Aboriginal Day and Cultural Awareness

Working a fair bit with www.rymoran.com these days on a variety of projects.  Our recent project for the Provincial Health Services Authority www.phsa.ca has now launched its online course for helping health practitioners become more culturally competent when working in First Nations Communities.

Needless to say this was a very powerful project to be involved in and some of the stories are pretty tough to listen to several times in a row.  It was a simple approach to production, however, and I think we all feel proud of the end product, and its potential to enhance positive change.

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On a whim we also spent a couple of days and made a short promotional documentary about the Aboriginal Day event in Victoria's Inner Harbour that Ryan was involved in.

Plastic Ocean, Ocean Gybe

Wow, I have just scanned through a few blogs and am amazed at the form. I suppose in its very nature, it is egocentric and self centred. I sure have a strange approach comparitively. Yet I can't help but feel that as I become more educated about my web presence, it will come in handy as a place where I can update all of our project's progress'- for whatever that's worth.

The Ocean Gybe www.oceangybe.com expedition started a year or so before we got involved with it. These 3 guys had set sail on an ultimate life adventure, seeking their youth and seizing the day. They dreamt of surf breaks that the average person would never see. Waves that required a dedicated ocean voyage to reach. Having been recently exposed to information about the great Pacific Gyre, they also found a cause they could support with their trip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

http://www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html

http://www.surfrider.org/

Yet the less inhabited the shoreline the more concentrated the horrific tragedy of plastic accumulation. Their mission became more and more about this global issue, and today it dominates their thoughts.

And so here I sit with hundreds of these little tapes of their trip up until Brazil this past Spring. Since they have not been shooting in HD, or by any professionally directed standards, the plan is to create an interactive website that incorporates the video content into a map of the expedition.

How perfect it would be if after the storm season passes, they had a full production crew with them shadowing on another ship? The costs vs. flying your crew around are appealing, and the resulting TV series would have an entire web series online that leads audiences to the grand finale- their long anticipated trip through the Pacific Gyre.

And yet that would require a TV commitment. A Canadian Broadcast would also trigger a significant amount of new media grants. Yet with the amendments to the Canadian Television Fund, there is very little incentive for TV programmers to buy documentaries. That is, if any of them were buying instead of filing for bankruptcy or selling their assets at the first opportunity.

http://www.docorg.ca/files/CMF_DOC_press_release_FINAL.pdf

And so, I have signed with E1 Entertainment http://www.entertainmentonegroup.com/ to shop the project, forbidding me to pursue further discussions on the matter. I plan to proceed in the best form possible to salvage the shoot if all fails, while trying to retain a positive attitude within all the industry skepticism.

We've posted the trailer online. Please have a peak, I love feedback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_3zpiBzMwA

nextMEDIA

http://www.nextmediaevents.com/banff/

The world of new media is both inspiring and daunting, as I'm sure everyone can agree.

I'd say that this conference has got to be one of the best returns on the dollar I have ever spent. The world races on and we sprint to keep up. As I sit here now, the tabs on my browser peak out expressing my social networking plethora. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Hootsuite, and this blog. Sheesh. Not easy to maintain. Something's gotta give.

So to start with, our weekend conference held an exciting debate. Sarah Diamond from OECD made a bold statement about the need for new media funding that is not contingent on a broadcaster license. I almost lept from my seat to kiss her on the mouth. This is a big problem regarding how bass ackwards things are, and NOT forward thinking when they are basing things on the archaic forms of the past.

Then Michael Geist of the University of Ottawa called David Neale from Telus out on Net Neutrality. News to me, but unlike in the US, our ISPs are able to throttle back our internet signal at will if they deem the recipient to be unworthy of the cost of providing it at full speed. Yet they will still charge for the max bps. It seemed Geist wanted an admission of guilt as to whether or not the law was broken when Telus inadvertently blocked access to several sites a few years ago. Neale was so amazingly gracious in his rebuttle and admitted some 'incompetence' on their part. He did deny the claims that Canada trails to world in internet stats, and the jury is still out on whose information is most accurate. I notice today that Bell is launching their own traffic 'shaping' way forward. The regulations debate rolls on.

some great articles on this and similar subjects here http://tmdenton.com/pub/presentations/index.htm

The 2.0 presentation by Alexander Manu was definately a favorite of everyone there- likely due to the amount of laughter he incited. A few of my favorite quotes:

Technology can not be monetized, only behaviour can.

