Brian Lio is the founder of the innovative and inspired production company, JetSetZero.tv. Their cast and crew travel to a destination just with the money in their pocket, and their challenge is to live there for 3 months, finding whatever employment they can and integrating into the local life as a working citizen. Their struggles, triumphs and learning moments are all documented by the hardworking crew and shared on their site. Currently, they are filming in Quito and Italy and past season include Saigon and few yet to be released locales.
Check out what Brian has to say on Korean schools, neon cities, police run-ins and traveling on pennies.
What inspired you to start JetSetZero?
Excuses. I heard so long from so many people about why they were not doing what they really wanted to be doing. At someone point I just stopped and said why doesn’t anyone just really do want they want to do, why don’t they take the risks necessary to really do something amazing? I just wanted to show people – look, it’s not easy to accomplish your dreams, but it’s possible. A lot of us get stuck on this path, and at some point we’re not really sure why we’re on it. Because we’re supposed to be? Really? Why? I wanted to give people stories they could believe in and relate to enough to have amazing adventures of their own.
What does the name "Jet Set Zero" mean?
Jet Set Zero simply means “A jet set life on zero dollars”. It’s the idea that traveling around the globe, or any amazing lifestyle, is attainable from nothing if you invest enough hard work and perseverance.
How are the crews now different than the original cast?
We have always had a diverse and wide range of people as part of Jet Set Zero and everyone has their own stories – so in that aspect I do not think there is any clear difference between new and old. However for the first year the cast was also responsible for a lot of the production work – looking for funding, building and running the website, working with the field producers and editor. We decided that it was far too much for anyone to take on and really changed the story. The new cast gets to focus on their journey and the experience, less on spreadsheets and email.
What are the challenges of filming while traveling?
The government/police/local authorities could confiscate your gear, your gear could get stolen, you could step on cultural toes and get into an argument/altercation/fight, a monsoon could soak your gear, elephant could step on your gear, cast member could get drunk and break their knee in a club in a country where no doctors speak English, you could get stranded on an island/in a jungle/atop a mountain, you could run out of money, you could drop the camera, cast members could grow to hate each other, crew could get sick, cast could get sick, internet goes down, you are not allowed/can’t afford/there is no way to ship footage out of the country, you could need unattainable/unaffordable permits/licenses/visas, your flight could have a layout in a city where the airport is shut down due to riots, you/cast/crew could get arrested, crew could fall asleep on an early morning train and wake up in the country side instead of at home, your interview shoot could turn into a citywide riot, your casual shoot could get you involved in major local politics, you could accidently film the wrong local celebrity/politician/businessman, website goes down, website gets hacked, someone leaves all the footage on the subway, laptop fails, hard drives fail, someone quits, everyone quits, North Korea attacks, house catches fire, everyone gets fired from local jobs, jealous girlfriend reports everyone to the police for imaginary crimes, boat sinks, ferry never comes, can’t afford the tickets for cast/crew/self to home/next location/safety… and so on.
As ridiculous as this sounds all of these either happened, were a serious concern, or happened to someone we worked with. This is by far one of the most exciting and challenging jobs I can possibly imagine. Also we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we started.
What tips do you have for traveling filmmakers?
There is nothing like experience. Even though we didn’t have a background in this, and a lot of aspects of our production plan were pretty unique, we still did our research and reading. We scoured filmmaker forums, read books, talked to mentors. In the end very little that we didn’t learn out in the process of making the show ended up being useful. The more you shoot, the more you just do it, and the more you get feedback the better you’re going to be. It’s just that simple.
What travel shows do you watch and what shows inspire you?
Before everyone location we would try to find episodes of No Reservations and Three Sheets to watch. They were mostly inspiring to the extent that we would watch them and say, “They’re missing so much of the real story here. They just don’t get it. We can do something better than this.” (We do however think both hosts are pretty cool guys and Rob actually met Bourdainin Istanbul). Also we have to acknowledge Destinations for getting some really incredible shots in every one of their shows.
