Perhaps you are visiting because you saw my pic. with Vancouver Mayor G. Robertson in the NY Times…next to a Headline about $ 1 Billion Dollar Hangover. Might be the 1st and last time that an Indie Filmmaker and $Billion are seen together/associated! This is the film I am shooting and the reason I ‘was seen with Gregor’ that day.
MG was just telling me about his Twitter post for the day.
And Because you chose to visit here is my video of Red Mitten Fever in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. Enjoy!
I wanted to post this video again. It was a year ago today that my Father passed away. People in Ottawa were getting excited about President Obama coming to visit. Now a year latter I’m home in Vancouver and the excitement is the Olympics, a party my Dad would have enjoyed. Meeting people from around the globe and following his curiosity wherever it took him. Mostly to the Alberta House I am guessing, up the street from me and with live Western Music every nite! It has been an interesting year living without him. I think about him often and feel his presence still. Last nite my Mom arrived from Ottawa to take in some of the Olympics, I am happy she’s here and grateful to spend this day with her.
During the Games I will be busy working on my documentary, With Glowing Hearts. Even though it’s busy times ahead I am looking forward to tons o fun. With so much happening I have turned a wall in my house into a calender just so I won’t miss anything!
I feel playing host to the world comes with some responsibility. When I travel I get excited about having unique local experiences. It’s so great when you’re introduced to some gems. Thinking about that lately I have come up with a few of my Vancouver favorites that I feel make this town special. Wanting to share with as many folks as possible, I felt it important to post some links. Enjoy.
DRINK: Vancouver and British Columbia in general have a number of great beers. Here are a couple of my favorites. Storm Brewing’s Scottish Ale. Nelson Brewing’s Faceplant Winter Ale and my old stand by Russell’s Cream Ale (fyi Russells Lemon Ale simply delicious in the summer)
MUSIC: There is a ton. Here’s a couple I know that are performing in Feb. Rich Hope and the Hard Rock Miners Singalong at the Railway Club.
The mountains and the ocean provide plenty of adventure. From the famous Grouse Grind, world class mountain biking to our three local ski hills. Not to mention the Sea Wall. Then there’s Whis as we say here in the lower mainland & not to be missed 4:20, a great time of day.
During the Olympics a few hidden gems: W2 and Robert Lepage, Canada’s preeminent artist.
This video is part of April’s storyline from the Documentary ‘With Glowing Heart’. Myself and Producer Jon Ornoy, from Animal Mother Films, have been working since Feb. 2009 documenting April’s and three other stories about how people in Vancouver are being effected by the coming Olympics.
Here we follow April Smith on her journey building AHA Media as the preeminent social media source for Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Along the way April faces many challenges including homelessness.
We began shooting with the Sony HVX 200 and you can see at the end of the video we began using the Canon 5D Mark II which really contributes to the dynamics of the story.
Always a challenge in documentary filmmaking is resources, so I have well over 50 people to thank so far for their support! Everyone that has touched this film has been so supportive. Thank you so much and May 2010 be a Gold Medal year for all! I invite you to check out the website wghthemovie.ca.
Lucky me, every year I get to experience Hallowe’en for at least 90 days!
Saunders Farm is 100 acres of haunting fun! Just outside of Ottawa, where I grew up, it is located on BLEEKS Road, in MUNSTER, in the old township of GOULBOURN. Haunting Season began in October 1992 with a small 4 scene haunted hayride and a 4 scene haunted house. 18 years later, well, let me just show you.
First you need to know-I live in Vancouver, B.C. and Saunders Farm is in Ottawa, where I grew up, some 4700 km away. Anne & Bill Saunders, my Aunt & Uncle and Cousin Mark and his Wife Angela Grant are the creators of this amazing magical place. Haunting Seasons last the WHOLE month of October! It draws me back every year, with a new camera, each one better than the last, both camera and experience!
Cousin Mark and I, along with the folks at Jester Creative-got started in Sept. We cut footage gathered from last years HAUNTED HAYRIDE to produced a little thing called ‘Locally Grown Terror!’ This played at all the Ottawa Senators home games in October.