Your desire for coffee created slavery.

Community preceeds the network.

Empowerment is a precondition, and an expectation.

The #1 business model is hope. (Obama anyone?)

And on the last note he makes a beautiful point throughout the talk about the dreamcatcher. A wonderful business model. No one knows if it works, but it holds the promise that it will.

Next up, Mike Farrell from Youthography shared some facts about the Millenial generation. This demographic is very ellusive to the old gaurd. They resist all things created by the establishment and generally opose brands and advertising. Yet they are willing to support a company that they believe is congruent with their values. Enter the world of sponsored programming. Glee for me, as we are looking at an environmental project targeting this audience that could use some valuable sponsorship. Hmm. Encouraging. www.oceangybe.com

The Bell New Media fund presented http://www.bellfundbliki.ca/ and Omni was used as a test case for the assembled panel to advise on their online approach for Buffalo Air- a series being produced for History Television. Hmmm, thinks I. Our Exec Prod said that when she sold http://www.theimmortalbeaver.com/ to History it wasn't really what they were doing and they took it on more as a favour to her. Yet they went on to buy the Flightpath series, and now this. Did our project bring the enthusiastic aviation audience to the forefront for them with our strong viewership numbers? One would like to think. Anyways, the interim site for this project can be found at http://www.iflewthenorth.com/

RSS feeds, mobile content, podcasts, viewing trends, platforms, applications, metrics, Google's brilliant Adsense, brands, engagement, disruption. My notes are extensive.

The final hurrah was likened to the openning debate. A standoff between Dave Purdy of Rogers and Eric Klinker from Bit Torrent. It was cute to see Dave hurling sideways jabs at Eric regarding the legalities of peer to peer. I have to say that the organizers did an amazing thing by bringing the spectrum of the industry on stage together. Not your average fluff stuff of talks full of everything you already knew.

My noteworthy quote from this fight: Technology is likened to gravity. You can't have an argument with gravity. - Klinker

Generally the theme of the conference would be the challenge of catering to an audience and a generation that wants to watch their video on their own time, when they want it, in the place of their choosing. Sounds like a spoiled kid, but I guess it is becomming our right as audience members more and more.

Winner of best online brand went deservedly to http://www.bitchinlifestyle.tv/ Check out what these guys have done, amazing work in the genre!

Rockie Mountain Roads

After the dead red path of Pine
Blazened by the beetle's wrath

5000ft above the peculiar heat at sea level

Majestic peaks painted in ice
sheer and steep
Feed our radiant jade river

It thrashes along with us
braided with road and traintrack
carved through epic rock and furry forest

hours of delicate glaciers watch over our journey
and we breathe their crispness
breath after breath, mile after mile

Petals in Estonia

TRAILER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-o4cf2qWlM&feature=channel_page

Your wonderful documentary PETALS - JOURNEY INTO SELF DISCOVERY is nominated to compete in frame of the 23rd Pärnu International Documentary Film Festival for the Estonian People’s Award. It means that the film will be broadcast on Estonian Television during the festival week (in a one evening from Sunday, July 5th through Saturday, July 11th). Last evening of the festival, after the airing of the last documentary of seven competing films, the TV-audience all over our country is welcome to call to the studio and to give points.

After voting process the president of country or the minister of culture will make award to the director of the best film. It happens the tenth time already and we do hope that the Estonian people make a right choise this time, too. Would be very nice to have all seven authors in Pärnu in person.Due to very complicated financial situation we are unable to cover Your travel expenses. If You’ll find possible to come to Pärnu, we are ready to provide You with a nice summer hotel. But, please let us know ASAP your resident country and town where do you live. Maybe we can get some sponsor tickets from our national airline Estonia Air.

As one of our traditions is to introduce authors of competing films before transmission on TV, we would like ask You in following.We would like to record a short interview with You which will shown before Your competition screening on ETV. Could You be so nice as organize a shooting on video (DVcam or DV) of Your quite close-up portrait when Mark Soosaar, head of the festival, is asking questings on telephone and You are answering to these questions which concern crerative process of Your film.We are on our behalf shooting Mr. Soosaar at the same time. From the footage of both cassettes will be edited a 6 – 7 minutes long clip to be shown on Estonian TV before screening of Your film.If You like the idea, please, dont hesitate to tell us – which date is the best to call You and to record the distant interview.We would like to receive the 7 cassettes from 7 authors latest during the last week of June. There must be an editing and subtitling time left for the first broadcast which takes place in July 5th.

