In 2009, Ruhie Kumar co-produced (and was a videographer for!) a Global Lives shoot that took place in India. She spoke with me about navigating the complications that came with following Muttu Kumar, an 18 year old enterprising postcard seller and incidental tourist guide, through his historic village!

Produce your own Global Lives shoot—applications due March 17!

Ruhie Kumar and crew with their Global Lives participant, Muttu Kumar

What shoot did you participate in? How did you participate?
I participated in the India shoot in Hampi, Karnataka state. I was the co-producer and videographer for the India project.

How did you find out about the Global Lives Project? What did you think when you first heard about it?
My friend and colleague Rahul had heard of the project and pitched it to us. We were super excited from the first time he mentioned Global Lives and its concept! To me, it was a unique effort in getting different parts of the world together under a single lens, presenting perspectives to people which they may have not seen before. We got down to shortlisting the possible subjects and made our proposal ready.

I was working on my first job ever when I got involved with Global Lives. Doing it also gave me the professional experience I needed.

What were the biggest challenges of working on your shoot?

Muttu Kumar, the participant in the first Global Lives shoot in India

Making sure everyone in the crew was given the right task, and got to learn skills that would be useful in the future. Getting all the permissions in place as we were shooting in a historic village – amidst the ruins of the Vijaywada empire which were thousands of years old, hence we had to make sure we had a good rapport with the authorities. A 24-hour shoot is easier to plan on schedule but harder in execution. There were obstacles that we had too overcome – for example lighting issues and battery backups – which taught us a great deal about plan Bs!

What was most fun about your project? Would you ever do it again?

The most fun thing was the actual experience of being on a shoot for 24 hours! It was a rush of blood following the subject and keeping to with the subject’s pace. As a co-producer, taking care of the schedule, making sure arrangements were right for the crew, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would I ever do it again? Most certainly YES!

What would be the ONE thing you’d tell someone considering doing a Global Lives shoot?

I’d tell them to trust in your team, as you learn SO much and grow with them within days! I had the best team ever which made the process even better!

What inspires you most about the Global Lives Project?

Global Lives brings different people together, and it’s a huge learning process for everybody involved! It has created a space for media that can actually make differences as a converging point. It’s like creating a positive cultural revolution, getting global lives all under one roof, and providing a medium for new perspectives. It has helped me to look at things differently.

See the full India shoot here! Submit a inquiry to produce a Global Lives shoot by March 17th.