I’m starting a blog project that focus around the many, many talented people in my life. People that might not get the chance to speak up. Blogging is about creating original content and giving back, selflessly. I guess this is one way to do that.
I distinctly remember the night I met Cale. He was shooting Demon Hunter at the Glasshouse in Pomona CA during the summer of 08′. I remember him shooting something on the table as well known musicians were walking right passed him on their way out. I asked myself, “who the heck is this kid?” He went on to create a fantastic documentary on one of my favorite bands and then some. Cale Glendening is a talented photographer and filmmaker. Here’s my quick interview with him.
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Most directors pump out video after video, why focus on larger projects like Demon Hunter’s “45 Days” and Throwdown’s “Deathless”?
My dream is movies! I want to capture life, tell stories, inspire people, make people laugh, change lives, make people think, make an impact. I can’t achieve that with updates and music videos. I was told I should always be working for what I want to do. For the record, I absolutely love music and music videos. Francis Lawrence, Mark Webb, and Mark Romanek (just to name a few) are music video directors who blow my mind! I don’t dislike music videos; I just want to work in movies more. With longer pieces, I get to spend time with subjects, actors, crew, and the project at hand. It really gives me the chance to get comfortable with people and dig into their lives. To really see character build and emotion pour out requires your subjects trusting you and being comfortable around you. I love getting to know every subject I shoot personally. How can I pour my heart into something I invest no time in? Go big or go home.
My friend and talented photographer Joey Lawrence (JoeyL.com) asked me if I would be interested in attending an adventure with him and his friend Will. Joey travels to remote places all over the world to do photography. He has shot several tribes. I expressed my interest to do the same with video. I have always been interested in culture and visiting remaining tribes all over the world. So the next trip that came around he thought I would like to go. On a weeks notice I left to go to the rain forest to live with the indigenous tribe “THE MENTAWAI” for a couple weeks. Since it was so last minute, the flights and traveling was just insanity. I spent 5 full days on foot, in cars, on boats, and in the air just to make it to the tribe. The trip was so unforgettable not even alzheimer’s could erase it from my memories. I could do that for the rest of my life and be totally happy.
If you had to choose, gun to your head, what was the one event / conversation / email that has changed your career thus far?
I would have to say in February of 2008 when Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter, Invisible Creature) sent me a random email asking if I would like to shoot Demon Hunter’s documentary. At this point I had only shot one music video and was praying daily for an opportunity to get me taken seriously in the film world. Without getting too deep, I was overwhelmed with promise in January 08. I felt an opportunity was coming, and that I shouldn’t worry. However I knew it was going to be hard. Dreams never come easy. So I got the email from Ryan and he mentioned I would be doing the entire documentary by myself. While I was in extreme self-doubt, I remembered how much I had bitched and complained about wanting an opportunity and there it was. I knew if I pulled it off, then something great would come from it. Since completion of “Demon Hunter – 45 Days” I don’t think I have had a single day off. God was right, and that email changed my life. Thank you Ryan Clark and Demon Hunter for having faith in me.
The barrier to entry is lower than ever for filmmakers and photographers. What do you think separates the guy/gal with real talent from the guy/gal that’s just lucky enough to buy some fancy gear?
I will say this over and over again. Good gear doesn’t make someone creative. I can hand Joe Schmo the best camera out there and he will deliver Joe Schmo photos. Hell, he could know how to take the camera apart and put it back together but with no vision he will get nowhere. I truly believe that vision can’t be taught. You either have an eye for it, or you do not. One of my favorite quotes sums this all up,
“The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision.” - Helen Keller
Any respectable filmmaker/photographer is secretly in love with their gear, what’s in your arsenal?
I LOVE GEAR, but keeping up with technology is a pain. My secret weapon was the redrock and letus extreme 35mm converters on my hvx200. I recently have enjoyed watching technology set up boxing matches between Canon, Nikon, Red…etc. The capabilities these guys are offering in their products are just incredible. Multi million dollar commercials, music videos, even scenes in movies are being shot with $2,000 cameras. The result is just unreal. I have always been an advocate of Canon, so I recently purchased a Canon 7D. I used 3 to shoot the entire Throwdown “Deathless” film. Once acceptable audio gets molded into their products, which will happen soon, the industry is going to start getting very interesting.
It’s easy to point out the AWESOME aspects of your career path, what are some not so awesome aspects?
This is the question I was avoiding and decided to answer last. It’s hard being negative when you are living your dream. I say it all the time, but I truly am grateful to do this daily. However, for the sake of the question I will play ball. Some might say the risk and sacrifice sucks, but that’s what makes it fun for me. Without sacrifice there would be no glory. I would say MONEY is the not so awesome part. Having to explain to people “my worth” and why I deserve to be paid. I don’t deserve a reward for answering my calling. I also dislike explaining what I am worth and why I cost more than “so and so”. Getting paid to do something I love feels like cheating. Also, I love people, but some clients really can take it out of you. Most clients see the start and finish; they don’t see the obstacles you overcome just to deliver. My grandpa once told me, “10% of each job will be the actual work itself and 90% will be psychological.” This couldn’t be truer. From every job, the easiest part to me is writing, shooting, editing, and finishing. The overwhelming part is dealing with people. The clients with insane deadlines, asking to do things that are optically impossible, wanting with no regard of how it will effect the outcome. Everyone answers to someone, and that just creates a longer chain of miscommunication and frustration. So the psychological part of my job is very frustrating at times. If you procrastinate and can’t get a long with people this is going to be a very difficult job for you.
If you could flip a switch right now, what kind of dream project would you get involved in?
You might as well ask me to count raindrops during the next thunderstorm! While the list of talented actors and directors I’d love nothing more than to work with is long, I would say if it were a project I would want to work on something like “Planet Earth.” Now that may have caught you by surprise but let me explain. I am first and foremost visually motivated and inspired. When watching the series, not one person can watch without thinking, “unbelievable”. What’s so funny is how tangible it actually is. What you are watching is right here, where we live. The message is completely universal. WE LIVE IN A UNIQIE, INTRICATE, & BEAUTIFUL WORLD. It is overwhelmingly undeniable by any man, race, culture, or religion. Something I love even more is that there’s so much more to be explored and discovered. Planet Earth only spikes the question, “What else could be out there?” I would happily camp in the forest for a month, 2 months trying to get a 1 second glimpse of the unseen. What could be more exciting than that? Hit me up when you get a chance BBC/Discovery!
Keith:
Hey Cale...I came across your stuff though Joey L's blog and your video you did with the tribe. I am def following your stuff and love your words. Cool man...can't wait to see more stuff you keep doing! (02.23.2010 05:50pm)
cale:Keith - Thank you so much man, that really means a lot. I will have more for you soon! (02.23.2010 10:58pm)
Casey:
Good ole bill meis!! he lived with me for 3 days a couple years back..such a good guy.
Love you Cale, keep everything up man. (03.06.2010 02:52pm)
Last night at 2am central time, Head Bangers Ball was hosted by Dave Peters from Throwdown. During the segment they released 2 of 12 videos I had completed from Throwdown’s latest album “Deathless.” First of all, if you haven’t picked up the album, please do so. It is an incredible album I still find myself jamming to regardless of hearing the entire album hundreds of times, during the film process! The videos were the first thing I have ever directed that hit national television. Funny story…I didn’t even get to watch them. Cable was not working at the house, it was an epic failure to say the least. However, even knowing the videos were playing and being viewed my heart was racing.
With these films I wanted to say thank you to all of you who helped. It isn’t enough just saying thank you. We filmed the entire project in ONE week. Some of you flew across the states and some of you drove for hours to be a part. Some of you sacrificed a lot just to lend a hand and make my job that much easier. I still shake my head in disbelief knowing how much we accomplished with our budget and time. I learned so much from this project, not only about filming “whats the quickest way to get a dolly shot without a dolly”…but how much I truly love what I am blessed in doing daily. How much I am surrounded with others who absolutely love what they do. How to work under pressure. How to stay positive and be productive when Mr. Worst Case Scenario comes knocking down your door. We had a couple of those moments, but we still came out on top and had, what I consider, one of the best weeks of my life.
Due to time constraints, the episodes played on TV weren’t even color corrected. Some other things were nixed as well due to it not meeting television standards. I will let you all know when the finished versions are viewable!
Thanks to everyone who stayed up late to watch and for all your texts and messages of encouragement. It was VERY inspiring.
The final videos will be out eventually but I just wanted to thank every again for all your help.
Throwdown, E1, and Ryan Downey, thank you for giving me the opportunity and taking on such a different project. I will never forget it.
