“Their performance was outstanding. I collaborated closely with Ashok and Ulasha to ensure all the essential preparations were made. They consistently made themselves available, possessed a hands-on approach, and, most importantly for me, maintained a problem-solving mindset. The end result of the video was truly remarkable!“
Risky Business
(Honey Hunting in Nepal)
Himalayan Fixer along with Threemm Films arranged all of the necessary logistics for the pre-production and production stage of the project. This project is another assignment from Insider for Himalayan Fixer that would eventually be loaded with unforeseen challenges and risks.
After the initial discussion, Himalayan fixer in Nepal was assigned to gather information regarding honey hunting and the hunters in Nepal. After extensive research and location scouting in the villages surrounding Pokhara and Lamjung District, information was gathered and passed on to producers at Insider. Threemm Films took care of all the initial funding and logistical support to Himalayan Fixer.
After the green signal from the producer at insider, Himalayan Fixer along with Threemm Films Team carried out the project. Ulasha Gurung, a highly talented cinematographer came in as the DOP along with Kemi Tsewang who is also extremely experienced in terms of filming in high altitude areas. The project itself carried a lot of risks and uncertainties.
However, despite the challenges faced, the team managed to film the entire process of Honey Hunting and enjoy some of the famous Mad honey of Nepal.
Our number one goal was to make each day of production go as planned.
Our number one goal was to make each day of production go as planned. The priority was given to the less day time we had and how we made content out of it. Winter was on its way and we had challenges with morning fog and less daylight. We had to focus on timed travel and on location set up. We took less time setting up and each time we reached our location, the profile and the story were waiting for us.
Of course we had to plan each day in advance. Our Fixers in Nepal are well informed about the local time-table and travel distance. If something was out of reach, there had to be other alternatives and options put into place.
The initial plan started off by location scout to the village of Sidhing where villagers were planning to do the honey hunting. It was monsoon due to which the team could not reach the hunting cliff to check the honey. However, the team was assured by the villagers that the honey hunting was confirmed and the road to the cliff was just a couple of hours of easy walk from the village. With all the information, the team headed back to regroup and forward the plan to produce this story.
The second stage of the plan was to travel to Pokhara and rest up before heading for the village. The next day, the team reached the village after two hours of off road drive. This is also one of the challenges filmmakers face while filming in Nepal. The villagers welcomed the team and discussed the plan for filming the honey hunting. With proper preparation and gears, the team headed to the cliff the next day. The team did not realise that the path the villagers talked about was, in actuality, much more challenging than they had described and expected.
However, the team did not hesitate and reached the cliff and were able to film the traditional honey hunting process. The villagers accepted the team as their hunting partners and shared food, shelter and mesmerizing stories with the team.
After the successful completion of the project the team managed to return to Kathmandu safely and submit the footage to the producer. Translation and footage management, all done by Himalayan Fixer in collaboration with Threemm Films were sent forward to the producer. As one of the best film production companies in Nepal, Threemm Films was able to run this project smoothly with Himalayan Fixer in Nepal and the yield of this collaboration was liked and appreciated by many.
Overall, the project was filled with excitement and required top level decision making and luck played its part too.
