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GENERATION 4

[Christmas 2001 - Christmas 2002]

"Contributing to the almighty portfolio."

HOLIDAY SEASONS [Dec 15, 2002]
 

Does our society in general realize how commercialized Christmas has become? Does it care?

Yes, this was a montage, even though we had made a pact that no others would be made.

Originally, I had a small script written out for this video with a completely different approach. However, since the weather in Vancouver was incredibly crummy and there were no good days to shoot outside (we tried once, but there was no color at all), I had to scrap the idea. I then spent several days stressing about what to make. I was almost going to say that nothing was going to be produced (because the time was so short), but ended up putting this together a few days before Squint.

DYING LIGHT [Nov 2, 2002]
 

A video made for the recital of Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" poem.

I helped a friend of mine with his homework which was to analyze this poem and create some sort of multimedia presentation. No, I didn't help with the poem analysis...

HOW DO WE HEAR? [Squint - Sept 28, 2002]
 

In a society inundated with media frenzy, how do we actually hear what's really important?

It was crunch time for this video. On Saturday night Rick came by so that we could collaborate on this project. The long and short of it is that we were up until 3am and promised ourselves that we would never do another montage again.

MEET THE POORBOYS [Sept 2, 2002]
 

Meet the Poorboys (Short Cut)  (wmv|6.3MB)

Who exactly are 'Perry and the Poorboys'? Well, this short and humorous video will fill you in, indeed.

When Perry approached me about this video, he wanted something that could be used as an intro to the band. When attending various festivals, they needed something to hand people to give them a feel for who they are and what their vision is. It was also designed so that fans of Perry and the Poorboys could have something that entertained them and made them laugh. For me, this was a challenge because I had to figure out a way to make it entertaining and at the same time, give a good look at the band. I had never done something like this for a band before, but I think we ended up with something that everybody enjoyed.

LUSTLESS BEING [Sutherland - Aug 8, 2002]
 

This short video clip was designed to intro a sermon on sexual immorality and contained clips of various commercials and ads that use sexual images to sell their products.

Since this video was to be shown in church, I wanted to make sure that the images used were altered just enough so that you knew what they were, but that it was still within taste for a church service.

In the end, this video wasn't even shown. There was a mix up in scheduling, and I couldn't get the video on VHS. We tried to run it on the laptop, but it wouldn't go. In the end, it was probably for the best because it may have come across as too racey.

JESSICA'S VIDEOCARD [July 5, 2002]
 

No matter how much you want to be somewhere, I think it's natural to miss home. Such was the case with Jess, our friend who went to Australia for 9 months. This is a 10 minute video just to say 'hi' and to let her know we missed her.

I like making these types of videos: quick cuts between various scenes help keep the video moving and entertaining.

The scene where I push the shopping cart through Safeway searching for Jeff was not planned at all. In fact, I didn't even expect to find Jeff working in the actual store. As I turned the corner at the end of the aisle, Jeff was standing there, in perfect framing for the camera. Pure luck and pure gold. Also noteworthy is the fact that the Australian "G'day" is similar to the Canadian "eh"; it's not really said as much as people make it out to be...eh?

RILEY ARMSTRONG: WHAT I FOUND [July 1, 2002]
 

Riley Armstrong - What I Found (wmv|5.6MB)

Christian music artist Riley Armstrong kicks off his new album 'Whatever the Weather' with this music video for the song 'What I Found'.

        .: Selected for Interlinc's Youth Leader's Music Video Loop compilation (#38)

        .: Reached number 2 on the Your Music Zone countdown

So far, this had to have been the best experiences for me in terms of video creation. On Friday night, I got a call from Rick Colhoun who directed this video. He asked me what I was doing on the Saturday and invited me to join along with the crew and help video some of it. The production value had ballooned substantially since it's initial stages; this was going to be a fair-sized production.