My dad told me this quote recently in light of this project….It couldn’t be any more true.
“Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do it himself.” -A. H. Weiler
Benjamin Gaskell:
Simply awesome. More to come, I'm sure? (01.20.2010 08:22am)
Lauren Ragsdale:
Cale,
I am continually amazed at your work and the places God is taking you! You've come a long way from hating my mom's class and switching to video productions! Congratulations on all your successes! Try not to forget the little people at Armstrong!! We still use your photos on a regular basis! (01.20.2010 11:50am)
cale:Benjamin - Yes more soon! Thanks! (01.21.2010 09:16pm)
cale:Lauren - Thank you so much! It sure has been a wild ride. Shooting for Armstrong was still very awesome! (01.21.2010 09:17pm)
Jenna Julianne:
Oh my gosh oh my gosh!! Dont want to sound like a chick freakingout... but i am! SOOOOOOO awesome!!!! This music video is epic! My favorite parts are how the close ups of the poker pieces/card movements match up with the beat of the music...and the ending!! Stoked to see the other sick movies!!! ahhh please post them soon, and keep up the famous work :) "Mtfbwu!" ?? know what that means!? (01.25.2010 01:18pm)
Jenna Julianne:
oops...the comment above was for the first video! hum no blood included on the second- Failure. JK JK JK man that guy has a sucky life (who lost....) good though that those "bad guys" get beat everynownthen! holllla ! (01.25.2010 01:25pm)
cale:Jenna - I have absolutely no idea what that means! No blood, no guns, no anything. Had to meet MTV standards and believe it or not, they are very strict. (01.25.2010 03:11pm)
Jenna Julianne:
haha too bad for you. haha its a code word for anyone whos "in" ;) it means "May the force be with you" and my sister always says that...i didn't know what she meant until i asked! wow mtv has weird standards! no gun or blood...which is good...but personally i think they allow to many swears, beeped out swears, and inappropriate shows! mtv should get a room! :P ttyl (01.26.2010 05:40pm)
As the holidays pass and we launch a new year, I am reminded over and over how thankful I am to be doing what I love every day. Traveling, opportunities, new friends, and new family made 2009 my best year yet. I’ve realized my dreams become more and more realistic every passing moment. I can only pray 2010 will be as rewarding and God will continue to open doors I thought were always locked. Thank you to everyone for your support, loyalty, and kind words. You lifted me up, you got me from point A to B, you let me crash on your couch, you drove me to the airport, you answered my questions, you put up with my sarcasm, you helped me on a project, but most of all, YOU INSPIRED ME! It will not be forgotten.
I apologize for not posting much lately. I will fill you all in on everything very soon. Great things in 2010!
I just simply wanted to say thank you and I will never take it for granted.
Mandy:
aw. You are so very welcome :P (01.06.2010 07:49pm)
Roberto:
Awww! Now thats what I am talking about! With out all us little people, no one accomplishes much. A successful career takes team work and a great support cast. I can not remember who said this but I quote, " NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THE MAN WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK". (01.07.2010 07:39am)
cale:Roberto - That is an amazing quote. I really need to hold on to that one. (01.10.2010 04:18pm)
Ryan:
Man... the fam looks great. Hi to all. Did you get my e mail bro? (01.18.2010 05:30pm)
Last week I spent a couple days in New Orleans covering an event called “BIG TUNE.” Music Producers compete in a head to head battle based off crowd participation. These guys were very talented. Several times through the event I found myself bouncing along, bobbing my head, and throwing my hand in the air. It was a very cool event.
The above photo is the winner of the event ”Ill Gamez is Hannibal the Beat Animal.” His stuff was so epic. The runner up was a producer by the name of “SkyScrapa.” I really couldn’t decide who I liked more, however they both move on to the finals and the definitely deserve to. The first night I was there I spent around 4 hours shooting the promos for each producer. They would pick 4 shots of each producer and display them on flat screens while each one battled each other.
Red Bull has some insane deadlines, which are fine however they require me to stay awake all night to be able and finish on time. Casey (Red Bull Rep) would go over all the raw photos and pick the top 15 out. Then after raw processing I would edit the jpeg and upload them to Red Bull. I would stay up editing while she would write overviews for the event. Red Bull put us up in the W hotel on the 17th floor. Great view, cool people, limitless Red Bull, incredible food, and LOTR while I edit….one of the funnest jobs I have ever done. I got to hang out with my good friend Pascal, who brought along his friend Lindsey. Some of you may or may not know him. He played bass for As Cities Burn and was undoubtably one of my favorite musicians to watch perform. Not only that but he’s remained a good friend over the past 7 years. It was great running into him again. After the 2nd night I finished editing as the sun was coming up. I met Casey in the lobby and we were off for the airport.
This is where my day went downhill. I am dead tired, but I know I can rest on my flight. I always sleep through my flights. Going through Security this is the 1st time on ANY flight I have had my face wash and toothpaste thrown away. On over 60 flights! I shake it off and go to the plane. I fall asleep immediately and wake up to everyone standing in the isle. I figured we had landed at our destination. About this time the Pilot comes on the com….”Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking, it appears we have something hanging from the wing. It appears to be tape, we are gonna check it out and we’ll be on our way soon.” The entire plane started muttering and cracking jokes “Oh thank God the wing is being held on by tape.” I mean really pilot? You told everyone you thought it was tape? He comes back on the com about 30 min later and says that it was some “hydraulic” part or something, however it needed to be fixed before the plane could fly. Everyone became uneasy as reality set in…mulling over what could’ve happened if that ground crewmen hadn’t spotted this part dwindling from the wing. The pilots apparently missed it on their walk around of the plane or it fell off as we were taxi’ing. Either way, we were all just relieved to be getting off the plane.
Airport “Security.” Saving the world one cartoon at a time. Easy money.
As we walked back in through the gate, we asked the attendant “What’s going on, what do we do?” The only reply we got was a hastily “Just follow the person in front of you….” Are you serious? That is all the direction/explanation we get? Some of the passengers got in one line, half got in another line, then some others made their way back out through security. Finally someone came on the intercom and told everyone on that flight to go get back in line at the Delta counter. Why couldn’t they just tell as this as we were de-boarding? So there I am, back in line behind a couple hundred people. After hours of waiting I never saw a SINGLE agent or representative come out and explain, apologize, or offer assistance. The only thing they did was walk through the line once and ask if there was anyone NOT on that plane, then they got to go to the front of another line. So glad Delta were convenient to them and not us. So finally I got a new plane ticket which left at 5pm….keep in mind I was originally supposed to land in LA at 3pm. The lady gave me $14 to use at the airport for food as I was waiting. $14 only usable at the airport really put me to comfort after we almost took off in a broken plane. By the time we took off I was so tired. I still hadn’t slept. I finally got to LAX and wouldn’t you know…my bag doesn’t show up. I go check with Delta who says “Oh yeah no worries, your bag is on another flight. It will be here in 1 1/2 hours.” Yes no worries at all Delta…thank you. They said, “We can deliver your bag at no charge. Just pick your bag off the chart.” Skimming through the chart they have ever picture of a bag possible, except for a Pelican case…..At this point I started laughing. Do you ever get so mad that you laugh? One crazy coincidence after the other? I just said, “forget it, I am going to wait on my bag so you don’t bring me the wrong case.” So i sat at the airport until it finally arrived and took a bus back to my car. It was the worst flying experience I have ever had. Delta’s customer service is terrible. Thanks for making my day so memorable.
All in all, I would rather go through those inconvenience’s 1000 xs or deal with those rude people, if that meant living and getting one place to the other safely. For that I smile and am extremely grateful for.
Thank you Red Bull, all the Producers, and Casey. Thanks for all your help and advice!
Tony:
Haha! Never a dull moment. Where can we hear some of these guy's music? (10.12.2009 03:26pm)
Lindsey:
YAY!!!! It was so lovely meeting you!!! I hope you come back to NOLA soon and we can actually go get breakfast! Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL! You make the republic look like an actual place I'd want to hang out in! hahaha!
P.s. where are the pictures of Pascal and I "drinking" redbull and dancing? (10.12.2009 05:04pm)
Mandy:
Minus the plane experience that all sounds totally awesome. Also, I'm really excited that you also use the word epic! It's pretty much a favorite in my vocabulary. Southwest is definitely the way to go for planes. (10.12.2009 05:24pm)
cj:
That airplane business is just nonsense! But I'm glad you had a good time. That's my dream: to constantly be on (functional) planes, never resting, just constantly working, shooting everyday. I'll sleep when I die.
