Randall Blaum Back From the Edge Film Blog

Alive and Well in Kathmandu

A lot has happened since I last wrote here.  We spent about 12 hours at LAX meeting Werner, Griber, checking luggage, shooting the opening of the film, and getting on the plane.

The flight on Thai Airways was as good as you could ever want a 17 hour flight to be.  The food was great and the in-flight service staff was second to none.  So this is how American airlines used to be.  Even in coach we were fed three times, beveraged 8 times and over all the flight was enjoyable....  Did I mention it was 17 hours long...  Way to long to be in one place, no matter how many movies and games they have to play.

When we got to Bangkok, we had a three-hour layover and it was uneventful.  The flight to KTM was smooth as silk and on the way I saw Mount Everest for the first time in my life and it really hit me that in a week, that's where I'll be.  It was awe inspiring.  When our Boeing 777 landed at Kathmandu, I was in a very strange new land.  It took about two hours to clear customs and then get to the hotel.

On the way to the hotel we were all reminded that "third world food and water protocols" must be followed...  If you can't peel it, break a safety seal, or know exactly what it is and who's cooking it, don't ingest it.  Here I sit at 8:30pm local time on Friday the 20th of March (6:55am PST) and I'm hungry, so I'm going to cut this short...  Well after one more short story.

When we got to the hotel we discovered that my laptop briefcase was missing.  Bad news as it has all of the information for the film on it and it's mine and I want it.  So, I get a call from one of the tour guides asking me if my laptop was in a hard black case.  It was.  Someone at the airport found it on the ground near the spot where the van was that took us to the hotel. 

Jiban, the owner of Sherpa Shangri-la and our main man here in KTM drove me to the airport, called about 6 people and within an hour his loading team had arrived as sis the man who now had control and it looked like ownership of my laptop.  Jiban and the man began talking then arguing and then everyone was pointing fingers at everyone else.  The story could go on for while, but suffice it to say that after 15 minutes of these diplomatic conversations and me being able to prove what's in the case, I got my laptop back and gave the man a $20 thank you for being honest.  Big end to a big day.

I'm going to sign off now as I have a lot of production notes to go over before tomorrow.

Namaste-

Randall

Leaving on a Jet Plane

And as the song goes, "Don't know when I'll be back again..."  I have a best guess when I'll be back, but no firm date.  I am sitting here at the computer literally moments away from leaving for LAX and wondering what's in store for me on this trip.

We've checked everything twice, or more and I have worked over the story and storyboards so many times I feel like they are now a part of me.  I'm excited and nervous.  Nepal and Mount Everest...Wow...  In just a few hours I'll be on Terra incognito... Bangkok and then on to Kathmandu... and then on to Everest.

I'm jittery (too much soy chai) and I'm ready to go.  The next 24 hours I'll be in the air, but I'll be busy.  After a few hours rest tonight on board, Werner, Griber and I have a production meeting planned at 29,000 feet.  We also have to get shots on board for the film.  Should be interesting.

I have to run now to double check my travel documents, my money, my mind...  What am I forgetting?  Did I leave the iron on? 

Any way, be well and I'll update you once I get to Kathmandu with photos, journals and some thoughts from Werner.  If you want to watch the progress of the expedition in real time go to www.AplineAscents.com and click on their cybercast link.

Namaste-

Randall

24 hours and Counting

I leave tomorrow on what will arguably be the biggest adventure of my life.  Not only am I directing a major motion picture I am going on one of the biggest expeditions in the world... Literally to the ends of the earth, and back.

We are finalizing everything and as with all things there are snags.  One of our cameras did not ship as it was supposed to and we never got a call about it.  The folks at thecamerapros.com fell asleep at the switch on this one.  However, the folks at B&H picked up the slack and are overnighting the camera to me, just hours before I board the plane.  So as with all productions, it winds up that the last minute is always filled with surprises.

Our itinerary for tomorrow goes like this"
11:30 I depart San Diego and go to LAX.
2:00pm I check in for the flight
3:20pm I pick Werner up in another terminal and take him to check in for the Nepal flight
4:30pm we reach our first location (a hotel at LAX) and hold a production meeting while we wait for Griber, the DP, to arrive
6:00pm Griber arrives
7:00pm We begin filming the LAX sequences at the hotel and the departure area
11:00pm we board and are on our way to Nepal.

The flight is a little over 17 hours and then we have a three hour layover in Bangkok before we head to Kathmandu.  It will take about 24 hours from the time we leave to the time we arrive, so this ought to be interesting.  The day after we arrive we have a 4:00am call so we can film the Puja Ceremony at a local monastery (no rest for the weary).  We will then spend the day shooting in various locations around Kathmandu as we wait for the rest of the expedition team to arrive.

I have to get back to packing now and finishing up some details of the shoot.

Namaste-

Randall

Storyboards are Complete

It's been a hectic few days.  I've been to REI so many times to pick up gear, that they know me by sight...  The story boards for the Everest trek are now at about 25 pages long and today I'll be working with the screenwriter, David Scotland, on filling in all the gaps of the storyline and matching his script to the shot sheet. 

