Phucket Jet Ski Operator Blames Film Makers

JJ, the notorious Phuket jet ski operator who was filmed for the Bravo documentary Big Trouble in Thailand, has made a statement on Channel 3 apologizing for disappointing Thailand.  At the same time he claims that the producers of that documentary set him up  because the scene involving the gun was filmed separately.

The producer Gavin Hill stands behind the aired version of the documentary and swears the gun was part and parcel of the scene. Gavin released the raw footage of the jet ski incident last week and curiously the whole scenario played out uncut and there was no gun present. Did he just forget to release the raw footage of the most important part?

Andrew Drummond posted today on his blog I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ, where Gavin Hill is quoted as saying:

I do have problems with the way this show is being put together but the gun incident is quite clear. It  is a rolling shot, there are no cuts except when JJ tells me to stop filming.

This statement is false on it’s face as there is a clear cut in the original documentary when JJ goes to get his gun. If you watch the raw footage at the end of this post you can see exactly where the cut happens when compared with the final cut of the documentary. As a matter of fact the raw footage shows JJ getting along with all of the marines in the raw footage that the gun scene is cut into.

Even more troubling are the audio cuts that accompany the scene. At the 6:40 mark of the original documentary you clearly hear a marine say ” Sorry mate, Sorry” during the gun scene and if you watch part 4 of the raw footage at the 2:21 mark you hear the same exact “Sorry mate, sorry”  that was from a different scene. It’s  the same exact audio dubbed in to the final cut to make the scene seem more intense. Also watch the expression on JJ’s face as he comes out with the gun, he’s smiling which seems odd given the circumstances.

Original Documentary: At the 6:40 mark you hear the audio dub “Sorry mate, sorry”

Raw Footage: at the 2:21 mark you can hear the same exact “Sorry mate, Sorry” used in the final cut

The raw footage was clearly manipulated during editing to make the scene look and feel more dangerous. The raw footage released so far doesn’t include the gun scene so apparently there is more raw footage that needs to be released.

Don’t get me wrong here, JJ is most likely guilty of perpetrating jet ski scams on tourists and if he is found guilty of that then hopefully the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on him. But, if the editors of this documentary have edited in such a way to make JJ look like he is guilty of pulling a gun on innocent tourists then who is the criminal?

I think it’s time all the raw footage of the incident is released so there is no question as to what happened. How about it Gavin?

All the raw footage of the Jet Ski incident released to date:

The above video is all of the footage surrounding the gun scene which is absent. The gun scene was clearly cut into this footage.

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17 Responses to Phucket Jet Ski Operator Blames Film Makers
  1. Andrew Drummond
    September 15, 2009 | 12:25 pm

    I believe you are right about the sound byte being moved from one place and copied into the gun scene.
    Gavin Hill has complained. Must have been done to add drama, Actually Gavin says the Marines were quite composed but a little taken aback when the gun but the sound suggests otherwise. I will get back to you on the complaint that there was a cut in the rolling shot, and if so what difference it makes if any.
    The sound bit though was tacky and if the editors in London are going to do that I am not surprised Gavin Hill is distancing himself from them.
    Andrew Drummond´s last blog ..I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ My ComLuv Profile

    • Talen
      September 15, 2009 | 1:21 pm

      Andrew,
      It does seem like all the parties involved were a little tense but they were all getting through the situation and both sides were apologizing here and there. If you look at the next to last video you see it throughout.

      That is also the video with all the scenes with the before and after of the gun scene. The original cuts just after the one marine looks at the jet ski to the gun scene then quickly cuts back to when the one marine is walking away and everyone is apologizing…then the scene cuts to snow.

      It also seems a little odd that the Naval Police Officer would be as cordial and shake hands with a man that just pulled a rifle on his men.

      it’s not clear with the raw footage just when the gun scene happened because that scene is absent from the raw footage.

      Clearly the editors got creative to pump up the intensity…that’s what reality tv does.

      I’m not suggesting that Gavin is at fault in how any of this played out because the editing is being done without his input. But he is the one person that could clear all this up.

  2. Andrew Drummond
    September 15, 2009 | 2:44 pm

    Your other suggestion was however wrong. Its a full rolling shot.
    Andrew Drummond´s last blog ..I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ My ComLuv Profile

    • Talen
      September 15, 2009 | 3:01 pm

      There are 6 full cuts from the 6:22 mark of the final cut of the documentary. It’s posted above all you have to do is watch it.

      A full rolling shot wouldn’t cut back and forth between JJ and the marines.

      So clearly I was wrong because there are more cuts than originally posted

  3. Martyn
    September 15, 2009 | 5:08 pm

    Talen I think you have been right all along about the jet ski affair in that it was stage managed to add effect and your latest views and analysis of the video evidence add even more weight to the debate. I commented in your original post having watched the episode here in the UK….