I love coming here and reading your thoughts and junk dude. One of the only interesting blogs I can get into..
P.S. Photos look dope man! :) (10.12.2009 05:50pm)
cj:
P.P.S. Juuuust noticed how you have Lost on your sidebar. I approve. (Y) (10.12.2009 05:53pm)
cale:CJ - Heck yeah man, that's what I am talking about. Been wanting to do this for a such a long time. Feel blessed to finally be getting the chance to do it. Thanks for checking out my stuff regularly. Really appreciate it. (10.12.2009 07:12pm)
cale:Mandy - Yes definitely one of my favorite words. Still hard for it to rightly justify these experiences. Yeah I love southwest, they just didn't book it for me this trip. (10.12.2009 09:21pm)
cale:Lindsey - Yes I need to get myself back down there soon!! Oh I have the pictures. I will have to send it to you soon! Where are the pics from the club you took? (10.12.2009 09:25pm)
Justin:
That's sick man, great opportunity. Red Bull would be amazing to get hooked up with. Good luck. (10.13.2009 09:46am)
Casey:
Looks like your "boss/stand in" is a seriously tough lady. ha! Great job, Cale! See you in Houston in a few weeks! (10.14.2009 10:07am)
The journey to the Mentawai was the most strenuous trip I have ever attempted in my life. Frankly, if I ever top it, I will be deeply surprised. Not only was it mentally shattering but physically arduous. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when Joey mentioned the trip months ago, but nothing I could’ve done would’ve adequately prepared me for the trip. Plans had actually been on and off for 4 months while Joey and I both waited on potential clients to come through. However, 2 days before I was to head home for my 23rd b-day, I found out Indonesia was happening 100%. This put me in complete crunch mode as I had to finish the Relient K documentary and a Tiger Army Webisode. I ended up taking 3 hard-drives to Oklahoma just to finish the work load before I left for Indonesia.
The day came(August 7th) and I took my pack, camera, and computer. Only taking the bare essentials. Meds, a couple pairs of clothes, socks, and underwear. My trip started as I left two of the most important women in my life crying. I was going to an island halfway around the world to stay with tribes, having absolutely no communication, and basically no information about exactly what we’d be doing. After a 1 hour trip to Tulsa, I boarded my 3 hour flight to LAX. I changed from the domestic airport to the international airport. During the 5 hour layover I spent most of the time talking to an ER Nurse named Justice, who was moving back to the Philippines to go to medical school. She wants to be a surgeon. Right before I boarded my 15 hour flight to Manilla, the airline informed us we would not be stopping in Guam, but flying straight to our destination. It would put us in Manilla at 3am, instead of 6am. This presented a big problem because my friend Apy was picking me up from the airport at 6am. I had no way of calling her so I sent a quick Facebook message hoping she would get it. I landed at 3am, went outside the airport, and sat on a railing just hoping she got my message. Well 6:30 rolled around and I finally see Apy. She told me she didn’t get my message. My flight to Jakarta didn’t leave til 10pm that night so I spent the whole day in Manilla hanging with Apy, Derrel, & Benjo(2 of her awesome friends). We went straight to get breakfast where they made me try local food. I had chicken and steak at 7am. Although it was good, it was way too early for steak and chicken. After breakfast we visited some historical spots, market places, and the slums. The slums were just visually depressing. Sheds stacked on sheds, stacked on sheds. We walked around there for a bit and they warned me not to take my phone nor my wallet. Supposedly people will just straight up snatch em. We had lunch, relaxed for a while, and then we all went and got Thai massages. It was exactly what I needed. It was $3 for a hour! Derrel told me at the parlor the girls were fighting over who would massage the American. It is insane how much I stood out there. Not only because I am a foreigner but my piercings and tattoos were so interesting to them. They kept grabbing my arm and touching my tattoos. After the massage we went to the mall of Asia to eat some seafood. I started to feel sick after dinner. Pretty sure it was due to exhaustion. I hadn’t slept but 3 or 4 hours since I left Oklahoma. They took me to the airport for my 8pm flight and we said our goodbyes. I had such an awesome day there. I miss Apy, Derrel, & Benjo. As I waited for my flight, I bounced in and out of sleep.
I took a 3 hour flight from Manilla to Jakarta where I was met by Willem and his friend Wilma. Quick backstory. Will lived in Indonesia for 6 months with a group of other students. He speaks Baja Indonesian fluently. Very cool. So at 12pm, we drove an hour to her house where Joey was already asleep. I was afraid for my life on the drive to Wilma’s house. Her friend drove so fast, and of course there are no traffic laws. We sped past everyone, weaving in and out of lanes. I already had anxiety from all the flights, and the insane driving multiplied it. After a couple hours of sleep we had to be up and make the hour drive back to the airport by taxi. From Jakarta we took a one hour flight to Padang where we met our guides Ricky and Charles. We drove an hour before we had breakfast, where we discussed our plans for Siberut. We thought we were staying the night in Padang before we went to Siberut but last minute we found out we were taking a ferry that night. We went to Ricky’s uncle’s to consolidate our gear. Take the bare minimum. Joey and Will came from a workshop in Australia so they had extra gear that wasn’t necessary to bring. We all went to the island with a couple pairs of clothes, but the main bulk was obviously our gear. We left his house to hit up a bank. The economy is so bad here, the banks maximum accounts were between $1000-$1500 American. While waiting at one bank, Will and I fell asleep in the lobby. We still hadn’t had a break in traveling. After the bank we went to the local market for food and supplies for Siberut. We bought rice, noodles, cheese, some condensed milk, sugar, and a lot of tea. We also got beads and tobacco to give as gifts to the tribe’s people. The entire time we were there someone stared at us. It was worse than Manilla. I have never felt so uneasy. Will would talk with everyone and they would get this surprised look on their faces. Everyone stared at his gauged ears and touched our tattoos.
We made it to the docks that night to catch the ferry. I got very nauseous just by looking at the boat. It’s a big wooden clunker that was packed with at least 200 people. Mainly locals with a few surfers, and tourists. The crowd of 200 people completely packed this ship shoulder to shoulder. There was absolutely no space left. To even walk down the main corridor you’d have to be like Indiana Jones and plan each step so you wouldn’t set off a booby trap. One wrong step and you are stepping on a strangers face, hand, leg, or stomach. If that wasn’t bad enough, it got even worse. Extreme heat and the smell of rich diesel gasoline burning through-out the entire boat. I told Joey I felt sick and I rush to the bow of the boat so I could hopefully find a spot and breathe fresh air. The back of the boat had comfortable room for 15, but there was probably 50 or more people back there. Most of the tourists and surfers attained space in the back, along with 8 muslims straight from Pakistan. They were having discussion with a minister who I later found out lives about 10 minutes from me in California. We were both very shocked. I stood in the middle of the crowd waiting for someone to relinquish their seat or make space on the bench. A muslim ,named Nasiem, saw me fanning myself so he moved over creating a spot for me. All of them smiled when you looked at them, and they gave everyone food and offered them places on their prayer mats to sit down. I found myself in between two of the muslims while one of them fanned me. Much relief, air! The boat ride was a 10 hour over night cruise. About 30 minutes into the slow churning of the boat, a woman pushed me aside to start throwing up over the side. Now anyone that knows me well knows I hate throw up more than ANYTHING. At that moment, I knew I was in for one hell of a night. After an hour the “throw-up fest” opened up in full force. At one point I counted 15 people throwing up over the sides, 6 of them being the Pakistanis including Nasiem. They were way too close to me. I felt sicker and sicker each time someone threw up. I started talking with Nasiem, between times he was throwing up, and I explained my fear of throw up and he started giving me advice to conquer this. The muslim on the other side grabbed my hands and started rubbing heavily on the space between my thumb and index finger. He said it would help, then right after, he started puking. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. About 3 hours into the boat ride he told me to sleep and he put my head on his leg. At first I was very hesitant, but I remembered learning that friends are very “touchy” where they come from. Friends hold hands, lean their heads on each other, and wrap their arms around each other. It represents friendship and closeness to their brothers, not anything homosexual. So I laid my head on his lap and I fell asleep for 2 hours. I was woken by loud cracks of thunder and bright flashes of lightening. The ocean acted as a mirror reflecting mother natures fury. Lighting up the entire ocean, highlighting each raindrop. It was beautiful. I put on my rain jacket and got pelted by rain for about an hour while I tried to sleep. Joey woke me to film some stuff while everyone was sleeping, so after filming for only about 20 minutes, I returned to the back where some girl had stolen my seat. I was so pissed! She had been sleeping next to her boyfriend(they were cuddling so I assumed) and now she had her own spot. She didn’t have the decency to move when she saw me sit back down so I weaseled my way back next to Nasiem and fell asleep for about 30 more minutes before I was woken up at 5am to the Muslims praying and singing very very loudly. I decided I wouldn’t be sleeping anymore. After Nasiem got finished praying, I talked with him the til we docked at 7am. We talked about religion, work, family, and love. He was so interesting. I will never forget meeting 8 of the nicest strangers in the world, all muslims from Pakistan, who any other day I would’ve felt uncomfortable just by being around them. Big kick in the teeth and I felt awful for it. As we approached Siberut it was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen to this day. The ocean, dolphins, and a rainbow. The color scheme was just mind blowing. It sounds like a stereotypical of a dream, but I am actually humbled that God could create something so surreal, for those few minutes, perfection had taken completion in my eyes. We had arrived, and Siberut had welcomed us to the island!
