SEPT 16 — There is something about a video camera that makes people apprehensive. Some are shy but most are just afraid that what they say or do on camera might harm them.

As a video journalist and documentary film-maker, I document a lot of people doing and saying things in real life.

I think I do quite well in convincing people to be more candid, casual and honest when they talk to me and my camera.

A lot of it has to do with the fact that I’m mainly a solo journalist and I don’t have a crew. Since I’m alone when I’m recording, people feel more at ease.

But I also like to think that it could be because I have inviting eyes and I smile and laugh a lot. And that puts people at ease (haha!).

There are, of course, those who are just too shielded and even my charm and good looks can’t break them.

One good example is my current stint as an embedded journalist with the Malaysian Armed Forces who are serving in Afghanistan, for my next documentary project.

A lone journalist with a camera, I seem to be doing quite all right with the soldiers here and most of them seem to be warming up to me.

But still, whenever I start recording with my camera, their guard comes up and they seem to be a little bit more controlled.

And whenever I stop recording, I can actually notice their sighs of relief as they slip back into their normal selves.

They would speak to me about almost everything about life in the army whenever I have my camera off. But as soon as I lift it up, they smile or laugh and stop talking.

They don’t tell me it’s off the record but I can actually assume it’s on record since I don’t need it on camera to be able to write articles and quote them on it.

But being the ethical journalist that I am, I know that is what they mean since most of them think I’m solely a broadcast journalist.

They don’t really know that I’m also a print journalist. So how can I divulge things that have been told to me in confidence? Even though, technically, I should be able to.

So basically, I’ve gained quite a lot of intimate details but I can’t use any of it in my news reports or my documentary project. As far as quoting individuals go, anyway!

But no worries. I think I’ve captured enough reality scenes to tell a nice, respectable story of Malaysia’s finest without being too sympathetic.

And when I say that, I don’t think I can help being a little bit sympathetic. These are nice guys and I’ve been living with them for a week. They’ve fed me and kept me safe!

And the work that they are doing in Afghanistan is also very noble (no combat… just humanitarian). I definitely respect and feel proud of them. So I can’t betray them!

I’ll be leaving Afghanistan in the next couple of days and my perspective of the Malaysian Armed Forces has definitely changed for the better.

And I hope my eventual project will also do the same for the rest of civilian Malaysia when they see what has been done in their name. Selamat Hari Malaysia!

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.