IamA videographer who filmed inside Chernobyl & Pripyat for 2 days. AMA!

if anyone is interested, I also created a gallery of Chernobyl Cinemagraphs that you'll find interesting: http://imgur.com/a/X4xWB

Simply amazing. What inspired you to do it in this style?

I've been making cinemagraphs at my job as a creative director in advertising. I simply thought... cinemagraphs are so wonderfully scary... what do i have that is silent and begging for details to be seen? Then I turned to 4 hours of footage from chernobyl and bob's your uncle.

any time frame when the full video will be released?

I'm just finishing episode 3 of the travel series. Chernobyl is episode 5 so it's coming. I'm trying to finish all 10 episodes first before I even upload the first. I think this will all be ready near end of summer. Editing sucks BTW... I'm slow because I'm a little bit of a perfectionist about art stuff.

Man you should really post this to /r/Cinemagraphs

they've been posted there before. They did pretty well :)

Where's the entire video?

i'll post to reddit when i have it see the response above.

Do you glow in the dark??!!

lil' bit.

Oh, no! You've been exposed to radiation, and a mutated hand has grown out of your stomach! What's the best course of treatment?

1.) A bullet to the brain - Small guns

2.) Large doses of anti-mutagen agent - Medicine

3.) Prayer. Maybe God will spare you in exchange for a life of pious devotion. - Barter

4.) Removal of the mutated tissue with a precision laser - Energy Weapons

First of all I'd totally high-five that new hand growing out of my stomach to welcome it. Then we'd probably have to get to work on some kinda secret hand shake to show the hand that we're bros for life! Then we'd fly back to Chernobyl and see if we can finish the job and complete my clone in his entirety.

or... 1)

I don't think he gets the reference.

nope. i didn't get the reference. what is it from???

Fallout

exactly.

Fallout 3 in which radiation is a huge part of the game. You take a test at the beginning of the game that asks that question.

yeah. i totally missed that. GREAT game though.

Did you encounter any people or animals while in there?

Did you go by yourself?

Did you see any visible evidence of contamination by radiation (eg. the glowing forest or weird mutations in plants etc.)?

I saw three other tourists the day I was there.

There are actually elderly permanent residents who were given permission to live out the rest of their lives in their old home if they chose to do so and waived their rights. There are few of them, but they can be found.

There are also scientific staff who live there for months at a time and study the effects of radiation on wildlife. They are not near the highly radioactive areas and take all proper precautions when conducting research.

I was there with my wife who acts as my video host/subject and a former resident of the Soviet Union.

The evidence of contamination is obvious. One thing in particular is an area of the forest. When the wind blew radioactive rain cloud North East, it moved over a very particular section of forest. That forest has a very visible section of now blackened and sick trees.

Do the residents experience any side effects from the radiation, or do they live in a safe area of Chernobyl?

2 Television productions covered this story... Vice Magazine and Departures. I didn't meet the residents, but I've been told they have a unique tolerance for gamma radiation that could possibly have been developed over time. The short answer is that they are consuming radioactive content with every glass of water and loafs of bread made from that same water. If there's ever ben a great way to get radioactive particles into your body, it would be through means of eating it. These residents are in their 80's and 90's and do not visit proper medical institutions. They live without modern services such as running water and electricity. that should set the stage for the answer...

Wow, that radiation tolerance is really interesting. Do you have any links to those articles? I wonder if that means people can develop a tolerance to other radiation, or maybe even carcinogens. This subject seems very interesting.

I can only suggest downloading "departures" and watching the ukraine episode or go to Voce's website and look for chernobyl. It's simply mentioned, but not rationalized. I'll see if i can find something to share.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has been declared an official wildlife sanctuary by the Ukrainian gov't due to the severe lack of humans. Rare and endangered species of lynx, wolves, bears, owls, and boars that have not been seen in centuries in the area have returned and are thriving. However, some species of birds and insects cannot cope with the radiation levels and the overall biodiversity has declined.

Scientists often visit the sanctuary to study the unique ecosystems and radiation effects.

The scientists all live in one of the apartment complexes in the exclusion zone but not in Pripyat. We had lunch with some of them at a nearby kitchen facility that was abandoned, but now restored, wiped clean and is in full use. A very strange experience.

The scientists were all very friendly and eager to talk about their research.

That's kind of adorable. I've always wanted to see Chernobyl, or the area around it in general. They say you should only stay for an hour or so at a time, has that changed? If I haven't missed the AMA.