We took a short 15 minute drive to get to our pong pong boats. They are long wooden canoes with small engines. We packed up all of our gear and started our 4 hour ride up the river. Several times along the way it started raining on us. How absolutely refreshing and beautiful it was. We finally made it to Madobag where we met with our other guide Gejeng and cook Peno. He lives there in the government village with his wife. When we arrived we were greeted with hugs and a lot of odd stairs. We took off our wet shoes and socks and all just laid down for a while. We ate some rice and noodles as more and more people started showing up to the uma(Mentawai name for house) we were at. There were probably 20 people on the little porch just watching us. After sleeping a couple hours I was woken from counting sheep around 3am. My stomach had enough. I am sure it was the travel and change of food. I rushed out into the jungle with a bucket of water in the pitch black of night and had pretty terrible bowel movements. Not only was it pitch black and I was in the forest alone/scared, but it was raining. I think that was one of the worst experiences on the whole trip. It was an awful night! I got around 6 hours of sleep which was the most I’d had in 5 days. We met with our Sikere Shaman porters Aman Lala Ogo, Bajak Tarason, and Bajak Toikoik. Intimidation is the first thing that comes to mind when you are staring one of these guys down. Their choreographed full body tattoos, bold jewelry, cut muscles, knives hanging from their pen(loincloth), and if that isn’t enough for you then maybe their sharpened teeth will put the cherry on top. If I was in the woods and came across a Sikere, I’d be sprinting in the other direction before you could blink. We were giants compared in stature but I wouldn’t let that influence your judgement. That morning Joey took photos as I worked on my Letus Extreme. It was the first day and my 35mm converter malfunctioned. Letus + moisture + rainforest = Failure. After Joey took photos we packed our things and headed for our first location. The Atabai! The clan was a grueling 4 hour hike away. Three quarters of the trek involved climbing a mountain. Many variables made this the most difficult hike I’ve ever done. Narrow paths with big drop offs, tree snakes, the heat, heavy packs, and did I mention it was very steep? Bare in mind the rain forest is devilishly slick, making trekking that much more punishing. What amazed me was the architecture of the path. All the paths were either carved rock, carved roots, and strewn out wooden logs. As we engaged in the difficult hike, I couldn’t help but respect how long it must’ve taken to engineer such paths. Most of the wet rocks had bowl like cuts to create steps. Paths running next to trees had been dug deep revealing the roots, to which acted as individual stairs. Then hundreds and thousands of small logs laid across paths, to make it easier to trek through the ankle deep mud. Most logs had machete cut outs every few inches to make walking on them more manageable. The Shaman made us walking sticks after observing our failing attempts to walk naturally. We seriously looked like we were walking across a decrepit wooden bridge crossing a lake of lava. Trudging along, arms out to our sides for balance, looking down at one shoe going in front of the other, tongue sticking out concentrating on every shifting ounce of weight. A walking stick was an absolute necessity. I can’t tell you how many times I would’ve fallen without it.) The Sikere walk around barefoot and can make it over the mountain and back in 3 hours. It took us 4 hours just to make it one way. We had so much gear it took 15 locals from Madobag to get it all there. A quarter way through the trek, it looked like Will, Joey, and I had just gotten out of the shower. Water ran off of us like a rain cloud was cruising over our heads. Not a single Mentawai or Sikere had a drop of sweat on them. We had barely made it up the mountain before we could barely catch our breath. Some of the Mentawai women made fun of us and asked if we needed to be carried over the mountain! We all laughed pretty hard. Its funny, I thought I was in good shape but that mountain made a fool of my confidence. After 4 hours of near falls, many rain showers, losing liters of sweat, thick narrow paths, and staring at the ground, we finally made it to Atabai.
In the Atabai , we stayed with Ta Jia Jia. He was the most intimidating of the Sikere in my opinion. His uma was in an stunning location, and it housed his wife and 5 beautiful kids. As tradition goes, the first night guests arrive, they slaughter a pig and we feast! Joey and I were so tired, we actually slept through the squealing pig for about 15 minutes. Will later told us the Shaman made fun of us for sleeping through it. Later I was woken up by Will saying “Hey Joey, they are about to kill the pig, do you want to watch it?” Joey replied, “No, but Cale should film it.” Pretty sure Joey doesn’t remember saying that, but it’s definitely funny now. I got up and watched the fascinating ritual. Ta Jia Jia and the other Shaman sat in a circle and sang as Ta Jia Jia rubbed a chicken on all the Shaman and the planks of the house. They do this to ward of evil spirit. Then they cut the pigs throat and catch all the blood in a bucket they will later boil the pig in. Yes, they boil the pig in its own blood! FTW! It is Taboo for blood to touch the ground, so they make sure it completely bleeds out in a bowl. After the pig is killed, Shaman sing non stop until the pig is cleaned, cooked, and served. This takes around an hour. That night I woke up several times to hear the Shaman singing and talking. I don’t know how they have so much energy. They next morning we left early to go monkey hunting. The Shaman loaded up with their bows, poison tipped arrows, and machetes. I came to later find out, Shaman always stay up the entire night before a hunt, singing and praying, asking for help on the hunt. Half way to our destination Toikoik sung to the spirits to bless the hunt. Soon after we came to a clearing where a big hill was cut out and completely encased by the mountain. In the middle the hill was a hut that most Shaman stay in the night of a hunt. The location is important because it is in the clearing, surrounded completely by a tree line. They stay there overnight and listen for animal sounds, so they know which way they need to trek. It started pouring, just as we arrived. I couldn’t help but stand out in the rain and close my eyes. A perfect unearthly feeling that will never leave my thoughts. We sat in the hut for a couple hours just listening, talking, resting. For once it finally looked like the Shaman were getting tired. Lala fell asleep and drooled all over himself. Joey snapped some good shots of it! Along the way back to Ta Jia Jia’s uma we actually heard some monkey’s calling loudly. Lala said they were too far to track so we just continued on to the uma. At this point we had been constantly doing something since we got there and still lacked any basic hours of sleep. Will and I were quite delirious. That night we named one of Ta Jia Jia’s pigs Mohawk. Then we started debating who was tougher out of Babe or Wilber (Charlottes Web). We debated for about 15 minutes before Will said, “Man Babe would take a s*** in Charlotte’s Web!” I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. We both realized our minds had completely strayed off somewhere away from our bodies. That night we went to bed early and got some essential rest.
The next morning I woke up at around 4:30am. It had rained the majority of the night. The most refreshing thing of each day was walking down to the stream at sunrise and cleaning up. Washing my clothes, taking a river bath, and washing my face supplied me with more joy than I would’ve imagined before the trip. After breakfast we went to another uma where the women were going fishing. We followed them for a while as they caught little minos. I filmed and Joey took photos. He would get neck deep in the water with his Phase One. Crazy guy that Joey. After filming I walked back to the river bed where Ta Jia Jia and Aman Mita Punin were smoking and talking. I pulled out my Iphone and watched their eyes light up. They were so confused by this magical gadgetry I had unveiled. Mita Punin’s face was just priceless. One thing I found particularly interesting is, besides the reflection in the water, these people have never seen themselves. I mean we were only the 3rd white people he’s seen in his life! They are always wanting you to film them and take their photo. Then they want to see them immediately. Last night I turned on my laptop to transfer footage and the black screensaver with swirling lights came on. The entire uma surrounded it and just stared for about 15 minutes. I then thought I would introduced them to PhotoBooth, which they stared at diligently, transfixed on themselves like I had put a spell on them. At first, no-one waved, no-one smiled, and no-one spoke. They just stared at themselves. I tried to grasp this concept, but I couldn’t. I didn’t look in a mirror the entire time on the island, and that itself was weird. Imagine living your entire life and only knowing what you look like from a water reflection. There is no concept of looks and stereotypes. There is no ugly, hot, cute, skanky, preppy, gothic, nerd etc…..no hollywood, no NYC, no celebrities, and no illusion of what America has ordained the standard for the world. There’s absolutely nothing for them to compare themselves to. I find that absolutely beautiful.
