shooting in India

Z

Zed

Member
Hey Folks,

I'm headed to India to shoot a series of stories about outsourcing. I have my passport and journalist visa. I'm getting my malaria pills and know not to drink the water. What else is there?

Do I need a voltage converter?

Are there any restrictions on shooting in the streets?

What kind of cell phone will work there?

Any help will be appreciated.

Don
 
you should bring mosquito repellent.

figure out a way to LOCK down your camera and valuables for the times you don't have your hands on them. like in a hotel. putting a camera in a bag and then locking the bag is not enough. we are talking hardcase locked and the case locked to a bed or something that can't be picked up and walked away with. people can slash open almost all bags or break through zippers.

pepto bismol

lots of handwipes
 
one decent way to lock your camera it to put a chain through the "handle." no, it is not foolproof, but how many theives are going to have the tools to dismantle the handle? that might be easier on you than a pelican case. even so, that pelican case could then become like your place to store anything of value. the pelican locks are pretty good, too. just make sure you fully close the lock, even when you arent' using it.

you can also chain your tripod if you are creative about it, too. I'm a lock freak as anyone who has worked with me will know. lots of mid grade chains and smaller locks will get you secure. helpful if you are falling asleep on a train with your camera. for real, I chained camera stuff with to me, so I could actually sleep. i think I bought some decent chains at REI on saratoga ave. they are for cyclists, but they work for me and they are lined with plastic so they don't "clank" and get annoying.
 
As far as shooting in india, the most important thing to remember is WATCH YOUr STUFF AND DONT TRUST ANYONE! never carry a wallet while shooting as it will get taken. kids especially will attempt to pickpocket you. I shot a lot of festivals when I was there, and I would constantly feel hands digging in my back pocket. I developed the technique of just hammering whatever arms was free behind me. Took out quite a few indian noses.

That being said, shooting in india is AWESOME. you wont need a permit for anything, you main problem with cops will be getting them OFF the camera, they are all such hams! Most of them will let you hold there gun ans pose for a picture too.

Check this one out!

1156558355.jpg


hehe, yeah, his gun was right in may face. that was fun.

Have a blast over there man, it's a trip you wont forget.
 
What part of india are you going? It's nearing the end of the monsoon but will be around in many parts for a while yet so some waterproof protection would be good - for you & the camera
I've spent over a year in India & had no real problems, be vigilant but also enjoy, an amazing place to film, the people are on the whole the warmest, friendliest I've met anywhere, but as already mentioned, this means everyone will want to be in your film - pick up your camera & before you know it, 20 smiling faces will be staring straight into your lens.
The electricity is a bit inconsistent; i was warned about surges, although again I had no problems with my camera until i accidentally burnt it along with most of my belongings (buts thats another story...)
But it is a dream of a country to film, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy
 
Sorry, got taken back to beautiful memories & forgot to answer some of your questions.
I didn't meet any westerners whose phones didnt work over there, hardly ever had trouble getting reception last time I went.
As far as the volt converter goes, i'm from the uk so not sure, some kind of regulator would be good for piece of mind.
Filming around holy places should be done respectfully, ask if it's ok first.
Take your own suncreme, a lot of the local stuff has been known to contain skin bleaching agents which actually lighten the skin - in a blotchy kind of way
Be prepared to get ripped off a little when u 1st arrive - (taxi drivers can be paricularly cheeky) - but see it as part of the experience - we're only talking tiny amounts of money in our world, so go with it & uquickly learn a fair price for everything
 
I suggest finding a trustworthy Indian PA. One of those guys like in old classic movies like Gungha Din. "Oh master, the motorbike is about to run over your HVX200!! I'll use my skull as a shield to protect it!"
 
Oh yeah, and give up on large bills, people wont be able to break them. I remember one day I really needed cold medicine and I only had, hmmm, well I forget the denomination, but it's equivelant was around $5. Anyway, I COULD NOT find anyone that could break it. I eventually just bought a store out of Valium (enought that I still have a bunch of it today)
 
Was just there a few months back shooting.
True you definitely need someone with you who's local, or ideally bring a Native speaker that you trust with you from where you're coming. Otherwise you will be ripped off and it adds up after a while. I have a hard case with a strap that I'd wrap around my arms or legs while I slept (In Transit anyway) so I could fall asleep better, then a backpack of other mics and stuff. You can get a good wallet thing on a string that goes around your neck that you can tuck down your shirt, that works great.
In some hotels there where beds kind of built into the floor where I pulled up the mattress and found an unintentional compartment under the wood pieces beneath the mattress. I'd lift them up and store my other camera stuff down thier, where not even the room service was aware of if I need to be out for the day. Other wise just have locks for your bags, or leave your bag of smelly clothes in the room and they'll figure out that its not worth stealing.

You'll need a plug adapter for the charger, but otherwise the voltage is fine. You may need to get a couple different kinds, but as long as you can get it in the plug somehow the voltage is fine, worked great for me, don't get any fancy voltage converter, it's unneccasary.
Get some Diareaha meds, you will need it, I guarantee. Or just don't eat any of the great food, it's your choice. Buy your own sealed bottled water, some hotels will give you bottled water, but they've actually just refilled it from somewhere. Don't even brush from the tap water, it's very nasty (depending on where you are)
Get good bug spray, I got some from the Army Surplus here, took no chances.
If you want to be discreet and you have white skin Get some clothes there and a shawl, and I sewed a cloth cover for the camera because I don't like gawkers and it ended up being a great dust and soot protector. Everyone there has dark skin (except westerners) so you will stand out if you are white. I Was also in Pakistan on my trip so I could blend in a little since many more people there have lighter skin and I grew a big beard for it.
Everything is covered in dust and smog there so all of your stuff will be covered in it after the first hour you're there, you'll get what I mean. Carry spare Toilet paper in your pocket if you can't deal with the ol hand wash method plus your nose will fill up with soot pretty quickly, I'm serious. If you have any allergies you may even consider wearing a dust mask sometimes, the air is really bad, unbelievable until you experience it.
Thats all I can think of for now, just be careful, and try to have fun. My trip was maybe more dangerous being political with lots of discreet filming of police and military, so I was always stressed out, but if it's not that heavy you'll have the time of your life.
good luck, let us know how it goes.
 
Although I can give plenty of advice for any body who would like to travel to the Azores, Portugal I won’t be able to help much in this situation but this tread has helped me as well because for the last 2 to 3 weeks I thought about traveling to India one day. A few days ago I watched Anthony Bourdain: No Reservation. He travels to India and one of the main things he did was to try different foods in different places and what I’ve noticed is that vegetable is a big part of their diet and I’m not a fan of eating vegetables so this may be the only problem I would have. At least there are certain restaurants that offer all you can eat for one dollar so you wouldn’t have to worry about spending a lot of money on food.

If you guys don’t mind, I have a question myself. How much are the motel/hotel stays, for example what is the cheapest and what is the most expansive as well as affordable recommendations.
 
When I was in southern India about a year ago, we were in what they called a "Luxury Business Hotel." It was nothing of the sort, by American standards, but was still pretty nice. A room with two beds, and free breakfast ran about $50 a night.
 
you can get rediculously cheap accomodation from about $1.50 upwards, apart from in the main cities where it goes from about $7 I think. Of course this is hardly the ritz but if on a budget.... As far as the food goes, the vegetarian food is on the whole delicious, & apart from a few important holy Hindu areas, you can get meat if you really want it. Also by the coast the fish can be amazing
 
i would watch what you eat especially anywhere in asia. make sure you ease slowly into dairy products or you'll have the runs for weeks. :thumbsup:
 
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