What an amazing process.  We have interviews scheduled with Sherpas, religious leaders and health practitioners in Nepal and also have several side trips planned (if time allows) for visits to hospitals, orphanages and more.  This trip is shaping up to be quite an adventure and an eye-opening experience for me.  As I  was finishing the storyboards and I could see the film in my head, I began to realize that this film has the ability to actually change the way people think and how they can affect their own health and well being. 

We have been working on several titles and have about 6 that are in the running. We are holding back from announcing the actual title of the film as we know there there will be at least one time on the trek that someone will say something, or something will happen and the title will make itself know to us.

Have to get back to the storyboards now and get ready to go on a hike.

Namaste-

Randall

Gear, Gear, and More Gear

We have just finished ordering tens of thousands of dollars in gear for the shoot and it's all starting to arrive at my office and the office of John Griber, my DP.  For those of you that are interested in how we are going to film this expedition, here's the short list of gear:

1 Sony Z1U camera
2 Cannon HV10 camera's
Azden lavelier microphones and shotgun with boom
Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods
Sony Mini DV tapes
1 "Yak Cam" - small camera mounted on a yak for the trip
1 Helmet Cam for John and for Werner when he make the ascent on Everest

We will also have satellite telephone and Internet service and will be using technology to keep us in contact with the rest of the production.  David, the producer and writer will be working with the rest of the team an procuring the experts that will appear in the film.

Story boards for the Everest portion of the shoot are done and they will help keep us on track.   As I get ready to leave in 8 days, I'm loading my iPod with songs and audio books and creating lists to keep track of my lists for gear, crew, locations and the like.  On a budget of only one million dollars we are going after a pretty big shoot with some high costs associated with it.  It's fun, but we have to watch every penny, literally.

Oh, we came up with the name of the film after much research and discussion.  The name of the film is "Beyond the Death Zone."  The death zone can be found on Mount Everest and it is what it says it is, an area that people tend to die because they don't pay attention and don't look for alternatives.  Sounds like the same thing that's going on with all the prescriptions in this country doesn't it?

Be well and please let me know if you have any questions about the climb, the shoot or me.

Randall

Getting Ready to Shoot

These past several days have all been given over to creating the storyboards, buying gear, both for me and for the production itself, and for planning.  I have been working with Griber, the DP for the trip, on the story boards and one of the challenges for the film, is going to a location I have not been before.  I have completed hours of research and with John's help, and Werner's insights to the area, (and a good amount of "Googleing" I have a good overview of the locations and the shots we'll take when we get there.

I received a Suunto personal expedition watch a day or so ago and it tell me my heart rate, the altitude and just about everything else I could ever want to know about me when I'm trekking.  It will come in handy, and I'm getting used to all its features as I write this.  I am also continuing my hikes.  Yesterday I went for endurance and hiked about 6 miles in an hour with the pack on my back over rough terrain.  I made the interesting choice of going up the "backside" of the volcanic plug, which is, as I found out, much taller than the front side.

The Altitude Tech high altitude tent has helped though as my lungs were taking in more air and my recovery time from that accent was much less than it used to be.  I'm sleeping at 13.500 feet now, so I should be acclimatized the Kathmandu when I get there.

This week is all pre-production, checking cameras, batteries and the like as well as continuing on the story boards and script.  I feel like this trip is something very special and I don't have the words for it, yet.  As I was storyboarding last night I saw hundreds of photos of where I will be in just a couple of weeks and yet, I felt like I had been there before.  This is going to be one interesting trip.

Be well and I'll see you at the top!

Randall

Park City, Utah

Hi everyone,

I spent the last few days in Park City enjoying the snow, the mountains and great friends.  Since I've been sleeping in my Altitude Tech high-altitude tent I've been peppier and have more energy than in the past. This became very evident on my trip to Park City last week.

I was never out of breath and I always had energy to spare even if I spent the entire day outside having fun on and around the mountains.  I was so cool not the be out of breath even when I was going hard at it.

I am getting ready for the expedition and have been creating shot lists and storyboards.  What an adventure.  Today I had to complete all of the documentation needed for international travel to Nepal and to make sure that I had everything I need for the trip.

Griber, the cinematographer and I were on a conference call finalizing the gear list for the shoot and for me.  You never know how much it takes, until you really start to plan the trip. 

I am also hiking quite a bit and tomorrow I leave again on a holiday of sorts, with a wee bit of business mixed in (I'm in meetings with studios and other distribution people) about the Meet Me at the Top and URPA films.

I'll see you on the mountain and I am yours in success,

Randall

10 Miles and Counting

Today I was out near the volcano and went about 10 miles with 15 pounds in the pack.  I was going for the longer distance rather than than the big hills, are there were some pretty big hills anyway.  The high altitude tent is working great.  I'm at 10.000 feet now and every ache and pain I had is gone and I have more energy than I remember in a long time.

I am also seeing my lung capacity being built and I'm not getting as winded as I used to get.  It'll be interesting to see how the tent helps me when I get to Mount Everest.

I have been working with my shooter, John Griber, for the past week on all the gear we need for the expedition.  Cameras, solar panels, video tapes, helmet cams, and more.  It's been quite the adventure working on a film where we will have no electricity and no way to recharge batteries for the cameras and computers, hence the solar panels. 

More later and I'll see you on the mountain.

Randall