The next night was my worst sleep yet. There are two small mats, less than an inch thick, that Joey, Will, and I take turns sleeping on. Typically one wouldn’t even consider this mat as something to even make a difference, but on the island it was a luxury! That day we decided to kill two chickens for lunch. Ta Jia Jia’s daughter Pet Pet would leave at sunrise(4:30-5am) and not come back til she caught the chicken. We ate chicken three times on the island, and each time it took her about 6 hours to find and catch them in the jungle! One chicken was for us, and one for the Sikere. When the Sikere killed theirs, they involved us in their ritual. They sat Will, Joey, and I down and rubbed the chicken on us. As Ta Jia Jia was rubbing the chicken on us he had a sinister grin as he spoke to the spirits. All the Shaman started laughing loudly. He thought it would be funny to say something like, “Please keep the spirits from this uma and the people here, but if you must, please take your wrath out on the white people.” He said he was kidding and continued to wish well on us. After lunch we found out we would be witnessing a ceremony called “Ulia Sibau” which is when a young Mentawai Sikere becomes a Shaman! The number of Sikere’s becoming Shaman is diminishing rapidly, so we felt extremely fortunate to witness this event in person. That night, while waiting for the ceremony to start, I passed out twice. After they ate, they pulled out some drums and started the “Turug Dance.” The father Bilijo (pronounced exactly like Billy Joe) and son would dance around each other and stomp their feet as the drummers played them on. Joey took photos as I filmed. They would dance for about 10-15 minutes, then break for a little while. They repeat this over and over. After 4 dances, we went back to Ta Jia Jia’s uma. As we slept, the stomping of the floorboards and beat of the drum echoed throughout the jungle the entire night.
The next day we trekked to a fallen Sago tree so Joey could photography 6 of the Shaman. I tried my best to film, but these conditions are the absolute worst. My hvx has somehow began to malfunction. I would have to put my battery in and out anywhere between 50-80 times. It would automatically record on start-up and none of the camera buttons would function. After popping the battery in and out several times, I could finally film. After that monotonous process, imagine trying to get smooth shots while walking in thick mud, stepping over brush, logs, and plants. An absolute nightmare trying to achieve my shooting style. After we left the Sago tree, we had just made it back to the uma before the heavens opened up and it rained harder than any day before. Thankfully we made it back because we forgot to take our rain covers to the tree. It could’ve been a disaster. The rain and cool breeze had put us into complete relaxation, and then the Uma started shaking violently. As the uma shook for a solid 10 seconds, we all ran outside to look at the trees. We didn’t have to worry about buildings falling on us, but the massive trees in the rainforest. We later found out that earthquake was registered as a 6.7. That first earthquake acted as a portal to what was coming. We had multiple earthquakes every hour, that continued for the remainder of the trip. I went to the national earthquake registry and counted over 60 earthquakes we had while staying in Indonesia. Several were registered over 6.0. I imagined since the Mentawai lived in the Ring Of Fire, they wouldn’t worry too much about earthquakes. It wasn’t until the Shaman said they were scared that made me nervous. They hadn’t had this many frequent earthquakes in years. Something beautiful in my eyes happened every time an earthquake struck. Ta Jia Jia would run through the uma to check on his family. That is the first thing he did every single time. The tribes are very family oriented. It was very evident to see the love they have for each other. Being around them really made me miss my friends and family even more. A couple times I wanted nothing more than to tell them how much I love them. When the earthquakes came they would grab their family and everyone would go outside, most going to the banana grove. This event goes back to an old Mentawai story.
“A long time ago there was a young boy, who was the most skilled builder the tribes had ever seen. He built the most spectacular uma’s in a mind-blowing 24 hours. Other tribe members became jealous and plotted the murder of this young talent. A family bribed him to build an uma in trade for several livestock and durian trees. Upon building the uma, they had him dig the stilt holes extra deep. While digging one they dropped a beam on his head killing him. They then covered him up and planted the beam over him making it “the perfect crime.” They had all but gotten away with it, until the feast held at the uma’s completion. They feast hosted several tribal people including the victim’s sister. While in the uma, she was visited by her brothers spirit who warned her to leave the uma immediately and go to the banana groves. They all mocked her for acting weird as she gathered her food and went to the grove. As soon as she made it to the grove, the earth began to shake knocking the uma to the ground and killing everyone inside. So now, every time there’s an earthquake, they go to the banana grove in respect and remembrance of the atrocity and justice served centuries ago.”
For the 2nd half of the story, read “Mentawai Part 2″
It will be up in a day or two along with other various content from the trip.
Also be sure and check Joey’s page. He will be posting stuff from the trip soon and I promise you will want to see the photos.
Michelle:
<3 Love everything. Glad to see some more from your trip :] (09.13.2009 06:33pm)
Bekah:
So very cool, Cale! I look forward to part 2 :) (09.13.2009 06:46pm)
Joey L:
Epic dude. It's so interesting to hear everything through your head instead of my own journals. I hope you know how fortunate I feel about you coming on this trip, let's do it again soon. Joey (09.13.2009 06:50pm)
Anna Grace:
Cale, this so amazing. I am so, so, so envious that you had the chance to experience and see all of this. You are so lucky. (09.13.2009 06:51pm)
Jeremy:
watching your amazing rocket ride in the last year has been great. Congrats man. Great stories here, can't wait to hear more. (09.13.2009 07:03pm)
Duby:
this absolutely awesome brother , looking forward for part 2 (09.13.2009 07:33pm)
casey:
dude these are sick!!
hope your doing well my brother! (09.13.2009 08:09pm)
Mandy:
This is all so awesome. Definitely worth the wait.
It's crazy to think that when we first started talking you had never been out of the country and now look at you! God has done some amazing things in your life, Cale. Your drive, determination, and passion are inspiring. I am so glad you had such a beautiful experience, even with the crazy treks, earthquakes, lack of sleep, and everything else. Looking forward to part 2! (09.13.2009 08:36pm)
cale:CraigThanks a lot bro. Soon! (09.13.2009 10:02pm)
cale:Bekah - Thanks. In a day or so it will be up. (09.13.2009 10:03pm)
cale:The Real JoeyL - Yeah each moment and experience is absorbed differently. Very very stoked on it man. (09.13.2009 10:04pm)
cale:Anna -It is something you could do yourself! Just gotta work hard. Thank you very much. (09.13.2009 10:05pm)
cale:Jeremy - Hey man thank you very much. The past 12 months have definitely been interesting ones. I hope things continue to get more and more intense. (09.13.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Duby - Heck yea man, so glad you liked it. Hope to see you soon man. (09.13.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Casey - Been way too long man. Hopefully we will have a run in soon. (09.13.2009 10:07pm)
cale:Mandy - Yes God still completely blows me away. All the traveling I have done in the past couple years has just been insane. I am so thankful. Thanks for the kind words, as always. It is very uplifting. (09.13.2009 10:08pm)
Misty:
Man, I'm so excited to finally see these photos. This is, hands down, the best work I've seen you do. I can see the heart you put into this, and that makes it even better. I can't wait to hear more about this trip, and to see the other pictures.
P.S., sorry for going the wrong way down the lane in the Best Buy parking lot. :) (09.13.2009 10:23pm)
cale:Misty - Wow thank you very much. Obviously all the photos that have (JoeyL Photo) are ones that he took. I have a handful of photos I will be posting to my portfolio, and not my blog. A few I really like. I am stoked for you to see the actual video montage. (09.13.2009 10:31pm)
Misty:
I'm stoked to see the video too! I'm turning into a nerd about video now that I've discovered the video my Canon gives me :). (09.13.2009 10:42pm)
Pirtle:
dude, you really are all that is man. The photos and story were so sick, I can't wait to see the rest. (09.14.2009 12:38am)
Petra:
Cale, who made all the translations? Was it Ricky? What about the women? What are their responsibilities?
What an adventure. I am a bit afraid of doing that trip with my son now, after reading all what happened to you ......but has to be!!!
What an exciting story!
Well done!
