Help Wanted

I've fnally decided what do do this summer. I am not going to Victoria or Winnipeg, but I will go to Calgary, Regina, and Salmon Arm. Skipping Victoria was tough because it is so close to home. Winnipeg is the grand daddy of festivals so I hate missing that, but it is also the most expensive trip (almost as much to fly from Vancouver to Winnipeg as it cost to fly from Belize to Vancouver) so it just came down to a matter of money. Plus I was getting nervous that GM would not get his Canadian visa in time and I would be stuck with an expensive trip and no subject to shoot. Well, Ivan at Stonetree was able to pull some strings and get the visa rapidito so GM is off on Monday but I will stay behind for now.

So now I am scrambling to see what arrangements I can make to get footage from Victoria and Winnipeg. I've found a freelance videographer in Victoria who has agreed to shoot for what I can afford to pay. Now I have about a week to pull off a similar miracle in Winnipeg.

A huge thank-you to Colin Easton at the Victoria Folk Festival for his help in getting me sorted out in Victoria!!

I'm also looking to find a soundman for Calgary and possibly Regina. I think I have found someone for Calgary, but I am still looking for Regina. Doug Murray and I will likely work together in Salmon Arm as it is an easy 4.5 hour drive from Vancouver.

June so soon?

Holy crap July is almost here and that means the summer tour of western Canada. I still have a few things to shoot with The Grandmaster here in Belize before he leaves for Victoria and Winnipeg, but nothing too difficult. I think I am good shape there.

The airlines turned me down for any help on flights, so I decided only to go to Canada for Calgary, Regina, and Salmon Arm. This way I will only have to fly up once. Turns out GM is not doing the mainstage at Winnipeg so it makes it even harder to justify spending the money to go there. Victoria would have been a good one, but I can only do so much with limited funds. I did some number crunching tonight and I expect to be almost $5000 out of pocket by the time I get through with principal photography! It's not as bad as it sounds, basically I have just been working for free and spending what should have been my salary on other production expenses. Luckily I have been having a decent year with Oxa Productions so I not missing any meals or rent payments.

This week besides shooting a couple of scenes I need to get my Cinergia application for a post production grant together. Most of the paperwork is done, but I need to cut a trailer from the material I already have in the can. I'm really looking forward to that because it give me an idea of what this documentary may actually look like when it is finished. Plus I love editing. I'll post the trailer here when I get it done.