CordiallyVaiko Edur, Head of programs of the 23rd Pärnu International Documentary Film Festival

Next Media

Packing for a roadtrip through the glorious Rockies, I'm really excited about this weekend's conference.

http://www.nextmediaevents.com/banff/schedule.php

This is all about the Ocean Gybe expedition for me, and I hope we'll find those magic people who will help craft the online series that will ultimately bring an international audience to address an issue that can not wait for our attention any longer.

Our new trailer is online now. Please visit the current site to view: www.oceangybe.com

Doxa (δόξα) is a Greek word meaning common belief or popular opinion

A pleasant surprise for our 3pm screening of Cathleen Smith's 'Here Are the News' about the incredible life of Miss Edith Josie. I would say the theatre was at least half full, and the audience participated in an enjoyable Q&A following the show. Definately a treat for Cathleen after 10 years of working on the project.

http://doxafestival.ca/festival/films/here_are_the_news.html

I was one of 5 editors on this project as it was...challenging. I also ended up with a Co-Producer credit as I helped acquire the completion funding from CBC North with the help of Gary Marcuse while he was still at CBC BC. It also had funding from Canada Council, NFB FAP, and Yukon Film. Apparently all the previous money went into filming (too much footage) and as usual, none saved for proper post-production. Here we are and much still needs to be done. Fingers crossed that Bruce Cowley at the Documentary Channel takes the program.

DOXA is a sweet festival of the documentary skew. After Amsterdam http://www.idfa.nl/ and http://www.hotdocs.ca/ the Vancouver festival of documentary had little new to offer on it's program. Likely this is due to programmers now accessing the IDFA online database of submissions rather than sifting through the thousands of submissions that come off the street.

It is a brilliant process of elimination and I learned much from the slews of people in Amsterdam trying to keep all of the non-fiction straight. (often such complex stories compared to the scripted feature) Being nominated in our category for http://www.petalsthejourney.com/ as well as being in the festival alone got us even further toward the top of the list, and it was an amazing thing to grasp as a filmmaker.

Most screenings at this year's DOXA were well attended, and Vancouver continues to embrace festival of film for the opportunities they provide as far as access to the unusual. Toronto was as supportive of HotDocs and ticket sales inspire me to no end considering how far the genre has come in public opinion.

Next year I hope to take in some more Doxa forum talks and films.

Sorority Wars EPK

Wrapped EPK production on Sorority Wars for Lifetime last night. It is a mentionably wonderful cast they have compiled including Faith Ford, Courtney Thorne-Smith and Lucy Hale. All truly wonderful interviews. The crew's exausted expressions revealed how close they are to wrapping the show and they will see a couple months of well deserved time off. It is a blessing in this case that there isn't another show lined up until the Lifetime mini-series that starts filming on the island mid-August.

Our EPK materials will primarily end up on http://www.mylifetime.com/ and I think we can all learn from their extensive online presence. Considering how much our crew cost for the 2 days, it was a magnificient investment on their part. Not something Canada has really grasped just yet.

This week I complete the edit of the Treaty signing for the Huu-Ay-Aht Nation and clear the plate for next week's show in Vancouver. The end of the epic month of screenings. Hurrah. I'm hoping we can pursue the Huu Ay Aht story with them and work in partnership to produce the story of their journey to this day when they have erradicated the oppressive and racist Indian Act from their lives.

Held over is Vancouver and Toronto is Velcrow Ripper's Fierce Light. I encourage everyone to support this film while it is in theatres as you are doing more by buying your ticket than just going to a show. You are demonstrating Canada's interest in it's own creations. That is worth much more than $10 in our industry. http://www.fiercelight.org/

Vancouver Shows in May

Ahead we are now planning for the Vancouver screening of the Edith Josie film at Doxa http://www.doxafestival.ca/festival/films/here_are_the_news.html

followed up with a performance by our favorite groups http://www.gangagiri.com/ at the Red Room. I turn 28 the night of the 28th and I can't think of any better way to celebrate after this crazy month of screenings.

I would call the test screening of 'I'm a Witch, So What' at the http://www.gaiagathering.ca/ a resounding success. Overall what I heard was that there is much to say, and there has yet to be a definitive documentary made on the subject. I am excited to see what materialized within the community regarding the documentary project that we are witnessing evolve.