    ‘The jet ski incident between JJ and the navy officer was in my opinion possibly real but with one hell of a lot of playing up to the cameras, maybe a deal was struck and certain actions agreed’……

    I’ll stick to that assessment of the whole sorry affair and hope that some good comes out of it all.
    Martyn´s last blog ..The Thai Two Finger Salute My ComLuv Profile

    • Talen
      September 15, 2009 | 7:19 pm

      Martyn,
      after the release of the raw footage I agree that most of the incident is real and the editors just took artistic license with the footage and audio.

      I hate to keep harping on it but this just bothers me from the standpoint that a real arrest has been made and the guy could do very real jail time. If he really threatened the marines with a gun then he damn well right deserves it but if there is a chance that not all is what it seems then thats a problem.

      This could have been cleared up a while ago and it’s confusing to why it hasn’t been.

  4. Catherine
    September 15, 2009 | 8:37 pm

    ‘I’m not suggesting that Gavin is at fault in how any of this played out because the editing is being done without his input. But he is the one person that could clear all this up.’

    I agree. That and releasing all of the footage would be a big help.

    (and I’m looking forward to one more post in the Jet Ski Gun Toting Saga from Phucket)
    Catherine´s last blog ..Interviewing Successful Thai Language Learners: Chris Baker My ComLuv Profile

  5. Andrew Drummond
    September 15, 2009 | 11:01 pm

    i have put up Gavin’s reply to my site now. He congratulates you on your detective work! I think this probably explains fully what happened. I know he has other problems with the way this film is being cut in London, but in general I believe that the presentation of JJ was fair in that he did produce a gun and the Marines were clearly taken aback. This is before Tim Wright, the police sergeant arrives on the scene btw so that is not an issue.
    Of coure many Thais, including the Police General quoted in today’s Bangkok Post are going to believe in the conspiracy, because they will not accept that these rip offs go on.
    I hope this is of help. Its on the same link below
    Andrew Drummond´s last blog ..I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ (updated) My ComLuv Profile

  6. Talen
    September 15, 2009 | 11:33 pm

    Andrew,
    The Thai police general will stay with the conspiracy theory not because he won’t accept the fact but he knows it’s true and wants to save face.

    I’ve read Gavin’s reply on your site and I think it’s great he’s going to release the gun footage…but I still take exception to the full rolling footage quote.

    If you start the video as JJ walks from the house ( 6:25 mark ) it cuts to the marines ( 6:29 mark ) at least once before coming back to JJ. If you start the film as JJ walks into the house it cuts twice to the marines before focusing on the gun.

    Hopefully the raw footage of JJ with the gun will leave no doubts in anyone’s mind as to what happened.

  7. Lloyd
    September 16, 2009 | 12:58 am

    I don’t think anyone has any doubts some of what was shown was done to ‘ham it up’ and is a mix of ‘real life’ and acting and possibly shows JJ as more of a gun toting criminal than a simple crook.

  8. Andrew Drummond
    September 16, 2009 | 4:05 am

    I repeat the original shot of JJ with the gun was a rolling shot from him leaving to get the gun and then bringing it out to the Marines (at first behind his back).
    What you are getting confused with is ‘cutaways’, that is actuality of the Marines as he approaches.
    This is common TV practice because long rolling shots get boring. Gavin will put it up.
    Andrew Drummond´s last blog ..I apologise to the Thai people but blame the film-makers – JJ (updated) My ComLuv Profile

    • Talen
      September 16, 2009 | 4:05 pm

      Andrew,
      There is no confusion. If there is a cutaway then there is no long rolling shot.

      Gavin is quoted on your blog as specifically saying:

      “There is no cut between JJ emerging with the gun, hidden behind his back and approaching the Marines, during which time I’m focused on the gun.”

      This statement is not true. When JJ leaves the house there is a cut to the marines standing outside then it cuts back to JJ revealing the gun and then the camera pans down.

      ” A rolling shot” infers that the camera doesn’t leave the subject…the aired footage says otherwise.

  9. Jackson
    September 22, 2009 | 1:29 am

    Thai’s are ALL CROOKS!!!!! Hope they’re tourism suffers because they deserve it.

    • Talen
      September 22, 2009 | 2:41 am

      Pretty broad brush you paint with there Jackson. Certainly not all Thai’s are crooks. That has not been my experience nor the experience of anyone I know that journeys to or lives in Thailand.

  10. Dex
    January 13, 2010 | 11:39 am

    JJ organised for the film crew to be picked up to film it.

    ANd of course, it has to be edited, because even a confrontation that goes on for long enough, is boring.

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