Would you make a motorcycle documentary if someone else paid for it?

[loftur.th]

Hey folks,

Let's say you had decided to take a few months off to travel on your bike, to the Sahara desert for example. Given two choices which one would you choose?

1. You do it on your own. You use your own money(which we assume you have) and do it entirely on your own terms, like so many on this forum do.

2. You manage to make an agreement with a TV station to make a documentary about it. They provide you with equipment and they or sponsors pay for the whole trip.
I say documentary and that of course means not just taking random shots whereever you are at the moment, but to write a rough script, do a lot of research, plan interviews, take care of lightning and sound, and all the other things that are needed to make a TV program interesting. But still it's just you. You don't have backup vehicles, fixers, translators, etc.


What are the technological/logistical/practical hurdles with option nr 2?


Here are my thougts on the two options:

Option nr 1: A great way to do it. You are doing it to please yourself, not others.

Option nr 2: When I travel, I like to take photographs, write blogs and so on, because I want to show the people at home how things in foreign countries look and work. I know thats a far cry from making a fully blown documentary, but still the underlying motive behind it is to present to others what I see. Also an obvious upside to this second option is that your wallet is not being affected, and we like that.


I think many will be tempted to say: First options nr2, then option nr1, since you still have the money. But lets say you had to choose either, which one would you choose?

I would take options nr2, I think.

P.S. I will also post this question on ADVrider, I think it will be interesting to compare the differences/similarities in the answers.

[T.REX63]

Circumstances have me do option #1 next year, riding from the US to Germany (going west). No sponsors, I can do and post in my blog as I please ...

For me, option #2 would be strictly a business preposition. I would take it on, if besides expenses, I would earn some money in the process. It would become time consuming, hard work, even if it is "riding a motorcycle" across continents.

Without knowing the expectation placed on film quality by the sponsor/employer, there is potentially the need for a film crew and back up vehicles for equipment and supplies.


@ OP: So, what's the deal? Is this a job interview...?

[Fantastic Mister Fox]

The Ideal situation is option 1.

However id option 2 was on the table then i would definatley take it.

NOW who do i see about this documentary??

[Cam Johnson]

What about option 3 where you start out doing option 1 and pick up the sponsored BMW/KTM and matching kit, sell it to somebody in London/Paris, buy a Japanese single and ride off into the sunset claiming that you have been kidnapped in the Sahara/living with a tribe in the Oromo/dog ate your master tape..?

Giz a job? I kin do that!

[pbekkerh]

Be aware that, in option 2, you put a lot of pressure on yourself.
You loose the right to give it all up, the right to stop halfways even the right to small changes.

Especially when you get goods/money beforehand and you use them before the trip.

I even believe some people have died doing something they'd rather give up on, f.ex. Andrew Macauley (I don't have any evidence to this effect)

If you want to do it, get all the free help you can, get a script and what else you need, get an agreement with someone that they might buy it, ask them how they want it, do the trip and sell the documentary afterwards.

EDIT: There is at least one good reason for filming: As a photographer, I have found that I see things differently and also see more than many people, because I'm always looking for good motives which make you more aware of what is going on around you

[henryuk]

hell yes