It ended up being a 17 hour day. The morning and early afternoon consisted of Kirby's stylish and always hilarious dancing in and amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown Vancouver. We shot this in DV using GL-1's. It was actually my first opportunity to use one of these cameras and it was a lot of fun.

After downtown, we moved to White Rock where an outdoor stage was being setup for the filming of the "concert". This is where the production moved beyond the realm of little digital cameras.

Shot in 16mm, the concert was equipped and setup with medium sized lighting and crew. Also included was a dolly and stedicam which created some excellent shots (with the help of an incredibly talented cameraman).

Although tiring, the whole production was well worth it. If anyone has worked on a film set before, then they'd probably thought nothing of it, but since I had never really experienced it I had a blast. But that wasn't the end of it.

Rick then asked Riley if we (Rick and I) could take on the editing of this music video (there were actually two videos shot simultaneously using the same premise). After only a few days, it became apparent that we would be doing the post. I moved my gear into Rick's recording studio a few months later and for about three weeks we slowly put the video together while working around our full time jobs.

For me, the editing process was very tedious. We have almost two hours of footage crammed into my computer. Trying to sort through all the various dance moves and find the ones that would work best was no easy task. Also, the studio was having air conditioning problems that summer and I was working on a little desk. Did I dislike the experience? No, not at all! In fact, it was the opposite. Despite all the little hurdles, the editing process was a lot of fun; especially since I was working in a recording studio where musicians were coming and going and I was in the middle of it all.

With the video finally done, it was submitted to various television stations and has even made it to the tops of some charts. What a thrill it was to see something you helped create shown on TV. Awesome.

Thanks to both Rick and Riley for letting me be a part of it. I enjoyed every minute.

Since I was the editor, I got to do things like making sure I appear in the video. Yeah. I'm way in the background, but I'm on TV still!

MOMENTUM SKATE COMMERCIAL [June 10, 2002]
 

Momentum Skate Commercial Spot (wmv|1.0MB)

A commercial spot for skateboard wheel company Momentum Skate

This commercial was initially created to be put on the Evolution Skateboarding game disc (for PS2 and XBox). Whether that ended up happening or not, I'm note quite sure. However, the commercial is on their website as well which is cool.

My friend Rick called me up and said that we had an opportunity to create a commercial for a skateboarding company. First of all, we had never really made any kind of commercial, but more importantly, we're the last two guys you'd think of when you hear the word "skateboard". That being said, this was a great opportunity. Even though we only had 4 or 5 days to do it in, I think we did really well. Credit to Rick Colhoun for the great music and for letting me help him on this project!

daBOYZ IN LAS VEGAS [May 25, 2002]
 

daBoyz in Las Vegas (wmv|3.3MB)

Self-named 'daBoyz' fool their friend into thinking they're going to Mt. Baker for his bachelor party. Little does he know that they are actually on their way to Las Vegas, baby!

Why I include this as part of my 'portfolio' is really beyond me. It's a fun little montage that makes us remember what a cool time we had. Never before has us guys gone on a big trip before, and this one was certainly worth it... even if the bachelor is incredibly cranky when's he's walked all day and is hungry.

The actual trip took place the year before, but this was edited as part of Shawn and Erin's wedding video which I gave them for their one year anniversary.

PEOPLE'S COURT [Sutherland - May 12, 2002]
 

A short People's Court intro used as part of a church sermon.

In an effort to add media to a church service, this video was created to add an 'object lesson' of sorts to the service. While most people probably didn't really understand why it was needed, it invoked laughter and that's definitively worth it.

VIGNETTE: SOVEREIGN [Sutherland - May 5, 2002]
 

Sovereign (wmv|8.0MB)

A look at the sovereignty of God, even amongst the toughest and darkest of times.