I was reco'd to stay for no more than 6 hours max. I stayed for longer than that though. You'd be hard pressed to see anything in one hour... Check with private tours like "solo east chernobyl". they have itineraries on their site. get a private tour if you want it to work out well. trust me.

I'm just letting this thread know I need to step away for 2 hours. I'll be back to answer what I can in just a bit. Thanks for your interest on this AMA.

Also, to be make a serious note... please don't look to this thread for advice on whether or not to enter the exclusion zone or any certainty on health conditions. A point was made earlier that I'm not qualified to do that and it's right. I'm here to give you my observations and share my visuals of one of the most interesting places on Earth.

It's been like two hours, so i gotta ask. Did you get up to the chernobyl sarcophagus?

walked right up to it. filmed the exterior and watched the crew working on the new sarcophogus to fit over the old one.

Is there a population of mutated humans living within Chernobyl secretly being maintained by the local militia?

At first I was going to say no, but I turned to my wife and she just nodded at me... soooo...

What was one thing you weren't allowed to do that you really wanted to?

There is a grim place in Chernobyl that you can google and watch a video about. I could be wrong with the tilte but I'm quite sure it's called the "room of the first 14". This room refers to a place deep in a forgotten basement within Pripyat where the first 14 firefighters were placed.

The first 14 fire fighters went into the reactor to try and cool it down with fire hoses. They were unprotected and died within the hour.

Their uniforms and supposably their remains were so terribly irradiated that they couldn't be handled nor removed from the premises. As such, they were taken to a basement and laid to rest.

Some private tour operators will take you there and some won't. I simply wanted to know which building it was and see the inscription on the door that leads down to them. My guide didn't feel safe going to that building for "supernatural" reasons. I can't really argue with that.

You should google that room or look for a reference to the first firefighters and their place of rest.

Is actually wrong, as all of those men were taken to Moscow and died of radiation sickness within next month:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_due_to_the_Chernobyl_disaster

Contaminated clothes and equipment were left there, where they were brought in for decontamination.

That sounds more accurate to be honest.

could be this basement:

http://kiev2010.com/2010/08/pripyat-radioactive-artifacts-in-hospital-no-126/

that must be the place

Here's a link to one of many references showing "that place" http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=976_1381332388&comments=1

What was the most unsettling thing you saw or felt?

the constant sound of dripping water got to me. It's so silent and then there's the dripping.

Plot twist: there is no dripping water...

ok, we got our story. let's get that written for the screen and make a movie.

Did you find anything beautiful there?

I'm trying to think of a good rationale for you because the answer is yes. Similar to Angkor Wat in Cambodia where the Jungle has taken the city back, the forest has taken back Chernobyl. You'd be mesmerized by the way roots and trees have popped up in old government offices, ripped through a downed helicopter and even pushed a building up into the air a couple feet.

It's an urban "coral reef". You'll see the unexpected mix of scrap metal decorated with flowers and concrete with leaves :)

I wish I could've taken some souvenirs BTW, but it's not mine and it's dangerous. Exploring people's abandoned homes is a rare experience. So many beautiful family memories and collectibles and 1970's nostalgia.

How is there a downed helo? What happened to it?

There are two in the graveyard. It's said that one was the first response to cooling compound on the blaze. There is actual footage of it falling from the sky. The other one, I haven't a clue.

The footage: http://youtu.be/zuNtgYtF4FI

Did the rotor clip a cable coming off that crane?

i think it did. it also appears to have "melted" under the intense heat above the core

this is the best AMA ever and i love your name

I'm having fun with this thread too.

What types of safety precautions were necessary in order to film there?

there are few rules for what i did. I required a permit for entry, permit for a prolonged stay, a tour operator had to sign for me, a bribe to authorities and the agreement that if my film gear showed hogh levels of radiation at ext, I would surrender it without question.

Interesting, were you required to wear protective suits to shield yourselves from the radiation?

that was a choice given to us. I chose to wear the suit only when I was near puddles, heavy moisture areas and metal surfaces. Those are the deadly ones. No joke, you really have to avoid those.

wow. were you actually prepared to give up your camera or did you know it was a non-issue?

i was prepared to lose it. Prior to leaving I explained my situation to insurance. They said it would be replaced as it was damaged beyond repair if that's the case.

You risked a c300!?

i did. i was kinda worried the whole time.