Good luck for your future. (09.14.2009 03:07am)
April K:
What an incredible journey Cale. Your stories remind me of friends' Peace Corps tales. Thanks for sharing the experience and beautiful photographs! (09.14.2009 03:12am)
Ryan Eller:
Freaking awesome...I cant wait until you post part 2! (09.14.2009 07:28am)
cale:Misty - Yeah canon is doing some ridiculous things! (09.14.2009 09:55am)
cale:Pirtle - I get part of my man from you! The man whose website is "asstard.com!" Oh my word i am laughing out loud in the office right now. (09.14.2009 09:55am)
cale:Petra - Ricky made 80% of them while Gejeng translated the Mentawai word Ricky wasn't too sure on into Indonesian for Ricky. I am telling you, it was very very difficult on us 3 boys and we are all in very good shape.
There are tons of women. When we trekked to and from Madobag, they would trek ahead of the men. Then when we all hang out, the women hang together in the back, and the men hang together in the front. We asked why they did this and they simply replied. "Because women talk about women things, and guys talk about guy things." It isn't because of a disrespect or like some cultures the women are less equal. It's simply because of guys wanna hang with guys. We have pictures with the females, but they were taken with Joey's camera, and I haven't gotten them yet. The women responsibilities I touch on in the 2nd post! (09.14.2009 10:03am)
cale:April - Yeah, I hope I can somehow top it! No problem, hopefully I will have a lot more to share soon. (09.14.2009 10:05am)
Nina Isabell:
now i know what you were talking about cale, absolutely amazing.
im in love with the pictures, so real you can almost feel them!
thank you so much for sharing this experience xo (09.14.2009 10:19am)
Tyler Clarensau:
Dude, this is ridiculous. Thanks for posting all of this. (09.14.2009 10:56am)
cj:
Whoa dude, this is unreal. What a trip!
Stoked for part two.
cj (09.14.2009 11:40am)
Alex Gandy:
No words can describe my envy. Im happy for you man! (09.14.2009 12:18pm)
Amy:
I think I can speak for many people when I say the love and passion you put into your work is a true example of a gift from God. You are a walking example that any dream, desire or passion can be achieved. Thank you for sharing. I did laugh about the boat and the throw up because I do know you well and I can only imagine you at those moments but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
- Amy Swearingen (Cooper) (09.14.2009 01:39pm)
cale:Nina - Hey thank you so much Nina. It really means a lot. More coming soon. (09.14.2009 04:04pm)
cale:
Tyler - No thank you for checking it out man. Hope we cross paths soon. (09.14.2009 04:05pm)
cale:
CJ - I am still trying to grasp the trip too. It's much appreciated sir. (09.14.2009 04:06pm)
cale:
Alex - Hey man it's been a while. Thanks for checking it out! (09.14.2009 04:06pm)
cale:
Amy hahahaha yeah it was so tough being on that boat. Ughhh i still have bad thoughts about it. Thank you for the inspiring words. I take them whole heartily. Thank you. (09.14.2009 04:07pm)
Mandy:
of course! but if you keep pulling this whole tease thing, I might have to take those nice words back :) (09.14.2009 04:50pm)
Ricky Vhoetra:
Fantastic Bud!!!
You know your story made me bloody missing you all guys, please do it again soon bud. Joey, I had a details how to get Koroway Tribe Bud and let's do it ASAP!! (09.15.2009 01:35am)
cale:Ricky - Lets get on it then bro!!!! (09.15.2009 11:03am)
Breezy Scott:
Hi Cale! It was so good to read about your trip! I miss you old friend. I am SO happy that you're getting to experience all of these things! <3 Breezy (09.15.2009 12:34pm)
cale:Breezy - Girl I know it is you! Glad you read it and everything. I will let you know next time I make it home. (09.15.2009 01:05pm)
Aunt Shanna:
Hey Cale
Totally blows me away! Enjoy every minute. What can I say? I'm so proud of you.
Be safe! When I saw you, I was looking at Robert. You two favor each other greatly.
Love (09.15.2009 05:32pm)
Brent Okuley:
Dude! These are incredible!! What an excellent experience this must have been! (09.17.2009 03:22am)
cale:Brent - When are we going to go on an extravaganza and live off the land? (09.18.2009 03:40pm)
cale:Shanna - It totally blew me away too. I still can't believe it happened. Yeah who would knew we'd turn out this way?? (09.18.2009 03:42pm)
quillan:
dude that is freakin awesome. wow. (09.29.2009 09:35pm)
Cuz Ryan:
Stunning... I'm at a loss for words. And a bit jealous too! Need any help? Mom forwarded me this link. Could you add my address when you send family stuff? I'd love to see more. (10.05.2009 09:48am)
Ainslie:
Just so jealous for the passion and experience Cale . Everything we learn from in life is always with some sort of barrier or struggle. The trip will stay with you forever, and completely change the way you view to world.
I have a daughter who is 19 and my main wish for her in life, is to travel - there is no other way in life that will show you "life" There are quite a few people I know that I would love to stick on that cramped wooden boat with the muslim men, that sh*t changes you! (10.07.2009 03:46pm)
Julz:
I've always wanted to check out your blog/video about the Mentawai, but I didn't have the time nor the luxury of a fast internet connection when I was in Manila. Thank God it's summer break from school, and I'm home in Cebu-- I finally got to check this out. And it just blew me away.
The film was just just completely awesome... Nice work, Cale! Your work just inspires me to study harder in school (since I'm studying digital film making), and I cannot wait to shoot beautiful things like you do. Thanks!
P.S. I have Relient K to thank for coming across your work. Loved the webisodes :)
-Julie (05.13.2010 09:47am)
Well this trip has been in the works for a while, but has been off and on as much as the sun goes up and down. I got word 2 days before I went to visit Oklahoma that the Indonesia trip was 100% on. I had to bring 3 hard-drives home just to finish projects allowing me time to go do this. Also had to cancel several shoots previously planned if the Indo trip didn’t happen. However it is on now and I leave later today. This visit home has been one of the best homecomings I have ever received. Getting to spend time with my family. Holding my baby niece for the first time. Wake boarding, surfing, with Alex, his awesome dad, Tim, Julie, Jessica…. Trying back-flips and front rolls? What were we thinking? Brett’s and my b-day float trip. The best b-day I have had. It was so incredible getting everyone together. You guys mean the world to me, thanks for making it so memorable. Austin and Sarah, so sorry I couldn’t make your wedding. It was good seeing you both, and I am very happy for you guys. Barron I am so bummed I wont be there for your show. I know how hard you have worked to get to this point and I am proud my friend, very proud. Chad, you are about to be a dad and I will be gone when the baby is born. I know she will be beautiful and I can’t wait to see her when I get back. Thanks Jamie for visiting from so far. It is always such a pleasure seeing you. Sorry you suck at taking directions from your IPhone. Everyone who took time to see me while in town, I appreciate it. I could go on and on about you guys. One of the best damn weeks I have had. Thanks. You guys make Oklahoma very hard to leave.
Well, onto the next chapter of my life. Turned 23 and ready for a new challenge. Stoked to meet up with my buddies Joey and Will. Our journey into the jungle starts soon. The excitement is building very rapidly mixed with a healthy dose of anxiety. The thought of packing up and heading somewhere with absolutely no itinerary or plans. Just show up and hope we are accepted and all works in our best interest. I will be without cellular service as well as Internet for the entire trip. That is a difficult thing for me to grasp. Almost 3 weeks without a cellphone, face-book, twitter…..jeez. To those of you clueless of what this trip is and why I am going. I will fill you in with all the detail as soon as I am home!
I would appreciate if you would pray for Joey, Will and myself. I will definitely need it.
Expect me back around September 1st! I will have plenty to post and talk about.
Misty:
I hope you have a wonderful and safe trip, man, and can't wait to hear all about it! (08.07.2009 09:13am)
APY:
CALE!!!!!
pleasure meeting up with you, hope you had a great time , hope we didnt tire you too much =) hit us up whenever you'll be in the area again, and stay longer so we could go to those awesome beaches and have uber great massages much cheaper than $6 hahaha! take care and see you SOON! (dont eat too much seafood and smoothies haha) - apy :) (08.09.2009 09:02am)
mandy:
1. I hope you don't really see dead people, that's kinda creepy.
2. I think you should be back by now which clearly means you need to update all your crazed 13 year old girl followers (mainly, me) on your trip. Please and thank you. (08.31.2009 07:17pm)
I am pretty sure this should be my new nickname. I always say my schedule is busy and kinda hectic, but this past month has seriously tested me on my those words.