This videos ended up being what 'Risen' was supposed to be in the fact that it stirred up emotions. While 'Risen' tried to make people feel uplifted (which I feel it didn't), 'Sovereign' was the opposite; to make people feel uncomfortable. With haunting images of war and children in the Third World countries, I think it made it's point. I found out after showing it at church that someone had even commented that it was a little too dark for church. That only means that I achieved my goal.

uHuH TELEVISION [April 21, 2002]

uHuH Television - Tree Terror (wmv|1.9MB)

uHuH Infraction (wmv|0.3MB)

uHuH Solo Artist (wmv|0.2MB)

Another collection of video shorts that poke fun at our good friend Robin.

Dave and I worked on this video for Robin's birthday and once again we were able to strike gold with some classic clips, including two new uHuH Commercials. On another note: it's incredible what a difference nameplate titles made on the news footage. For something that simple, it adds a whole layer of depth.

As long as I keep a monopoly on the video making in our Youth Group, I should be safe from videos being made of me. :) 

VIGNETTE: RISEN [Squint - Mar 31, 2002]

Risen (wmv|5.6MB)

A contrast between death and life. In order to fully appreciate Easter, we need to fully realize just how much life the resurrection of Jesus has given us. Indeed He has risen.

My personal objective for this video was to push myself to create the best vignette I possibly could. After many hours of tedious key-framing, I am still left feeling very unfulfilled. Although those who have seen it say they really felt moved by it, I personally think it was lacking the emotion I hoped to bestow into it. I have learned, and I move on.

This video only runs just over 2 minutes in length. It's over before it even starts, it seems. Therefore, Murphy's Law would have it that when the video was shown the sound system wasn't working properly. In most cases this might be bearable, but since this video half-relies on the sound it wasn't bad news. Since I'm a perfectionist I was, needless to say, writhing in my seat. It ended up being a lesson in humility as I quickly learned how less important the video is than I usually make it out to be.

LISTEN [Squint - Feb 24, 2002]

Listen (wmv|15.2MB)

Listen - 'Not Listening' (wmv|0.3MB)

'Listen' is a collection of short, inter-connected stories that outline realistic and over-the-top ways that we don't listen (and the consequences).

This was another collaboration (see also 'How Did I Get Here?') with Rick that was a real success. With the large projects that we work on, we wanted to not only create a great video, but also to tell a story that would captivate the audience. With 'Listen' we were able to mix both humorous and touching moments within it's short 7 minutes running time. We were also very impressed with how effective the ending was; which brought the audience from a very funny high point (see the media clip above) to a very serious, emotional exchange in the very next scene.

The car collision. How did we do it? Only a select few besides Rick and I know how it was done and since it was our first 'special effect shot', we're going to try and keep it that way. Sorry.

WORK CREW CHRONICLES [Dec 20, 2001]

WC2: Preview 1 (Hi) (wmv|2.9MB)  -  created September 8, 2001

WC2: Preview 1 (Lo) (wmv|0.8MB)  -  created September 8, 2001

A collection of the various works presented at Camp 5, Anvil Island. These videos are the collaboration of dozens of people over the last seven years.

A NOTE FROM THE PRODUCER:

Herein lies the Work Crew Chronicles – a collaborative effort of dozens of people, created over the course of seven years. 

So why did I do this? Initially I did it purely because it was a cool idea – something that needed to be done. Having all these great video clips strewn across the city on dozens of dusty VHS tapes just didn't seem right. It was almost an entertainment injustice. So I then began collecting all the pieces. But as the pieces began to come together, I not only saw it has a 'cool idea' but something that made me sit back and say 'wow. we've done a lot.' 

Sure, you could just take this as a collection of wacky video clips, but it’s much more than that. This is something that no other camp has done. It's one of it's kind. 

By no means are making crazy videos more important than the vision of Anvil Island. The fact remains, however, that we still took the time to put together these productions; to sit in front of VCRs on the Dinning Hall porch, to make extra trips to and from Anvil, to plan and organize, to stay up late, to do whatever it took to further enhance the Camp 5 experience. This goes to show how passionate we are about Anvil and the work that goes on there. 

