No tags yet.
It's already New Year, and I didn't even see December go by. The last few weeks have been very busy and hectic, with the coming in of small jobs all ina short time span. I have filmed Surprise on my regular schedule, and filmed for KBS, CBS and an ad for a printing company Bixolon.
The filming that was the hardest on me was the documentary for CBS. CBS (Christian Brodcast System) filmed a two-days documentary on a very inspiring woman of the 19th century. When I was asked by one of the Surprise producer if I could do him the favor of being in a documentary he'd been assigned to do, I really didn't expect anything as to the role I might play in it, so what was not my surprise when I realized that I was to be the main character of a full documentary, filmed entirely in Korean.
This documentary was giving me the chance to properly act (Surprise is much less about acting and much more about comical gag shows), as well as getting visibility as a Korean speaker. There were only a few dialogues in Korean, and some were to be ad-lib in random English, but there was a long part of narration where I was to read long Korean paragraphs for off voice. I was really excited about filming.
The documentary was a reenacting of the life of Rosetta Sherwood Hall (former American who became Canadian after marrying Canadian William Hall), a Christian missionary who travelled all the way to Korea and fought against all odds to educate and treat women, opened medical schools for women, the blind and people with hearing impairment. That was no small task given that Korea was not open to the religious freedom and even less of women being employed. Dr. Hall eventually formed the very first Korea woman doctor.
Dr. Hall's husband came to her in Korea as a missionary as well, but he died not long after of a disease like malaria (if not malaria?). They had 2 children and he passed away as she was pregnant of the second one.... that died of the same disease not long after....
She however kept her faith and accomplished lot of great things for Korea, and passed away nearing 100 years old (when the life expectation at the time was around 40 years old...). She was extremely meticulous, and kept a diary (detailed up to the time of treatments and the evolution of a patient's state to the hours, with pictures, collages and drawings) so that is why we know so much about her. She recorded her life in detail and how she adapted to Korea as she got there.
The filming took place in the mountains of Namyangjoo and the filming took literally 25 hours the first day, and 20 hours the second. After nightfall we all wanted to die. The set was in traditional Korean houses and there were no 'inside' to wait in between the shoots. We we freezing to death. I painfully remember I probably died 3 times and had to try to revive by getting into the staff's heated cars for a few minutes at a time. It was a physically painful job, and I forgot to feel tired.
Still, I was very happy of the role I was offered - she is afterall a very inspiring woman. The only real down part to the show was that they did not have a good budjet. Because they didn't have a lot of money to offer, the producer said it had to be done in two days. The filming was done in two days, but however, they did not get to record the off voices - one of the parts I was the most excited about. In the end, because they did not have the funds to pay me for the extra recording, I didn't get to record it at all. I wish they offered me a little, so I could say it was fine and I understood their financial situation (I don't think christian programs like that one have a big budjet...) but they did not so here we are.
They already didn't give me much for the 45 hours straight I shot with them, so I couldn't possibly do the recording for free - especially at the beginning of a career, or they would just assume I would do that for other roles later on. If there is something that is a shame in Korea, is the lack of gratitude for favours given. If you do something for the good of giving or helping out, they will take it for granted in later times, instead f being grateful for what you do. People usually learn that the hard way when coming to Korea, whatever the job they have.
My first greedy wish for 2016 is that they reconsider their budjet and pay me so I get the chance to do the recording. It would be a fun part of the shoot because it's all in Korean. One can always dream...