Baseline I am editing Relient K’s studio/tour documentary, which has only taken longer than Demon Hunter’s 45 days, and RK is 45 minutes shorts….coincidence. I am VERY excited about it. I am happy with the end product. The story, the footage, and esp the SOUND, which I concentrated on so much more with this piece. I am excited for you guys to see it. In between editing and getting feedback, I spent an amazing trip in New York, a shoot with Bleeding Through, and a 3 day shoot with MTV. I am also in process of finishing up a Tiger Army project. All of this work is spiraling down a funnel and it is seriously at the very end. I leave tomorrow for Oklahoma, and I was finally given word that the Indonesia trip ,that has been on and off, is definitely on now. So going home tomorrow, and leaving for Indonesia on Aug 7th. When I go to Indonesia, I will be without use of my cellphone and email for 3 full weeks. I am very nervous, but my excitement is definitely triumphant. I will be going with JoeyL and Willem to live with a tribe and of course document the experience.
I found out yesterday I leave the country in 9 days, for almost a month, and I have quite a list of things to do. Will I finish everything before I go? Yes, you can count on it. They call me Crunch…..Cap’n Crunch.
Would appreciate if you guys prayed for JoeyL, Willem and I.
This trip is going to be very intense and difficult, but an experience of a lifetime nonetheless.
My b-day is Aug 1st. What a way to start out 23.
ansley lynn:
ah! amazing! have an awesome trip back home, and wow what an experience you are going to get to have in indonesia!! i'm jealous, but incredibly stoked for you! (07.29.2009 10:57am)
Tara Way:
Good luck, have fun, and be safe.
I wish the best for you.
Also, be sure to let me know if you ever get time to throw in a trip to Tennesee with your busy schedule. (07.29.2009 11:11am)
Kyle K.:
Wow, they keep you busy. I'm looking forward to the RK documentary! (07.29.2009 11:18am)
joshua krohn:
hey man, i'm gonna miss your tweets and blog post updates. i'm excited for the rK footage but beyond excited for this new opportunity for you. Godspeed and i hope to hear from you soon. looking forward to the stories and video you bring back. (07.29.2009 02:06pm)
Sarah:
Hey, have an amazing trip. Good luck with getting everything done beforehand and my prayers will be with you guys in Indonesia.... and Happy Birthday! (07.30.2009 08:29am)
cale:Sarah -Thank you very much Sarah. Insanity continues! (08.06.2009 10:07pm)
cale:Joshua - Hey thanks a lot man, you can be sure I will have plenty to say after the trip. Thanks for the kind words bro. Talk soon. (08.06.2009 10:08pm)
cale:Kyle - Keep my busy for sure. I finished the RK documentary YESTERDAY! (08.06.2009 10:08pm)
cale:Tara - Thank you. Tennessee is always on my list, just gotta find time to visit! (08.06.2009 10:09pm)
cale:Ansley - Thanks girl, I will be talking to you soon! Take care (08.06.2009 10:09pm)
This month has seriously been one of the most interesting months I have ever had. I am going to get idealistic for a little, while trying not to spew my logic barbarically. While roller-coasters are usually something I refuse, this is a realization I have come to acknowledge, accept, and attempt to prepare myself for. No not the literal roller-coaster ride, but life. It is predetermined and shows absolutely no seniority to anyone. Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Atheist, African Americans, Koreans…..etc, it doesn’t matter. The second life is breathed into you, your roller-coaster ride begins and there is nothing you can do but be cognizant of the events at hand and do your best to be triumphant.
The following all took place this past month. In chronological order. (I think)
1. I shot a video (Below) for a member of my favorite band. Blink-182. I will some it up. Mark loved the video, so he asked me to do Blink 182 stuff. It turned into me writing a full proposal for full-length documentary over their next tour and making of the new album. I to go see Blink play their first show back together on Paramount Studio lot. Everything seemed to be fitting itself into place. Long story short they ended up hiring one of their buddies who had done a lot of stuff for them in the past. I was extremely bummed. Was so close to such a big goal and I fumbled the ball. Who knows, maybe sometime int he future it will come around again.
2. My little Neice is born, and I am all the way out in California. She wasn’t doing well after birth, but now everything is fine and she is home.
3. Anberlin contacted me about shooting a documentary on their current US tour with Taking Back Sunday. We negotiated for 2 weeks, and last minute fell through because the label didn’t want to fund it.
4. Leaving Superhero HQ and moving to LA. I am still going to be freelancing for Superhero, but feel it is in my best interest to be completely submerged into the film industry.
5. Last weekend I was at my friends house for a party. We were talking film when he mentioned his buddy downstairs was the Chief Designer for RED camera. Which anyone that has any knowledge of film, knows Red and how they are taking the film industry by storm. I was geeking out with him about everything Red for a few hours. When I left I said, “I would love to get involved with Red somehow.” Then 2 days later I wake up to an email offering me a full position at Red, as a “tech.” I thought about it very thoroughly, as I do most things, and decided it wasn’t in my best interest. I would have to put my freelancing to the side. I would take a halt from the creative side, and join the tech side. That is just something I couldn’t commit to, because my heart wouldn’t be in it.
6. Relient K is going to be sending me a proposal soon contracting me to do video work for them here and there over the next year.
7. Had to cancel my trip home to Oklahoma and Cornerstone so I could get ahead in my work. Thus canceling a job on a feature film. They were shooting in Tulsa, Ok while I was to be home, and I got asked to work on it. Movie is with Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba!
8. Iceland was once pretty certain, but now is looking like 50% as of an email I got yesterday.
9. I got an email today from Anberlin saying they will be contacting me soon about shooting a documentary over their fall tour.
10. Planning a trip to Indonesia and Vanuatu with “The Real Joey Lawrence” to live with 2 different tribes for a month. I would be documenting the trip into a “Pilot” that a big network is very interested in. The project may be pushed back into dates I couldn’t attend.
11. Next month I am going to New York to hang and film 2 rap music videos with Joey. It is going to be ridiculous.
I have never been so tossed in my “career” as I have been this past month. I am in the worst Catch 22 scenario I’ve ever encountered. I am so stoked on one hand and equally disappointed on the other. It is overwhelming me. I just have to laugh at the situation or I wont survive this industry. I am absolutely astonished and thankful for the opportunity and consideration on any of these jobs, however the competitive side of me doesn’t accept 2nd place. I’m noway content with that. It only pushes me to work harder. I asked myself, why do we beat ourselves up when things don’t go our way? Are we really that self-absorbed? In light of spontaneity, our lives can be tossed up/down, left/right, even throw us for a loop….We have no control. Not being in control is our vice and theoretically what bugs us the most. Can you imagine if we were in complete control? I will do my best in the future to not get so torn on what I don’t have power over. My life isn’t this job, and my life isn’t that job. Opportunity will come and I won’t always win. Life will never let us off the roller-coaster or let us lay out the course. We can only possess the tools to fix the ride when it breaks and falls off the track.
Analogy overload. Sorry for the rant. A ton been on my mind this month. Now time to hit up Six Flags! ; )
Beloved said it best, “We Were Born For Battle.”
Ryan Toyota:
Wow. That is a crazy month. You weren't kidding about the ups and downs. Here's hoping you're provided with some clarifying divine direction in the upcoming months. (06.26.2009 08:53pm)
Katie:
Very well said. I know what you mean about getting caught up in opportunities that didn't work out, but I'm glad you understand how awesome it is that you were offered them in the first place. (reading this, my jaw kept dropping that you are receiving emails from Anberlin and Relient K and traveling to Indonesia!) I am in no way an authority on film but I am a big fan of it and from what I can see you are extremely talented and as long as you keep working your tail off through the roller coaster ride I am sure you will go far.
One thing a mentor of mine told me that I have to remember when things like this happen to me is that sometimes it just isn't your time...it doesn't mean you wouldn't have rocked that project or this position, just that it was someone else's moment. And your moment will come at the perfect time...and it will be worth all the hard work and frustration it took to get there.
