In 2007 I was fortunate enough to be providing protection on a 5 week event in Vietnam. Being the first operative in the country before the principals arrived, I was tasked to a film crew and remote location shoot. Being a last minute decision I was unaware of the exact requirements of the task and thus packed for the next three days before meeting my group as we all stepped on the mini bus to the airport. Introducing myself to everyone I soon realised they were also unsure of the area we were traveling to and looking to me for some assurance of safety. We then spent the bus ride to the airport going over filming requirements, timings, locations and my recommendations with regards to safety.
Whilst on our 20 hour plus plane, train and automobile ride to a village in the mountains on the border with China I got to know my group better. Now this blog isn’t about the specifics of this trip or even the breath taking scenery and local culture I was witness to. This article is focused on one member of the group in particular –a Hawaiian / Vietnamese individual named Duke. Duke was assisting on this job (as well as for the rest of the event in country) which gave me the opportunity to observe, and get to know him both professionally and socially. What I saw was a man who came into the country with bags packed full of clothes, books, toys, an inflatable surfboard and left with the clothes on his back and a backpack. After the contract had finished, Duke spent the next couple of weeks helping at orphanages, donating goods, time and money to help as many children as he could. Where does the surfboard come in I hear you ask? No, it was not for him or the entertainment of his colleagues but for the enjoyment of teaching the children he helped learn to surf.
I have had the pleasure to work for the same organisation which also has a strong link to charity the following two years and watch Duke do the very same thing again and again. His kindness is infectious with every year seeing more of his peers hang around, after contracts finish, to join him on his quest to bring a smile and some feelings of self worth to orphan children in developing countries.
Spread the Aloha to Kids is now an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit charity dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned and underprivileged children in Vietnam and other developing countries. Their goal is to improve the lives of these children and prepare them to be contributing members of society.
I have been fortunate in my professional career to meet and work for great individuals and companies as well as see some amazing sights pursuing a career I love. However all of this is overshadowed by the kindness and generosity I witness first hand in one individual. It is comforting to know this type of human kindness has survived the challenges of our current world and there are those out there trying their hardest to make a difference, no matter how small. You can read more about what Duke and those like him are trying to achieve at: http://www.spreadthealohatokids.org/
Blog by Damon
December 20, 2010
So really I should start this blog by explaining the meaning of the term “Cookie” and where I first came into contact with its use. In 2008 I was providing protection for a young female client in an undisclosed Asian country. After attending an event, she accepted a lift back to our hotel with a well-known individual from the international fashion community. Concentrating on the hectic traffic conditions and what was happening outside the vehicle, I only looked over my shoulder twice at my client to ensure her comfort. She was quiet and gave no indication she was uncomfortable, so I continued with scanning the traffic ahead. Once we arrived at our hotel, my client said goodnight to our driving host and we then retired to her room with me leading the way. It was then that I first heard the term “cookie”; when she began to explain that our guest had “tried to get at her cookie.”
Not wanting to misunderstand what I had heard, I spoke the next morning with her manager, who had introduced her to the phrase, as well as to his rules associated with it. These I have been sworn to secrecy to protect as well. How does this relate to working a protective detail, I hear you ask? If you have read my previous article you will be well aware that a number of my clients are female and high-profile models. Whilst dealing with photographers—amateur and professional alike—I am consistently looking at angles of potential shots to ensure no “cookie” shots turn up online or in the midst of tomorrow’s mass media. Part of protecting a client is ensuring that you are looking out for their reputation and image as well as for their physical safety; I have become adept at protecting the cookie not only from misguided suitors but also photographers on the prowl for their next big payday.
A quick Google search reveals unlimited websites devoted to making money out of shots of celebrities emerging from vehicles, camera lights flashing just long enough to capture a favorable—or very unfavorable—such moment. With the current technology available with DSLRs and mobile phones, it only takes a slight lapse in concentration; the next thing you know, TMZ has photos of your clients’ now not-so-private areas posted for the entire world to see. Although physics was never my strongest subject, I do have a good understanding of angles, reflections, and a lot of the tricks used by amateur and professional photographers to obtain those up-close personal shots. Entering, exiting from vehicles, stairs, reflective surfaces, bathrooms, elevated positions, and even mere sitting all present their own set of challenges and require forethought on the operatives’ part.
The challenge is to consider all of this before any opportunity to take those candid shots is presented. As I previously stated, you are also responsible for your clients’ reputation; having a personal protection operative physically removing memory cards and film can be just as damaging to that reputation as the shots themselves. So the next time you are looking after a female client who decides to wear anything other than jeans or a long dress, keep in mind the added responsibility of protecting that cookie.
Blog by Damon
December 7, 2010
