The First Week

Welcome Back, Carrie!

Hello! It has been quite some time hey, friends?

I was a lot busier than I anticipated, and the project ended up being so huge that it took longer too.

Since the video was such a large production, I have decided that I should break this blog up into digestible parts.

This is where the good stuff begins!

Arriving in Whitehorse

Going back to the hometown where I was raised was nerve-wracking. There were people there who I might run into that I was not prepared to see, or even worse, I was terrified that I’d have to face my most formidable demon: alcoholism.

I am almost four years sober now, but there was a time when I was out of control and that was when I lived in the Yukon. So not only would I be there for three weeks but I would also be filming about some heavy subject matter that was definitely a huge part of where my problems began. I have seen people get sober for two years and then go back to Whitehorse and fall off the wagon after two days. Naturally, I was protective of the sobriety that I worked so hard to maintain.

I got off the plane, weary from a flight that started at 5am and my friend Truska was there to pick me up and bring me to the hostel. We arrived at the Beez Kneez to find out that for a couple hours I was not even allowed in (that was stated in the email, I did not catch that part though). So I slept at Truska’s house for half an hour and it was amaaazing!!

Eventually, I got settled into the Beez Kneez, met some new people and got myself prepared to meet with Annette the next day.

Communicating in Communications

Okay, who would have thought that in the field of communications, I’d have to do so much communicating!?? This is one thing that I had forgotten about, how much time it takes to meet with the people who you are making the video with, to calling and emailing people to interview.

The first day started with me heading to Shakat to meet the people there and get to know the space I’d be chillin’ in.

It was cozy, and while I waited for some people to show up, I began writing some questions that I could ask the interviewees.

In the afternoon I met with Annette and that meeting went on for three and a half hours, simply trying to figure out who we should interview, what we should do for the Gathering (that will be in future entries, but it was basically a get together in the woods where we did some interviews), where we should do interviews.

That first day was a foreshadowing of how the rest of the week would go. I spent 9-5 hours communicating with potential interviewees, writing the script and even setting up press meetings (eek so scary! One good thing about Whitehorse is at least the press was someone I knew haha).

By that Friday I was itching to take some video, so I borrowed a tripod and took some b-roll that I thought I might need for the production. I didn’t even use it in the end, oh well!

Until Next Time

With all that being said, I want to leave you with this message. If you are starting out in videography, especially if you are going to be doing interviews or extensive communicating, I would consider writing that into your contract. Anyone who is not familiar with this work thinks that all videographers have to do is film the interviews, but they often underestimate editing (also going to be in future blogs) and forget about communicating.

Your time is worth money, advocate for yourself, your art, and become the boss that you are.