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.