You obviously got your equipment out of there but does it have a higher level of radiation now than normal?

because it never made contact with surfaces, it reads normal on our geiger. The gear was always placed in garbage bags and used once per shot. That's a lot of garbage bags.

You mention a lot about bribes. Did it bother you at all that many people were easily influenced to give you some extra "leniency" with money? How heavy were the regulations once you were already there, or were the initial fees basically like a "park entry fee"

This needs to be addressed. The regulations are relatively strict. You need to buy a permit, you need to hire a government licensed tour guide to sign your docs, he needs to at least drop you off. Buying a media pass is above and beyond...

-He's not allowed to take you into structures at all

But, if you ask how can i go into the buildings and you suggested it to his boss earlier, he'll accept a personal fee to allow you to enter and he will go with you.

It's my understanding that many people do this to gain similar access like I had. It is definitely bribery yet tolerated by the higher authorities there.

Reminder: this guy's a videographer, not a scientist. Take his "scientific" observations with a huge grain of salt.

I'm going to back this one up. I don't want anybody taking my advice on life threatening conditions at Chernobyl. I can only give you my account of what I did... dangerous or not.

I have always wondered what It would feel like to have a city to yourself, how far into the rad zone did you go, did you make it to ground zero? if so I would imagine you having to be in some pretty heavy gear

I once watched a docu where a BBC reporter entered the reactor. He died later of unrelated causes. He wore nothing but his suit. I have to assume it would be devastating to enter without protection.

I dawned a radiation suit for certain areas and surrendered the clothes I wore that day including my shoes. My shoes showed very harmful levels of radiation as I had stepped in radioactive puddles to get the shots I needed. My health was not affected to my knowledge.

MY health was not affected to my knowledge

...yet

trust me, it crosses my mind.

Did they assign you a dosimeter?

yes, we used a TERRA-P brand Dosimeter.

What was your total absorbed dose for the visit?

I actually don't know the final absorption. The highest level we hit was 15.43 where the normal level is between 0.06 - 0.40 (approx)

Was that micro-seiverts per hour? Just trying to get an idea of a number.

I recently saw Top Gear's trip to Pripyat and there was one scene where Jeremy Clarkson was driving somewhat close to the reactor building. I translated his meter to read about 30 mili-Rem (3 mili-seiverts) per hour. Not too bad considering the area.

They probably wanted you to stay away from metals because some of them have been activated by the neutron activity if the accident. Meaning some metals are now wholly radioactive and not just contaminated. Interesting video, thanks for sharing!

yes, micro-seiverts per hour. You're right, when you drive by the reactor it surged to absurd levels. But I didn't refrence that because it so sporadic/inconsistent. It jumped to 2, 15, -- , 32, 24, 0, etc... it was numbers flashing at you...

I might have footage of that, it'll be bumpy because we were driving but might be a good clip to show in the edit.

these cinemagraphs i took show some levels around the ferris wheel which are actually not too bad. Considering its metal it doesn't really have a high dose to offer. http://i.imgur.com/mH7hK1S.gif http://i.imgur.com/yAkJ1C3.gif

I was most definitely at ground zero or at least I stood in front of the now tombed reactor in question. It is an unrivalled experience to stand in a city that stopped everything and left abandoned. In case it were in question... I ensure that pripyat was an impressive city.

"The video below is rather eerie, but conveys a realistic depiction of what you'll find within the zone today."

Can confirm, it brought me right back. I went there 3 years ago when it was the 25th anniversary. The most surreal place I've ever visited. I wish I would have had more time to roam around, but the tour has you going at a pretty quick pace. Can't wait to return one day. No questions, just want to say I can't wait to see the final the product.

go again before you can't go at all. with Ukraine's situation, who knows if we'll ever have access again.

50,000 people used to live here. Now its a ghost town...

I went there in part because I was fascinated with COD's attention to detail

Have you seen any of the fictional depictions of Chernobyl ("S.T.A.L.K.E.R.," "Chernobyl Diaries")? What do you think of them?

I've seen all of them I think :) I'm actually a pretty big fan of horror and sci-fi so I welcome those films. Ok fine, Chernobyl Diaries was weak but wherever they filmed it sure did look like the real thing. There's no way they could've got permits to film in the exclusion zone though.

Did S.T.A.L.K.E.R. get the geography correct? I'm really curious about that one!

I think they nailed the city centre or downtown of Pripyat very well. The ferris wheel, gymnasium, that stuff was accurate. Beyond that, it's hard to tell.