There are so many creative individuals involved in the farm and no shortage of great ideas. This year…we upped the Social Media profile, spruced up the YouTube channel and ran ‘CANADA’S NEXT TOP MONSTER’ contest.
Lots of people checked out the video but… we weren’t getting any response so when I arrived in Ottawa the first thing we did, well we tried a little encouragement…let’s be frank we dared people to enter with their video responses.
Then we just tried to funny…which we are always harvesting at the farm.
and
Then we tried leading by example…a ‘how to’ if you will.
…and still no responses. Very curious over 1200 views and no responses???
Big at Saunders Farm is the parody & keeping pace with Hollywood. Every year the Stage Show is always a crowd pleaser. Written by Jason Whiting, starring ‘Larry Scary’, the always Regal ‘Green Queen’, back for a 2nd tour ‘Pamela Von Twilight’ and rookie ‘Archibald Croaker’.
Haunting Season has been going for 18 seasons and this was the first without it’s ‘Original Frankenstein’-Saunders Farm lost one of it’s own this year…and the Green Queen pays tribute before the ‘4 O’Clock Show’…
There is plenty of family fun to be had at Saunders Farm during the day- including play structures, face painting, mazes, apple chuckin’, corn canon and yes, a bootique!
Why does Hallowe’en last 90 days for me?? Well we invited folks to be in this years Pamela Von Twilight music video. So when over zealous marketers and xmas keeners come out of the wood work at the beginning of Nov…I am still working with Monsters & Ghouls…thx P Von T.
So who won the contest????
10 days 11 vids…5 on the Canon 5D Mark II, 5 0n the Flip Video & 1 on the Sony EX1. Now that’s scary. Can’t wait till next year…now on with the editing…
Tons of People have told me that Halloween is their ‘favorite holiday’-Well its becoming mine too. Especially for the chance to do some fun creative filmmaking at Saunders Farm! Check out this years ‘family film’-Shot on the Sony XDCAM EX1. Edited by Jester Creative’s Dusty Langlois, with post sound done by Kenton Gilchrist- this promo plays for the month of October @ the Ottawa Senators home games in Scotiabank Place for 20500 Sens fans! Enjoy!
a new favorite Blog, not only is there good info, Amanda is also a Great Lake Swimmers Fan. I’ll check back for sure.
So I go about my day..and receive a text message from my Sister in Ottawa reminding me about the Basia Bulat show in Van last nite so I go, its great, she’s a blast. CUT TO: this morning, reading the newspaper, I mean checking out Tweetdeck and……
…..Amanda captures the best part of the show in this posted vid… I check it out, cool BUT the post underneath ‘My latest Obsession’…well if you have ever seen DJ Champion live…you’ll know why its exciting!!!!!
here is a pic I took at one one his shows on my Palm cellphone……for me it captured the essence of a Champion show, so much I blew it up 4′ x4′. It still inspires me.
So thanks, as KK puts it “Internets” and thx Amanda! That’s whats cool about Twitter.
WGH-is a story about a revolution, one of social change and a paradigm shift in media representation. Vancouver sets the stage, against the backdrop of the 2010 Winter Games, for our documentary about a marginalized community embracing social media tools to empower, inspire and breakdown the digital divide. This is a project that I am directing and is being produced by animalmotherfilms.com. Shot on various capture devices including the Red, the HVX 200, the 5D MkII and the Nokia N77 cellphone. We began shooting Feb/2009 and will continue through March/2010….look for more footage to appear…soon. Enjoy.
What better post than a little tribute and thx to my favorite filmmaker Denys Arcand. Bonne St. Jean!!
I like Denys work, especialy the collective characters and the human spirit behind his stories. Never having met him, I once read that he quit making movies for a year because he was tired of the politics in the biz. He played hockey during that time to cleanse his disillusionment. Pretty cool I thought….and what else is cool?…I recently won the ‘Exposed! CELEBRITY CAMERA AUCTION‘-a fundraiser for DOXA Documentary Film Festival of Denys Arcand’s single-use camera and the unique set of undeveloped snapshots!!!! Titled ‘Springtime in Montreal’
Here are a couple of pics from the disposable 35 mm Minolta with 800 ASA Konica film developed and transfered to low res jpegs…Enjoy, I sure am! Merci Denys!
