The Short Talk: Shooting the US-DPRK Summit 2019

Vietnam’s capital Hanoi was chosen to host the second summit between two of the World’s most famous, and often notorious, figures: US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.

The Creatv Company took part in this historic event as Country Fixers for CBS News, one of America’s longest established and most recognised news networks.

With our inside sources informing us that it was either Hanoi, or Da Nang, our team and CBS scouted potential locations and vantage points in both cities. When Hanoi was finally set, the rush began with us racing not only against time but also against other news networks to secure the best locations to cover the story.

Besides the primary coverage of the summit, we also assisted CBS producers and their anchors in pursuing their individual stories, ones that highlight how Vietnam as a country has risen from the ashes of war.

Each of these stories explores the different transformations that Vietnam has undergone in the past decades, notably on its willingness to open up to the world both economically and politically. They also represent Vietnam’s effort in strengthening its relationships with other countries, especially the US.

Although the summit ended without an agreement, for many who saw it happen, progress was still made. For CBS, although no deals were reached, they were happy as they had a great show, or as Dave Hawthorne, senior producer put it, “a successful remote.” For the Creatv Company, it was a great experience taking part in the historic event.