Canada on video
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| Filming in the Valley of the Ghosts, Saguenay, Quebec. |
As a video producer, freelance journalist, blogger, camera operator and video editor I find it hard to explain exactly what it is I do. But there are two things I cannot live without - telling stories and travelling. After 25 years in journalism, including 13 at the BBC, I now research, film and edit videos for the web. I'm happiest when they are exploring parts of Canada which are new to me. I've just completed a series of ten videos for the young artists' programme at Montreal Opera. Here's the trailer for the profile videos of the artists at the Atelier lyrique.
I made a series of five travel videos for Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Tourism. (see below) Reach me on Twitter (@viewfromalake) FB or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.
First here's a quick bit of fun on the new Snow Village which includes a hotel, restaurant and bar, in Montreal.
Here are 2 films I made on my trip to the Badlands in South-East Alberta June 2011. The first is a quick tour of the area and the second I filmed at a Powwow at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park.
The Canadian Badlands.
What they said about poutine:
This first film is made with customers at La Banquise, one of Montreal's many poutine restaurants. It also tells the story of the famous T-Rex poutine.
So how do they make the stuff? Here is the film I made for About.com. The poutine with guacamole and sour cream on the top is my favourite. Bizarre, I know.
How to make poutine:
The story of Apple Ice Wine:
I love that Quebec invents things to do in the winter - like make ice wine from its apple orchards for instance. La Face Cachée de la Pomme in Hemmingford, Quebec has a fascinating story to tell... and hosts some crazy races in the snow as you can see here....
Look out for the guy spraying champagne over my camera at the end of this video. Just one second later I had to cover it up to protect it from freezing alcohol! It was a very cold day and the champagne froze onto my camera and tripod as soon as it hit it.
The New France Festival in Quebec City.
Who knew dressing up in costumes for the weekend
could be so much fun? Certainly not a repressed Brit,
but this is how I learned to love the Fete de la Nouvelle
France.
Making maple syrup. It's not until your hair has gone sticky in the sugar-steam while watching maple sap boil that you can truly say you feel Canadian. That or pouring it over French toast and crispy bacon.
Cold feet on your wedding night.
Can we get out of our sleeping bags? That's the number one question wedding planner Elizabeth Boudreau is asked at Quebec's Ice Hotel by the many British couples who decide to get married there. Here she is...
