Sad about the Shark Trip, Happy about new opportunities

So I met with Andy on Friday. We had been looking at building a TV show where I play Russ Malkin and he plays Ewan, and Claire plays Charley. Instead of motorcycles through Europe and Asia, we run through Central America taking images of rare and endangered sharks, try not to be killed by rabid shark fishermen, eaten by anacondas, nor shot by guerrillas.

It's not going to work out. At least not that way.

After running through a couple of vblogs and testing out the dynamics, it became pretty clear that well, our/my vision of Long Way Round meets Conservationist Jaws with Claire in a Bikini pitch isn't really viable. Claire raised valid concerns about privacy, mobility, their ability to be flexible and vitally, the ability to keep a low profile in shark fishing camps. Andy had a really good point. He often pays shark fishermen a small amount of cash to go out in a panga, and when they reel in a rare shark, pays them a small amount to release the poor bastard. With a cameraman in tow, that's not going to work so well, now is it? The small amounts of money will increase and the ability to get the shots will make it even more challenging.

I'm a retooler when things go off like this. Now, we're thinking hey - shoot Survivorman style, with these. Mount some in the van, some on Andy's domeport and have Claire shoot Andy with them. Upload video via FTP for editing and repackaging.

I'm also thinking of doing my own web-series. I don't know if it would actually work, but I'm thinking of planning my own trip down, via the Beemer bike, through the US, into Central America, to meet up with Claire and Andy, and come face to face with one of the most dangerous and fascinating creatures in the Ocean; the great hammerhead shark.

Video Blog test 1

I did some thinking about the trip after chatting with Claire and Andy about it last night. I'm partially terrified, partially ecstatic.

Jaws of the Serpent

So a friend of mind is thinking working on a new project in which he dives with really dangerous animals. This is a demo blog of a way to get folks excited about his project through connecting blogging, twitter and facebook.

Jaws of the Serpent
Growing up to thirty feet long, Anacondas are the most feared snakes
in the Amazon. They are responsible for many gruesome deaths.



Anacondas are capable of swallowing a man whole and there are reports
of nightmarish 'tug of war' rescues where the victim has been
literally pulled out of the serpents jaws.



The monster divers will wade through amazonian swamps in search of
giant anacondas. Once they find a 20ft+ animal they will don
snorkelling gear and enter the anaconda's domain to film it
underwater. After gauging its power our daring hosts will attempt to
wrestle the serpent onto land proving that intelect and the will to
live can overcome 30ft of slithering muscle.