Petals has just been invited to screen at the Kos Festival in Greece where we are also hopeful for a television license. Our friend Jan at http://www.filmstransit.com/ is working hard to bring this project to the world and we are all confident in his heralding abilities. For more about Petals please visit http://www.petalsthejourney.com/

The Immortal Beaver Screens in Victoria

Our theatre was sold out well before the scheduled start time and we turned away at least 20 more people at the door. Not only did everyone by 6 people stay for a Q&A afterward but we sold all of the 30 DVDs we brought to the show.



The audience was conducting a collective conversation in advance of the screening, and we soon realized that we were amongst a large number of aviation legends.


We had the pleasure of meeting the daughter of one of the designers of the plane and invited her along with one of the film's characters, Ted Gerow, Director of Aircraft Maintenance at Viking Air, to join us for the post screening discussion. The feedback was wonderful and it feels like a film this is a film of importance in Canada's archive.

www.theimmortalbeaver.com

HotDocs

A week that didn't dissapoint in Toronto. My favorite festival was a little slim on the open bar, dance floor receptions this year but it was temendous none-the-less. http://www.hotdocs.ca/

The 2 films I managed to see were remarkably groundbreaking.

http://burmavjcom.title.dk/

http://schedule.hotdocs.ca/index.php/2009/film/antoine

The forum was packed with great projects and every talk was inspiring and eye openning. I encourage anyone interested to view them on the hot docs website as they did a good job of documenting everything.

Man on Wire on Fire

Oestre weekend saw many films pass in front of me (thank you rainy weather) and I am still thinking about www.manonwire.com .  Superb filmmaking.  Absolutely superb.  James Marsh is my new idol.  He's crafted a film unlike many in terms of form and content, reinventing storytelling for the documentary genre, and with relatively few credits to his name.   I feel my theories about instinctive filmmaking are being proven by Marsh.  Or maybe it's the editing background that lends to a director's eye?   I can hope...

Now Religulous on the other hand...

I had high hopes for this film, as it is a topic obviously of interest to me, and full of potential.  Lazy jump cuts, lousy journalism, and absolutely zero verisimilitude.  Larry Charles took the words of his subjects and contorted this film into a one-sided narrative that rarely lets anyone speak but Maher.  Only in a few moments is anyone actually allowed to discuss any of his points and the one time he was stooped (by Jesus, no less) he rebutted in the car the next day.  Hardly fair?

Not that anyone can really disagree with his rant, but in this medium there are many more ways to make a point more powerfully than with an approach that can only be aimed at audiences already on side.  And what's the point of that Bill?  They wondered why they didn't win an Oscar?  I'd say it was because their egos and budgets were too high to allow for the creative spirit to run through.

And so last week's announcement of the implementation of the plan for the Great Bear Rainforest was not smothered all over the news as it could have been.  Yet we have now completed revision of the previous video we produced on the project 3 years ago for www.bcfii.ca .   

"Filmmaking" in Victoria

The universe has decided we will not screen our Doc Challenge entry at Hot Docs. Or maybe it was really the judges decision. A very strong US showing in the programming and only 1 Canadian doc. The point of these competitions for me is more about initiating production, and that we did- so I count it a success.

I'm not sure of the future for this wee glimmer of documentary, but I'm sure a reason will appear for our non-selection sometime in the future.

Perhaps at the Pagan conference http://www.gaiagathering.ca/ happenning this year in Vancouver at UBC. (conveniently located next to my favorite beach) "I'm a Witch - So What?" has been invited to screen in a longer version that I have yet to create - the evening of May 18. It will take a good think to make this 7 minute film into 20 specifically because it is a Pagan audience and from what I can tell, they truly enjoy discourse.

Meanwhile, it is the fiscal year end here in BC's capitol city. It's that special time of year where any leftovers in the coffers are spent in a hurry, often on small video projects.

This year also coincides with a rather monumental announcement for our friends at http://www.moresbyconsulting.com/ who have been involved in negotiating a plan for the Great Bear Rainforest for well over 10 years now. It's one of my favorite corporates from what we've done. You can watch it at http://www.coastforestconservationinitiative.com/mini_site.html and I will post the revised one here in the next couple of weeks. It's amazing that this deal was reached between industry, environmental groups (almost all of them) and First Nations and everybody is happy.

The media blitz is currently underway at the Parliament Buildings. While the crew covers that I tinker away at a training program for Aboriginal Health Care = filmmaking in Victoria.

Edith Josie - Here Are the News

After many many years in production of Cathleen Smith's Here Are the News, it has been enjoying some success.