Never loose sight of that. Never forget why we go to camp and why we work there. Being a part of a work crew video is just an added bonus. So when you watch this, think about all that we’ve accomplished as a team, and, more importantly, who we’ve accomplished it for. I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. 

May God continue blessing Anvil with wonderful individuals like yourselves. 

Sincerely, 

Michael McQuade 

Producer, Work Crew Chronicles

4 months and over 200 hours. That's how long it took to put the Work Crew Chronicles project together. I feel I was able to achieve what I set out to do. It was actually quite exciting seeing this come to fruition. Years ago (and even today), I would always think of how images could be matched up to sound to give the most emotional effect - thoughts that sent shivers up my spine. At the time I figured it would never be possible. Now it is. The technology is so readily available that someone like myself can think of something - anything - and be able to bring it to reality. That's what happened with the Work Crew Chronicles. I initially wanted to create a complete package, with narration, extra scenes and a humorous story-line to encapsulate all the work we have done. Granted, there are things that I would like to have done differently, but with the short time frame, it wasn't possible. All-in-all, I very pleased and satisfied with the result. However, I couldn't have done this myself. Without the wonderful contributions of Michael, Brian and Jessica, this wouldn't have worked out as well. Thanks for helping me with this.

About the preview:

On September 8, the staff of Camp 5 met to relive the good times we had at Anvil at summer. That night the much anticipated unveiling of Project:N was also to be shown. Since I had been planning on putting a compilation video together for quite some time, I thought it would be fun to make it a 'movie preview' shown before the actual Project:N. For this project, I mixed together elements of movie reviews, skits, as well as sales pitches. With the help of Amanda and Krysta, two young talented individuals, I ended up with a surprisingly entertaining preview.

12.13.01: The master copies have been sent to the duplication company. There are 2 T-120 tapes being used. Cases have been ordered. Video covers are being designed. If all goes well with the duplication, then we will be ahead of schedule by a couple of days.

11.27.01: Into the final leg of the production. Things are getting tight, but all-in-all everything seems to be on schedule. All the features have been completed. Interviews and other 'side-clips' are in the process of being edited. Nameplate design is done. Jessica's shoot is scheduled for this Saturday. Talked to the company who will be doing the tape duplication and I'm very excited about the final product. UPDATE: The finished product will actually be closer to 4 HOURS instead of 3. There is a LOT of stuff we've done in the last 7 years.

11.04.01: Camp Survivor: Directors Edition is now complete. There are still some things that I would like to have done, but time just will not allow for it. The deadline just keeps getting closer. The intro is 80% complete.

11.03.01: The meeting was held with great success. Brian and Mike were able to help me enhance the necessary parts. Without their valuable input I think the finished product would have lacked.

10.22.01: The meeting has been postponed to 11.03.01. The deadline is quickly approaching. Further adjustments have been done to the intro. Camp Survivor: Directors Edition is in it's final stages and should be done by this weekend. It's looking 20 times better than the original print.

10.23.01: A meeting will be held on 10.27.01 to script out the final draft of narration.

10.22.01: Narration script is about 80% completed. A meeting may be scheduled to further enhance this portion and smooth things out. With the additional help of Brian and Mike, we will be able to add 2 more levels of creativity. Hopefully they will be able to help.

10.21.01: Camp Survivor: Directors Edition is nearing the final stages of completion. With new editing techniques since it's original debut a lot has been done to enhance it.

10.19.01: The opening sequence storyboard has been finalized. All parts (with the exception of the first) have been put together. Clips for the first section have been partially collected. V/O recordings will have to be scheduled soon. 

10.15.01: 3 HOURS! After looking at the total length of the clips captured so far, the running time was approximately 1 hour 48 minutes. There are additional clips still to be captured, plus the extra footage, intro, outtakes, etc. Therefore, it has been decided to split the entire project over 2 tapes each running 90 minutes long. Because of this, the cost has been set to $30 a copy (which includes 2 tapes). 

10.6.01: With the exception of a few more clips, most of the segments have been captured and/or re-edited.