Damn, nice! I have yet to finish Pripyat, but the first two literally blew my mind! That atmosphere is just amazing! Was it even more intense irl?

I couldn't help but be excited by what I knew from STALKER and COD while I was there. I was ALWAYS comparing where we were to what I remembered from gameplay. So yes, that was mind blowing :)

What did you feel when you were there? Do that place "say" something?

That's an interesting question... I was there with my wife at my side who was born in the Soviet Union. Though I was excited to be there for what I'll call "the adventure and rush", she couldn't help but remember the uncertainty and fear she felt the day it happened. I had to withhold some of my intrigue as not to offend her nor others that were present that day.

While I roamed the halls of crumbling and wet buildings, I gained a sense of the times. That is, the government promotional material, the textbooks and even the flyers for events that never happened are still there. They lay open on the floor and still pinned to walls. My net takeaway is that it must have felt comforting to belong to a nation that seemingly agreed on one thing— nobody in this nation is superior to one another. There was no reason to even try and better than the person next to you. It actually reminded me of a Gene Roddenberry world where people don't strive to make more money. Instead they put effort in to do nothing more than better the collective.

Another observation, though unrelated to the above, is the lack of an odor or texture that defines "radioactive". We all get that the harmful radioactive particles are invisible to the eye, but I think I had an expectation that there would be something to feel or see (aside from the city itself). After walking around for a couple hours the first day, you could easily forget that you're in a zone not suitable for most life.

While there was there places you were specificly told you couldn't go/film? If so were you given a reason why.

officially you are not allowed to enter any buildings. However, most tour operators will allow access if you provide a tip. I have to warn that the buildings are unsafe. While there, a roof collapsed in the distance on a 1-story structure. Nobody was inside. Also, any areas with puddles of water or high quantities of metal should be avoided as those two mentioned tend to show extremely high levels of radiation.

What is a reasonable "tip" amount? I'm planning on going in the next year and would like to know what I should offer without making myself broke, and without looking like a cheap fool.

I gave the tour guide $100 USD up front with my application. (that was for building entrance)

Then gave $200 USD to the military escort to the main gate within exclusion zone. That was to say "leave us alone for the day and do not tell people that he's letting me in buildings"

Another $200 for the tour guide for risking his butt.

Did you see any ghouls?

I still stare at my footage, unedited and raw... I look closely at abandoned apartments that my lens saw but my eyes didn't those 2 days. In one clip, I swear I can see a figure in one of the windows of a high rise. It might be another tourist, but my guide said nobody can get to that building.

it could be a scientist researching... or maybe... just maybe... something else.

Can you post that? Please!

i want to include that in the final edit and try to bring attention to it. It was a good point to bring up. I will share it as soon as i can make it happen.

Stunning cinematography and incredible imagery! Hats off to you, OP! You really managed to catch the emotion and the look of sudden abandonment. EDIT: Spelling. How do you words?

Thank you, I appreciate that. I hope to get the other 4 hours of footage edited into something people will be interested in.

Did you see any animals while in the exclusion zone? And if so, did they have any visible mutations?

Ok, really interesting one here. At least when I was there, we didn't see ANY animals. No small rodents, not one. We did hear the faint sound of birds chirping.

BUT, when we were leaving, just along the city border (still well within the exclusion zone) we saw wild horses running a group in a field.

I almost forgot how that felt. That was a good moment. That made it less depressing.

Jeremy wade ( of the Show River monsters ) did a show where he fished in the holding ponds for the water that cooled the reactors. It's a good watch. surprisingly, there was an abundance of fish life, even in those ponds closest to the reactor. The 'monster catfish' he was after didn't show any outward signs of radiation deformity, if I remember right. And it was caught very close to the reactor.

I've heard about the monster catfish. They were shown in several TV documentaries I've seen. Wish I coulda caught a glimpse myself.

The footage in the vimeo link is really well shot. Do you find that the camera that you used needs a lot of different lenses to be effective, in general, not just for this particular shoot?

for documentray work i almost always leave the 24-70 f/4 IS on there. It's sharp, image stabilized and just wide enough. F/4 is perfect because the c300 can pretty much see in the dark.

What kind of equipment did you use? I'd love to do this but its pretty expensive. I just got a steadicam and didn't realize it takes some practice to make it actually steady. Professional rookie :)

I used: Canon c300 Canon 24-70 f/4 IS Canon 50mm f1.2 Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 senheiiser mke600 XLR microphone 7" field monitor Kessler stealth slider (dolly) steadicam mini and some more stuff :)

steadicams do indeed take a lot of practice. don't give up!

