Yesterday was the first day of filming and very much a trial run. Everything seemed to go well though. I have a lot of experimenting to do with the camera to get the look I want.

Yesterday Bernd was going to release his pet squirrel so I decided to go ahead and film it whether or not my kit was fully together or I completely understood it.

The thing most notably lacking in my kit at this point is an on camera monitor which will help with focusing and being able to see the camera's image from positions other than directly behind the camera.

I will be filming Bernd in Maine this Sunday at the L. C. Bates Museum as well as at his cabin. I'll post pictures afterward.

This is Bernd's pet squirrel eating a cherry on the back of his chair as he writes.

Bernd has just freed the squirrel.

It has been a whirlwind few days. I recently hit the $20,000 mark toward my first stage fundraising goal of $25,000, so I have decided to start the film.

I have been busy putting together a new camera set up. I am going to be using a still camera that shoots fabulous high-definition video. It's a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The main reasons for using this camera are the wide range of lenses available, the ability to shoot full-frame 35mm video and the stunning images it produces.

I also need to get a sound recorder, as well as a follow focus unit, filters, compact flash cards and on and on.