It was a foreign AP correspondent who initially got me into filmmaking. We were sharing quite a few beers with a bunch of rowdy expats by the riverside in the Far East when I became smitten with his stories about the "stringers" of the Indochina conflict. These filmmakers and photographers were on the front lines, capturing ruthless battles and often risking their lives.

He asked for my help editing some of his news stories, and he also had a collection of compelling footage he wanted to cut into a documentary. I had just bought a laptop in 2011, right when FCPX was released. Despite the many complaints that it wasn’t "pro" enough, I thought it was amazing; it was speedy and easy to operate. While the magnetic timeline was apparently a major problem for some, I thought it was great once I understood the way it worked. Doing those projects taught me about the format required to make a story more interesting.

Initially, I bought a Canon IXUS—tiny, but with surprisingly good video quality. I started making my own films and had a lot of fun with them. Later, I upgraded to the EOS-M Series 1. It received mostly bad reviews, but I found it incredible for its small size. Although it lacks the quality of newer 4K models, it is good for playing around and making "artsy" short films.

Cameras are expensive and, I feel, can be quite intrusive to the public. I am not the brave kind who feels comfortable stuffing a camera in people's faces, so I often went out early in the morning when shooting my own footage. I like it when it’s stealthy and doesn’t grab attention when out and about.

I never quite had the cash for the rig of my dreams before taking a break, partly because I hit a creative wall due to the lack of 4K; I thought some Zeiss lenses and the latest Sony or Canon DSLR would do well.

I haven’t picked up a camera since the COVID era in 2020. I’m considering starting again since I have plenty of ideas, though earning an income from it these days is a challenge. I also have absolutely no interest in becoming an "influencer"—I find most of that content sensationalist and boring. My true ambition remains the art of the avant-garde music video.

The video I posted here is from 2021; I haven’t done any editing or serious music production since then, as I haven't found a setting where I feel it makes a worthwhile difference. But with an environment that caters to experimentation and an audience who might appreciate it, I might just dive back in.