More recently we have been watching The Buried Life. The cast honestly just seems like great guys, and in reading up on it you learn that they only signed for that first short season as a test. So in each episode they’ve got the pressure not only just to pull off whatever ridiculous stunt they’re trying to pull but if they can’t make it work then that’s it for their show as well. It really added something for us. Plus it’s just a pretty entertaining show.
What was one place that really shocked you?
Vietnam. I knew almost nothing about it going in and even with traveling over 100,000 miles a year for work before I started this I had never dreamed I would go there to visit, much less live. We managed to get settled eventually, but that was a shocking transition to say the least.
What was a moment where you really felt like a local?
The moments where I felt most like a local were less at the big events – invited to someone’s house for dinner, beers with the locals, guest at a wedding – and more the simple things. You have these moments when you’re riding the subway in Tokyo to work, or driving a motorbike through Vietnamese traffic as fast as you can because you’re late for a date, or just grabbing dinner at a local spot that has never and will never see a tourist. In the little moments like that sometimes it clicks and you realize how amazingly exotic or bizarre you like would seem to yourself a year or few months ago and all you can do is laugh.
What was one of your most rewarding experiences?
There have been some really powerful personal moments – some of the people I’ve gotten to meet, learning how to ride a motorbike in Vietnamese traffic, the riots in Korea, teaching business classes in Vietnam – however it has really been about the work and the people I’ve gotten to work with. Beyond travel building Jet Set Zero and getting to work with all the amazing people that have been a part of it has been, far and away, the most amazing and rewarding part of the experience.
If you weren't running Jet Set Zero, what would you be doing?
I have absolutely no idea.
What's one place you could return to again and again?
Tokyo. Some (a lot of) people find the city overwhelming, but I love it. A endless, horizon to horizon, neon metropolis – no place I would rather be. I am all up for motor biking across a deserted island or riding an elephant into the jungle, but at the end of the day I love giant sprawling neon cities.
What's one place you are okay with never returning too?
Something called a “Wonderland”. It’s a Korean English school for children where each room has a different theme. I taught in the “Doctors Office” room for about two months and would spend each 45 minute class doing the following:
Removing children from the wheelchair and/or comforting the child that had been hit/run over by it.
Trying to stop the children from breaking into the unlocked storage cabinets filled with glass Christmas ornaments.
Asking the children to stop crying, or why they were crying.
Asking the children to stop hitting, kicking, biting, or punching me.
Trying to move the broken pieces of Christmas ornaments into a corner of the room away from the children.
Trying to stop the children from opening the windows and running into the nearby forest.
Yelling into the forest for the children to come back.
Singing songs about animals with the children.
Regretting an endless string of life decisions I had make up until this point.
If you ever teach in Korea and hear the word “Wonderland” run away or quit.
Where is your dream destination?
Antarctica. My parents met there while they were both working different jobs and as you can’t just hop on a plane I’ve never been. Every time I have a travel story they can always one up it.
Me – “So here we are, homeless in Tokyo and it starts snowing. Freezing cold. “
Dad - “I remember in Antarctica when it was actually cold.”
What can I do? Clearly my only option is to go to Antarctica.
What do you hope that Jet Set Zero will achieve?
At the end of the day we just want to tell our story to as many people as will listen. Whatever we can do to get the word out is something we are going to pursue. We want to inspire and enable as many people as possible to take some risks and go after what they want. There is too much Hilton/Kardashian/Shore out there telling people that all they have to do to live their dreams, to be happy, wealthy, and successful is to be more vapid, empty and worthless than everyone else. That’s bullshit. The world is filled with more amazing people and experiences than any one person can imagine but one thing remains the same wherever you go – it’s the people working hard, taking risks, and continuing on after failures – those are the ones that are having all the amazing experiences and living incredible lives. If Jet Set Zero can continue to grow and become a network of people sharing those stories of success, failure, and the experiences they bring from around the globe, then I’ll be more than happy.
What's one thing you always bring on your travels?
Camera. Almost never a big one, just a simple, sturdy point and shoot. To the jungle, a night out in Tokyo, or even just to the corner store I always have one.
