This article is part of a series called Backstory where I reveal how feature and in-depth stories were crafted. You can find more with the Backstory tag by searching “Backstory” in the search bar.
The original story was published here:
I worked with Jen Osborne again on this video, but this time I went out to film all the video while she put everything together in B.C. It wasn’t hard to come up with a topic that matched the Earth Day theme. I had just finished putting a magazine together on how preserving existing buildings can be more environmentally friendly in the long term than tearing it down and building new.
So, I got in touch with some of the people who contributed to the magazine and interviewed them on camera. I also ran around Ontario getting on camera shots of me saying informative things, and designed graphics to go with that information. It was a lot of work.
Conceptualizing the documentary wasn’t too hard with existing knowledge of the subject, but shooting it by myself on location took a lot of brainpower. I had to set up all the lights, audio, and cameras. Then, I had to consider the framing and angles of the shots, many of which I couldn’t see until after I was done. If I was interviewing someone, I had to remember what my questions were and ask them in a way that engages in a conversation while operating technical equipment. Add to all this the fact that shooting outdoors in April invites snow, ice, and rain that lead to soil subsidence and equipment sinking into the ground, I got myself a whole week of muddy shoes and a sweaty neck.
Of course, most viewers won’t care how many people shot it or what kind of conditions I had to contend with, they just care whether it’s good or not.
