24 Nov It’s crunch time and they are doing it!

Editing is my favourite part of the process. Hours of footage to log, hours of footage you wish you had, and out of all that you hope beyond hope that a story begins to take shape.

There are problems with boring interviewees, camera shake over the most inspiring parts, cuts that you can’t bear to make… but the final video grows on the computer screen allowing you to see what is only in your mind.

The video is never done, never complete, never right. I kick myself for poor lighting, microphone placement, uninspired questions, lackluster framing. I am, afterall, just a novice in the professional world of video storytelling. But I also see moments of brilliance and like a golf swing that finds its mark, it makes the whole game worth while.

Kate and I are stressed and overwhelmed. Our twenty student teams clamour for more time, want to re-shoot or shoot more, argue in their teams on the edit, or breakdown from the pressure… but they all keep going because we sense that they want to. And that makes us extremely proud that they have stepped up to the plate.

So I invite you to see their final works of art at our two screenings.

For our Dec 1 screening at Alice Jamieson Girls Academy at 7 pm where you can see all 20 films, book your ticket now at

http://reelworldyouthdocumentaries.eventbrite.com/

Or if you happen to be downtown on Dec 2 at noon, come out to the Dutton Theatre at the Central Publish library to see some of the top picks of the filmfest.

See you there!
Chris