need picked up. Between all of us here we should be able to get anything done.
 
Wow! VIDLED has really come through for us in terms of lighting equipment! They have generously provided a vast array of desperately needed lights and power sources/adapters!!!

Thank you VIDLED!​
Marius, you ROCK!​
 
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PK Gillock said:
Gotta admit I'm a little nervous about being on camera. (I have a face that's better suited for radio.) BUT Barry "verbally" agreed to alter my entire body in post and make it completely cgi,
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Says the fellow who at one time did not hesitate to feature himself nekkid in his goofy comedy shorts!
 
Daniel_Runyon said:
Says the fellow who at one time did not hesitate to feature himself nekkid in his goofy comedy shorts!
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Sometimes we have to do things (or record things) we're not proud of in order to pay the bills.

:evil:

Thanks Vidled!!! Can't wait to see all the cool lighting equipment. :thumbsup:
 
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