Creativity is often controlled by the resources that we have at hand. Some paint, some do found object art, but for film you are often limited by the people you can interview.

In the beginning process of this film I spent hours and hours contacting people, posting ads and returning emails to set up multiple interviews that would tell the story of my film. In the end most of my interviews fell through leaving me with something that I needed to change and create.

I decided to focus my film on something that was more personal to me. Changing the entire dynamic of what I was making. I told the story of PTSD in returning soldiers and how the outdoors is therapeutic. This meant changing my entire plan. Putting myself in front of the camera which also makes me more vulnerable.

The final product I have is not 45 min in length. I could have mad a longer film with the shots that i had but instead I shortened it in order to preserve the flow speed and tempo. I didn’t want the viewer to watch 30 min of hiking shots and 10 min long interviews. I wanted them to feel my point. And not become bored or fidgety. In the end my film is 13 minutes which to me is a successful length.

For my documentary I had interviewed Bradley Castaneda about his photography. I wanted to share with all of you his climb summit of mount rainier which he did to benefit the fallen rangers.

Heroes on the Water

This book played a major roll in the project that I had set out to make.

This is pretty much a manual on how to really “write” a story that will be told via a non-fiction media like a documentary film. Writing and story creation are so important when it comes to a documentary film, even more than I had origanally thought. This book pushed me to look deep at the ideas and notions I was trying to present. To not just think of the astetic and beautiful shots that I would go and get, but to look at story.

Story is the most important part of any film. It is what drives it. No matter the documentary thier is a sence of story. Wheter the story is told to you directly by the filmaker, through narration, or it is something you watch unfold and play out on screen. These stories had to have a initial concept. The filmakers needed to know before hand what the story was and wheter it would be interesting enough for people to watch.

While writing is very important some filmakers do get lucky and something unexpected really does play out right infront ouf thier lens and they are able to capture it. This thing may be so unexpected that it changes the entire direction of the story and a new story must be created. These things make for some of the most captivating documentaries that you can see.

Although luck can make a documentary great so can story. When you “write” a story for documentary film you are not writing a word for word script. You are more or less planning for shots, locations, and casting that will tell the story for you. Whether it be 30 day mcdonalds binge or the story of the national spelling bee. The people you cast to interview or not interview can create the story.

This makes the creative medium of documentary filmmaking a little different than just following people around with a camera. As I learned the majority of filmaking takes place without a camera in your hands. Planning, storyboarding, and casting. Casting being the most important.

This book was to me a savior of a manual and helped to drive my creation of this film.

There are things around us that no matter the religious or spiritual background people describe as powerful! This is something that in my initial interviews for my film has radiated with me. The outdoors is often described by people as being spiritual.

Today I began researching a great mountaineer and educator named Willi Unsoeld. Unsoeld was part of the founding faculty here at Evergreen and other outdoor programs. He was part of the first american expedition on Everest. It is not his achievements that have my blood rushing and my heart pounding. It is his words.

Luckily for me the library has piles of audio cds of his lectures and speeches. Listening to these thoughts on the philosophy and psychology of the outdoors. As I write this now I am listening to him explain the groundwork of Evergreen.

Most people who are not involved in the outdoors often think of outdoor adventure as a conquest or a battle. While there are personal conquests in hiking, backpacking, climbing, and mountaineering these are not often the things that people take away from these adventures.

When I reflect on things I have done I don’t talk of the miles or terrain I have conquered . I talk of the feelings of beauty of being tired of being happy. I remember those moments that are small. Meals shared with one another.  Cold nights in a tent. For me being outside changes who you are.

These are just reflections that I have made listening to these great lectures and speeches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvowGvmY-KE

So I recently vetntured to Portland Oregon with my lovely family to visity the world forestry meuseum as part of my project. This mueseum is really a teachers meusuem. It lacked information on the walls and exibits and was more taylored to the teacher being there to guide a group around and tell them about the things that they are seeing. I feel that the museum was not up to par with what I needed to see for this program..so I went to the zoo.

While the zoo may not work for anyone elses project it did work for mine. The portland zoo was one of the best zoos I have seen for habitat design. The enclosures were so well designed as to put sleeping and eating spaces right where the public could veiw the animial. Often times you may go to a zoo and the animal will be sleeping in a back corner of the exibit where its den is located. The portland exibits had windows attached to the dens so that the animals where always in view.

When we talk of outdoor domestic space we must take into account how animals live in the outdoors. Exibits in a zoo must be designed to make the habitant feel natural and at home. It takes a great deal of design to make this possible.

Above is a sketch of a sea lion habitat. The arhetect must take into acount living space play space resting space and feeding space when designing for the animal. There is also holding spaces for the animals at night.

Animal den design in the wild also carries over to alot of suvival shelters. The polar bear mother will dig a den into the snow where she will birth and care for her young. The aspects of this design carry into the designs listed in survival manuals for building snow caves.

The portland zoo allowed me to get close to the creatures that I enjoy sharing space with all the time. From otters to bears. From mountain lions to bald eagles. In the pacific northwest we all share the outdoors. It is humbling to know that there are creatures in the woods who you could squash with your foot and others who could eat you for dinner.

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Change

If there is one thing that I took away from the interview I had the other day with Bradley Castaneda, in the lower rainforest of Mount Rainier National Park, it is change. I sought out an interview with Bradley to show the outdoors as a space of creativity and inspiration. Through the hike we talked about many things from eating right to family. But the inspiration that I received from him was the way he used the outdoors to get in shape.  To better himself.

I think that people only think of fitness as running or hitting the gym, but that is not everyone’s cup of tea. To me the gym can be a turn off. Running down the street can make you feel like everyone who drives by is staring at you. Often times there is little to no “pay-off” to a run around your neighborhood.

There are so many advantages to the outdoors as a “fitness space”. Hiking is incredible exercise for people of all fitness levels. Selecting a hike that is right for you and doing it can be much better than just walking alone. Add to that a backpack with weight and you amp up your workout. There are also other things you can do.

A new trend that is getting going, that may not be a new concept, is trail running. Take your normal around the block run, add in some hill climbs and obstacles and you have a better workout. You can also trail run to some amazing vistas where you get something for your run.

This concept of hiking, backpacking, and climbing as fitness is not something that Bradley introduced me to. For me this is something that I have personally been trying to do. But listening to his commitment to his craft and to his sport lit a fire inside of me.

Back to the interview. Bradley is an amazing outdoor photographer who I had originally met when we went to high school together. His photos are something that can transport a person from your couch to the places that he has been. You can check out his Instagram if you want to see more of his work. Also check out the film for the actual interview.

The photos below are some of his work. If you would like to see more check out his website.