Doc in Mexico, what should I do about tapes?

Z

zeusquijano

New member
Hi, I'm new to this place. I tried doing a search on this topic, but didn't really see anything with my particular question in mind.

Anyhow, I'm going to shoot in Mexico and I will probably be shooting close to 50 to 75 tapes worth of footage. I'm not sure if I will be able to download the footage while in Mexico, so I was wondering what the best suggestion would be to transport the tapes back to the states.

I understand that the x-rays won't do terrible damage going through airport security x-rays, but I was wondering if there was a better way...like mailing the tapes back to the states. Does anyone know if mailing tapes would be more dangerous than bringing them on the plane with me?

Also, if anyone's shot in Mexico, any tips or advice would greatly be appreciated. I'll be about 2 to 3 hours East of Mexico City in the state Tlaxcala.

Thanks everyone!

-Zeus
 
hey whats up,

i did 2 stints in Nicaragua in 05 & 06, used about 100 tapes over the course of filming. I fed ex'd them back to Canada with no problems, as well as brought them on the plane with me a few times.

My main concern would be backing up your tapes, either get a lap top and dump the tapes to an external, or make copies of every tape and send them back to the states, at least you'll have more security in the event of a robbery, fire etc.
 
Here's and idea:

During the course of filming, mail, UPS, or Fed-EX the tapes back to the US. For example, you just finished 3 day's worth of shooting and now have 10-15 tapes. Send those to a friend near you who can hold on to them until you get back. Send him a pack of the tapes every 3-5 days. Sending all the tapes at once may be too risky in my opinion. Also, if you need more tapes and can't get the ones you normally use, your friend can bring one of the tapes to a local store, buy blank ones and mail you blank ones back. Oh, preferibily, pick a friend who is "technologically challenged" so he can't mess them up in the process of trying to watch them.
 
Thanks JCal! I think I'll probably end up sending them in chunks rather than in one large package. I really appreciate the feedback!

-Zeus
 
no damage was done to the tapes at all, they were just in a small box and all went well.....i've dropped heaps of tapes over the years and never once had a problem, they can sure take a beating
 
Oh, I forgot to mention to pack them with packing peanuts and plenty of room: This will keep them safe and piss your friend off when he opens the package and looks for the tapes and the peanuts get everywhere! :grin:
 
if you're not going to make back-ups, then you'd be best to express mail them home....be sure to go with the better couriers and not a local express post or whatever mexico has.

Fortunately my Nicaragua experience went well. I was in a pretty safe and secure environment with people I trusted who looked out for my equipment & me. So I just ended up keeping my tapes in my room with my gear and really didn't worry about it too much...I too was planning on sending the tapes back in chunks of 10 but after 2 times of mailing it home at $70 a pop I just ended up keeping most of the footage with me.

Suss it out when your there, I wouldnt sweat it, just keep your gear and tapes near you when you move around the country and when you settle down somewhere either lock up your **** or hide it at the very least. the key is to prevent smash and grab jobs or quick robberies. If you wrap wire mesh around your bags, and padlock it to something in the room, (like a bed) then a thief won't be able to rush in and quickly steal something, and if you are at a hotel then people will be around and chances are that won't give a thief a chance to rip it off, especially if he has to work at it for a few minutes.

take care,

paunch
third world travel expert
 
I think your biggest concern with your tapes safety, involves the airport. Will they get on the same plane as you? Will they make it to the same Continent? Will they ever be seen again? FedEx seems to be the safest route, as you can insure the package. Not much comfort if they lose the tapes, but at least you can make your claim and get some compensation. What will the airport do? "We're sorry for your inconvenience, but that is not our problem. Buh Bye."
 
<quote>I think your biggest concern with your tapes safety, involves the airport. Will they get on the same plane as you? Will they make it to the same Continent? Will they ever be seen again? FedEx seems to be the safest route, as you can insure the package. Not much comfort if they lose the tapes, but at least you can make your claim and get some compensation. What will the airport do? "We're sorry for your inconvenience, but that is not our problem. Buh Bye."</quote>

i don't see how you would have any problems with an airline or at the airport.....get a tape bag and take it on the plane as carry-on luggage....it's a lot safer in your hands then it would be with a courier.

So actually your safest bet is to carry the tapes with you. I don't understand how the airline would lose your tapes if you took them on the plane as a carry- on. Even if you took 200 tapes you could fit that on as a carry-on item, tell me how would an airline lose your tapes? if you checked your luggage and had your tapes in your bag then its your own fault if they are lost because an airline loses your luggage.
 
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