Did you feel a sense of unease knowing what chaos ensued there in those buildings?

of course. We entered several of the 50,000 - 60,000 apartments and homes that were vacated in an instant and were returned to. People's lives as they were living them the evening before are left untouched. However, many but not all homes have been looted.

What did the core look like?

I didn't visit the core as that's off limits. Watch this link though... A BBC reporter went to the main control room beside the core for a ver short period a couple years ago. Here's a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnjzVNG18jo

you can search for the full 15 minute walk through. It's breathtaking.

Is there video or pictures of the core that melted? A quick search on youtube yielded nothing. Thanks for the great AMA!

I've searched too. I have not found any images of the actual core. Any image that remotely could show that, shows it from the sky and its already covered in rubble.

Thanks for asking

I found this, the first image is eerie (why is that guy there, is he even alive or a rotting corpse, and why is there a "ghost" right on him?) and the article is a great read. From my understanding this is a shot of the mess that leaked out of the core, not many other attempts have been made to get more pictures.

OK, that's the first time I've seen that photo. good find. You should share that.

Is there a lot of propaganda left over from the communist days, or is it pretty bare?

Have you been to many other abandoned sites to film? Representing /r/urbanexploration and /r/abandonedporn here :)

I love those subreddits. Now that I've had a taste of an abandoned place like this I will find more and film more.

We've filmed in interesting locations over the last 2 years... Everest, German Concentration camps, and a ghost town or two. We're going to focus our future travel episodes on abandoned places rest assured.

So, what do you think of the C300?

I am so impressed with it. Every time I shoot and stare through the viewfinder thinking that's what I'll get... The captured files always exceed my quality expectation after watching in my editing suite.

I will never willingly shoot with a documentary/cinema camera again that doesn't have built in ND filters. I'm spoiled now and it can't be undone :)

I wish I could unlock 2 things: 1) it has a 4k sensor that shrinks it to 1080P. It an amazing 1080p. It really does have a filmic and buttery motion that you'll fall in love with. 2) The slow motion at 720p is good enough to upscale to 1080p (add some sharpen or unsharpen) and it does the trick without question. I just wish they'd go ahead and give me 1080p slow motion.

did he died? No spoilers pls. Edit: Ahh, I see. Let me fix that.

ok fine, real answer... ever since we got back home and haven't been travelling as much... I feel a little dead inside.

No no no, you're doing it wrong. You have to ask very specifically "did he died?"

Sorry if I'm late but what equipment (Specifically camera) did you take with you?

copy pasting from another comment in this thread: Camera: Canon c300 Lenses: Canon 24-70 f/4 IS Canon 50mm f1.2 Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 Mic: senheisser mke600 XLR microphone 7" field monitor Kessler stealth slider (dolly) steadicam mini and some more stuff :)

I've always wanted to go to to Chernobyl thanks to COD. What was the most surreal moment when filming?

It was actually something that very normal to see in tourist photos... The public pool facilities. You've seen it in games a million times. Once you get there and stand there, it takes you. You can imagine it stripped of all its mold and dirt and imagine it in brand new and in use.

I was going to do a trip to Chernobyl this summer with the same company as you. Had to cancel because of the political situation. I just want to say DAMN YOU for reminding me :)

But the question:

How did you get such steady motion shots? iirc, you can't really place any gear on the ground.

i placed a fresh garbage on the ground and placed a dolly on that for the smooth shots. Go there and get those awesome shots, its videographers dream.

Awesome! Where you able to come back with anything? Like an extra tongue?

I have some super human mutant abilities but I'll save that for another IamA.

What is the air quality like there? Did you feel calm or afraid while there do to stories you may have seen or heard before going?

Air quality was great, there are little or no air born radioactive particles to speak of. The air felt and tasted like fresh country air. The small of mold and mildew is to be expected in the dense urban areas. The buildings have been rained on and flooded every year since the disaster.

If wearing protective suits is there still a risk of the radiation from the metals and water?

hmmmmmm... I afraid to give you a fact on this one. My opinion is that you'll be just fine if you wear the suit and surrender it upon exit. In theory, no radioactive particles will have contacted your body, therefore you'd be fine. We know the radiation is not airborne and not something you breathe in as it doesn't work that way. The issues come with contact and consumption.

Well, there's always radon if you want to breathe in some of that lovely radioactivity :)

oh right... ya... ya, that'll kill you.