In recent years, Chinook salmon populations in the Yukon River have been critically low and as a result the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in (TH) of Dawson City have stopped harvesting salmon for the first time. Although they no longer fish for salmon, an important traditional food source, they continue to share the values and traditions of the salmon harvest through the "First Fish Youth Culture Camp".
Last summer I was invited to attend First Fish by the Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, in order to create a short video showcasing the camp, and to highlight their adaptation (ie. they now smoke Chum instead of salmon) in teaching future generations. It was a real honour to join the community Youth, Elders and Co-ordinators for a few days at their traditional Moosehide site and to witness the passing of knowledge from one generation to another. I hope to go back there soon!
Here are a few screen grabs from the (soon to be released) video. Enjoy!
UPDATE: you can view the video here: https://vimeo.com/149274490
Bond Of Strangers: The Operation Husky Story
Hootalinqua Pictures brought me on board to edit their feature documentary Bond of Strangers, a film about ten Canadians that follow in the footsteps of those Canadian soldiers that served and died in Sicily during WWll. A pilgrimage of sorts in which they traveled on foot over 300km to honour our fallen. This was the first long form documentary I've edited and it was a pretty cool experience. The production was shot over 20 days in Sicily in the summer of 2013 with several cameras shooting every day..as you can imagine there was tonnes and tonnes of footage to sift through. Interviews were conducted both on site during the pilgrimage as well as in studio after the journey ended. There were over 13 interviewees, many of which were interviewed before the journey and after, with interviews averaging over an hour long, shot with two cameras (I Cam Op'ed a few of these interviews in Vancouver & Victoria in 2014). While the sheer amount of footage was daunting at first, with every day that passed, it became more manageable. One of my favourite parts of this project was listening to the stories from the old veterans (some of whom were over 90 years old, and one that sadly passed away during the final weeks of editing) and scrubbing through the WWll archival material. The contrast between their lives and experiences with those of my generation is stark. For myself, Remembrance Day this year and in the future, will be a little deeper.
UPDATE: The film has been picked up by the National Film Board, Knowledge Network, Northwestel Channel 9, The Documentary Channel and Air Canada's in flight entertainment.
Currently, you can rent it online at www.canadascreens.com
Dog-sledding with Eddie McGuire
Last winter I had the opportunity to spend a day out at Sky High Ranch with Australian celebrity and legend Eddie McGuire and his family. I have to say, dog-sledding shoots are pretty great. Check out the video here:
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/143367812
New Documentary: Garbage Truck Santa
I've finally found time to start editing my documentary on local Whitehorse Legend: Garbage Truck Santa (AKA Wayne Henderson). Last winter I acted as Santa's little documentary Elf for a day as he cruised around Whitehorse handing out Candy Canes and spreading the Xmas cheer. It was a great day on many levels and I'm excited to see how the doc is coming together. It feels good be back in the doc world. I'll post a trailer soon, but in the meantime here are a few screen grabs:
Macro Chemistry Fun
Here's a little sequence I threw together using some footage found on the editing floor from a recent UBC Chemistry shoot. I think it would make for a pretty cool title sequence. Maybe for Breaking Bad: Season 10 - Still Broke.
https://vimeo.com/124545297