A few weeks ago Cathleen and I were interviewed on CBC radio's North by Northwest http://www.cbc.ca/nxnw/ after Paul Grant's Whitehorse neighbour gave him a DVD of the film. That broadcast has sent several people with fond memories to us looking for a copy, and resulted in an invitation to screen as part of the Doxa Documentary Festival in Vancouver this May 27th, 2009. http://www.doxafestival.ca/

I also submitted it to the Victoria Indepepndent Film Producer's Association http://www.vifpa.com/ for consideration for their "Take 2" series, where they screen member's works on a Saturday afternoon at the Capitol 6, Empire Theatre. We have just found out that Edith will screen in Victoria also in May. The date is still TBA.

Here are the News
1x48min documentary


Here are the News is a documentary celebrating the accomplishments of the famous Yukon journalist named Edith Josie.

Miss Josie captured the hearts and imaginations of thousands of people around the globe with her unique approach to writing. She became the correspondent for the Whitehorse Star in 1953, a job she held for almost 50 years. Here Are the News was syndicated in the Edmonton Journal, the Fairbanks News and the Indian News in Vancouver. Her work as a reporter for Old Crow brought her worldwide success when LIFE magazine did a feature on her. Over the years she has put the small town of Old Crow on the map, appearing numerous times on Peter Gzowski’s popular CBC Radio show and television shows such as Front Page Challenge.

Her passion for education, tradition and respect are obvious themes as this documentary explores more than just the journalistic side of this member of the prestigious Order of Canada. Her morals and outlook on life are constantly being demonstrated to others through her teachings as she shows people the value of language, story, education, and faith. She lives these lessons through her interactions with her community, the church, the public, and her family. Edith also shows us the unique way of life of the Gwit’chin people and how the threat of modern developments can impact their livelihood.

In the world of Edith Josie she just reported the news, but to the rest of the world she opened the doors to Old Crow, her views on language, education, and social responsibility, tradition, and Gwit’chin culture- leaving us with a lifetime of legacy and values.


“She doesn’t put it that way, she doesn’t say it, she lives it and that’s the way she lives everything she does in her life” - Cathleen Smith, Director

Seaplane Training Video for Victoria Harbour

Last year we produced a training video for the floatplane pilots operating in and out of Victoria Harbour. This morning I awoke to our first review:

"On the subject of the video, last night was Kenmore’s recurrent training night and most of our pilots saw the video for the first time. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Arwen, I have seen that video numerous times now, but every time I look at it I continue to be impressed with how you managed to take a very dry subject and present it in such an entertaining and informative way. The finished product is just so much better than most of us ever thought it could be, and the credit for that goes to you and David and Mike and everyone else at Gamut who worked on it. It’s really a first class piece of work."

Dry subject? Are you kidding? We're talking about floatplanes here...

That project is right up there as one of my favorites. I'd post it for you here but I'm not sure Transport Canada would appreciate it. In a harbour with 2 ferry services, cruise ships, small harbour ferry boats crossing all day, kyackers, pleasure crafts, and hundreds of take-offs and landings daily, it is an impressive operation and just beautiful to watch and to edit.

Doc Challenge

A great success with our 7 minute entry for http://www.docchallenge.org/. 5 crazy days of filmmaking really paid off. I'm looking forward to screening our film 'I'm a Witch - So What" for the cast and crew tommorow night at http://www.islandfx.ca/

Many thanks to Simon and Brooke for the opportunity to use and promote their facilities.

It will give me great pleasure to give the incredible Victoria crew a copy of the film and a beer in thanks for the spectacular work. Talents like these make one consider the potential for filmmaking in Victoria is almost endless.

I’m a Witch, So What?
Gamut Productions, Victoria BC
7mins HDTV

Today, the number of people practicing witchcraft is increasing more than any other non-immigrant based religion. Why Wicca? Why now?

I’m a Witch, So What? is a critical look at a religion generally considered to be without doctrine and spiritual over-authority. One of its only rules is that everyone is free to carry out their (own) personal exploration as long as they 'harm none.'

During a time of rising global awareness, the witch returns in a new form after years of being misunderstood, coming forth to share common goals with many other open religions as they seek a broader understanding of the direction of our planet. The witch remains a vital part of human progress, emerging in this documentary with a voice that challenges preconceived notions of the past.

My first blog post

Hi,

For some reason I've decided to create a blog.
Does anyone actually read these things?