Whoops! Now I am ranting! Got on a roll haha. Keep up the good work! (06.26.2009 09:39pm)
bailey:
the red cameras are mouth-watering, aren't they? we have two at my school. two.
ha you got a job offer for The Killer Inside Me? i have ton of friends working on it - sounds like it's a blasty-blast.
i hope more ups than downs come your way next month! (06.28.2009 10:30pm)
Michelle:
Sheesh. I knew about most of that but not all. You didnt tell me you are moving to LA! And number 9 and 12 are the same. (06.29.2009 08:31am)
cale:Michelle - Yeah pretty intense. There is more I decided not to talk about. Thanks, I fixed it. Yeah this was a very recent discovery. : / (06.29.2009 08:42am)
cale:Broey - Yeah man for the most part. Doesn't mean it all couldn't be taken from us tomorrow! Stoked for NY man. For real. (06.29.2009 08:43am)
cale:Bailey - Oh yes!!!! We talked for a few hours about all the new stuff at Red and everything coming out. He showed me some pics and video footage. It is INSANE. I will be getting a scarlett most definitely. Yeah it was an insane month. Hope some more craziness comes and I am able to get it! (06.29.2009 08:45am)
cale:Katie - Thank you Katie, that was very uplifting. I really appreciate it. I totally understand about timing. Just like the analogy with the ride, timing is a factor too. Because we aren't in control and I can't get a job when I want it, spirals me down and I get sick. I just have to remember everything has meaning and because I didn't get my way doesn't mean it is the end of the world. More opportunity will come. I have my head up to see that now. Thanks again Katie. (06.29.2009 08:49am)
cale:Ryan - Yes my friend, definitely learned a lot last month. Thats what you do with your day to day. Put one foot in front of the other. Learn from everything that happens and move forward. Things will come and I will be ready for them! (06.29.2009 08:50am)
Cale:
Jeez, Cale, you've had one hell of a month. But hey, what jobs you don't get simply leave room for something bigger to come along - I know that's probably the last thing you want to hear, but it's the truth, especially since you're so talented with what you do!
I'm glad to hear your niece is doing better, and bummed to hear I won't be seeing you at Cornerstone.
But you've got it right, Beloved will always be the besssttt! (06.29.2009 04:20pm)
Brittany:
Hey, it does look better in black and white!
You have such a crazy life, Cale... It's kinda awesome. (06.30.2009 08:55am)
cale:MISTY - Thanks so much friend. Means a lot. Yes I am extremely jealous of you being at c-stone and me missing out. Next year it will happen. NO EXCUSES. I hope something better comes along. I know something will, just gotta keep my eyes open! (06.30.2009 04:16pm)
cale:Brittany - Not near as crazy as I would like it to be! Yeah the photo turned out awesome. You did a good job! (06.30.2009 04:17pm)
Dave 3:
I never had or will have the slightest thought of you not fulfilling your goals brother. Keep on the positive and enjoy the ride. (07.01.2009 12:28am)
cale:IIIThanks brother. Coming home in early August for my 23rd. Hope to see you man. (07.01.2009 11:35am)
Well this past week has been a roller coaster to say the least.
EVENTS FROM LAST WEEK
- My vehicle is in a shop over an hour away from where I live. I was without a vehicle. - Got invited by Mark to witness Blink-182 play their first show in years. - Caught guy trying to cheat me on a new car I was going to buy. - 3 job opportunities in 1 day. - Wasting $700 to fix my vehicle, only for the same problem to start repeating itself 25 minutes down the road. - Private show included Weezer, DJ-AM and TRVS, Blink-182, special appearance by Warren G (<—-click to view what song he performed)! Oh did I mention free Jack? - Staying 1 day turned into 3 days, I only had 1 pair of clothes….gross I know. - Good hangs with Megan T. Jered S. Mark H. & Allison N. - So eager after Megan and I visited Mark.
All in all, everything happens for a reason. At this point in life I am on such a high, that all the negative crap lately has just washed away. I can’t help but be happy seeing my dreams unfold. This past week is considerably one of the best I have ever had. Ever since the show I have been flooded with more ideas. A brain explosion of ideas and inspiration. BRING IT ON WORK!
Thanks Megan for picking me up and letting me stay with you and your roomies. Excited for what is to come.
Thanks Mark for inviting me to the show!
Misty:
You need to blog about something uncool for a change so I can quit saying how jealous I always am :). But I'm stoked for you to have been able to do all of these things (minus the car stuff - I'd be piiisssed) for sure! Good luck with ALL of those things, that's definitely exciting and you definitely deserve it! (05.17.2009 02:52pm)
cale:Misty - Hahaha you dork. So what are these big plans you have been talking about? (05.17.2009 03:04pm)
Misty:
UM new camera and possibly new city!!! (05.17.2009 04:35pm)
Bekah:
When I graduate, can I just have your life? (05.17.2009 05:33pm)
Mandy:
gosh. stop being so cool all the dang time. it's getting hard to keep up. (05.17.2009 08:00pm)
Nick D.:
Dude I'm so happy for you! I hope I even get half as successful as you are! Such an encouragement. And I'm guessing that your not going to come home to go camping this summer considering the business. Because I made a vow to never set up a tent until we all go camping and make a bigger campfire than the other one. Don't let me down (05.18.2009 06:50pm)
cale:Misty - Well that is very exciting! (05.18.2009 09:34pm)
cale:Bekah - Lol keep working your butt of girl! (05.18.2009 09:34pm)
cale:Mandy - You are so funny. (05.18.2009 09:35pm)
cale:Nick - Thanks man but I am still a long ways from where I want to be! Glad I can help inspire! Dude as soon as I can make it home, believe your ass I will be there. (05.18.2009 09:36pm)
Enter to view full post.
Pretty emotional night for me. I handed my camera off to Mr. Ethan Luck. He takes awesome pics, and will definitely do great things with that camera. This was my 1st professional camera, and 2nd camera to ever own. That thing took me places I dreamed of. To acquire that camera, I actually sold my car. Funny thing is, I had a crappy car, so I actually had to borrow a grand from my dad as well…..Yeah all that for a camera. I took my mother to work every morning at 7am for 8 months, just so I could use her car to go photograph clients and save money. After 8 months I saved up enough to buy a vehicle and pay my dad back. The camera is in a good home now, and I will be receiving my new camera next week.
Sigh, I am sad to see it go, but it was time.
Thanks dad and thanks mom for believing in me.
alexis:
whoa! what camera are you getting next?
im glad ethan is getting a step up! (05.07.2009 09:29pm)
cale:Alexis - Oh I will be posting my new camera sooooon. It is in good hands with Ethan. (05.07.2009 09:31pm)
Misty:
I'm curious as hell to know what new camera you're getting.
if you find any other 5d's laying around that you don't want, though, feel free to send them my way. (05.07.2009 09:42pm)
cale:Misty - Hahaha I will keep my eyes open. Don't worry you will be seeing soon! (05.07.2009 09:43pm)
kelsey:
A lot of great pictures were taken with that camera [that I saw] Congrats=] (05.07.2009 10:07pm)
Ethan:
I'm feeling guilty about taking your camera tonight. Especially after reading this! haha. Thanks again buddy. She will be well taken care of. You will forget this happened next week with that new camera! (05.07.2009 10:26pm)
cale:Kelsey - Thanks friend. Means a lot! (05.07.2009 10:30pm)
cale:Ethan - I know you'll appreciate that cameras as much as I do. Stoked to see those Brixton photos! (05.07.2009 10:30pm)
melanie:
it's been so long that i have wanted a camera.. and now i have a canon 20D :) (05.07.2009 10:51pm)
Dylan:
Oh the 5D. I think you bought that the day I met you. Hope you're doing well man. (05.07.2009 11:34pm)
Mandy:
YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME FOR YOUR NEW CAMERA?!
Breaking it in WITH ME! (05.07.2009 11:34pm)
Sarahe:
Aw... that's so cute. (05.08.2009 01:08am)
cale:Melanie - Nice, the 20d is definitely a good camera. Invest in good glass! (05.08.2009 08:01am)
cale:Sarahe - Exactly what I was thinking! (05.08.2009 08:01am)
cale:Dylan - It wasn't that day, but it was that week! Gosh such a long time ago! (05.08.2009 08:03am)
Mandy:
oh hush, cale.
just trying to get you to come seee me! (05.08.2009 08:14am)
Aaron Newberry:
Did you already order your new __D? (05.08.2009 10:36am)
cale:Aaron - Ordering it tomorrow actually. Have it by the end of next week! (05.08.2009 10:51am)
cale:Mandy - Ya don't say? : ) (05.08.2009 10:51am)
Mandy:
yeah!yeah!yeah!
you know you wannnnna
i mean really, what could be more fun?
actually, don't answer that :) (05.08.2009 11:12am)
SR:
wow! that's a big deal!!
i'm about to get a new camera...but i am hanging onto my first 5d as a backup. i imagine i would have to do a ceremonial rite of passage thing if i were to give it away.
i miss you cale.
i'm really really excited that your life is so rock and roll. (06.14.2009 01:05pm)
cale:SR - Yeah it was definitely a tough thing to let go, but it was definitely time. I miss you too, hopefully we can hang soon. It is insane all the work that has happened. So unexpected. It is incredible though. (06.14.2009 01:09pm)
