FIELD NOTES - Dave Meinert Finding The Story - The client wanted a story about female solidarity outdoors. I keep a mental Rolodex of interesting stories for requests like this. The Cholitas were a natural fit for the brand values, not to mention the aesthetic. I Always Start With The Audio - Before production, I travelled to Bolivia to spend time with the women. Twenty hours of interviews were recorded, translated and transcribed. Every conversation was a search for where their real lives and brand’s purpose naturally overlap. We built a paper edit and a narrative arc from their own words and current experiences. Translating Emotion - I use a custom mirror system that lets me maintain eye contact while the interviewee looks directly into the lens. My fixer sat beside the camera, speaking in the Cholitas’ own dialect. It kept the conversation personal, while preserving a direct human connection on screen. Trust And Time - Sharing hours of conversations with the client and agency meant everyone understood the people behind the campaign long before the shoot. By the time we rolled camera, there were very few surprises—only opportunities to refine. Keeping It Small - Teams with hybrid skill sets make it easier to move, adapt and stay close to the people at the heart of the story. The film was researched in Bolivia, commissioned in Germany and finished in South Africa. My producer and I carried a rolled up canvas around the world!