Posted by ryanjackson on Dec 12, 2010 in lighting, video
The best video story I’ve done this year! Please watch. If you can’t view the embedded video below then click here. I will have an HD version on the site later next week.
Touching story of Susan Wirtanen who suffered a brain-injury and can can still do stand-up comedy. She jokes of her 30-days spent in a coma, listening to everyone talk around her and her ability to laugh at herself. Video by Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal Also Read the story Hoping for healing on the standup stage
Journal reporter Ben Gelinas and I worked together on this video. I shot everything and we worked together for editing. Ben was sure to ask questions and treat the whole story with the video in mind. We spent three separate nights with Susan in class and at the comedy club.
I shot mainly with my Canon XH-A1 and used my Canon 5D Mark-II for B-roll.
Here is my lighting setup for the main interview.
For the shot of her eye I used an 85mm 1.8 and Canon extension tubes to get close. I slowed the footage down to 20% speed and held it to make the viewer feel uncomfortable while she describes being frozen in a coma but still able to hear everyone around her talk.
Over 63,000 fans enjoy the 98th CFL Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders facing the Montreal Alouettes in Edmonton on November 28, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
To make this picture and time lapse video I had two cameras mounted up in the catwalk of the light standard on the east side of Commonwealth Stadium.
The time lapse camera was simply a Hero Cam mounted at the center of the catwalk. I set the Hero Cam to take a picture every 10 seconds for the entire game. I then plunked all the stills into Final Cut Pro. The whole video was over two minutes. I cut it down to just over one. For audio I just recorded a few minutes of game action and plunked it under the photos.
To make the wide-angle still image I mounted a Canon 5D Mark-II with a Canon 17-35mm f2.8 using a Magic Arm. I set it to Av mode F8 and turned on +1 / -1 bracketing. I then set an intervalometer to trigger the camera every 30-seconds. So every 30-seconds I had three pictures at -1, 0, +1 exposure.
Why shoot 6 frames a minute you ask? Well I wanted to get a perfect exposure with the sky just right, the downtown skyline silhouetted and all the fans in their seats. I couldn’t be up in the catwalk the whole time to wait for the light to be just right so setting the camera to shoot a few thousand frames is the next best thing. I shot over 48 GB of RAW pictures with that camera during the game for one picture. Well worth it!
Take a splendid scenic trip through the Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market and learn why some people love to buy local food. Video by Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal
83-year-old Ray Como stands by the combine that he was trapped upside down in for over 20 hours before his son-in-law discovered him wedged between the engine and cab on his farm near Calahoo, Alta. on October 20, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Farmer Raymond Como who was trapped in a combine for 20-hours in Sept. is now out of hospital. He shows us the combine he was trapped in on Oct. 20, 2010. Video by Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal
Posted by ryanjackson on Oct 24, 2010 in photos, video
Take a terrifying walk along the Haunted Hike in Sherwood Park. The half-mile of horror full of ghouls and screams saw more than 5,000 visitors and raised almost $15,000 for the Stollery Children’s Hospital last year. Video by Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal. For more info go to http://thehauntedhike.com
About 150 occupational therapy students from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta organized a flash mob on Oct. 6, 2010, as part of an effort to promote and build awareness of Occupational Therapy. Video by Ryan Jackson/Edmonton Journal
I never expected to be back up to Fort Chipewyan so soon but thanks to James Cameron’s visit last month I got to.
One thing I found about the media coverage (especially TV coverage) of James Cameron’s visit to Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan was that it was more about HIM and about people’s reaction to him than what he actually had to say or the issues that he was discussing. I understand that TV has to boil everything down to a small sound bite but it sucks when someone talks for over an hour and then less than five-seconds of what they say is clipped.
Here are my three videos from his visit. The first one is in Fort McMurray where you learn why he was there, the second one is the people of Fort Chipewyan telling their stories to him and the third is his press conference after his tours. You can also watch the entire hour-long press conference on the Journal website.
James Cameron’s reaction after his first helicopter tour of oilsands development around Fort McMurray on September 27, 2010. The Hollywood director flew into Fort McMurray on Air Canada Jazz on Monday and will tour the oilsands and speak to aboriginals downstream in Fort Chipewyan on Tuesday. Video by Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal
Fort Chipewyan residents emotionally voice their concerns of cancer and pollution to James Cameron on September 28, 2010. Video by Ryan Jackson/Edmonton Journal
James Cameron speaks in Edmonton Sept 29, 2010 after his tour of the oilsands in Fort McMurray and meeting with residents downstream in Fort Chipewyan the previous day. Video by Ed Kaiser and Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal Watch the entire hour-long press conference on the Journal website.
I spent August 23-27th in Fort Chipewyan with Edmonton Journal environment reporter Hanneke Brooymans. You can read her stories and see my photos and videos at edmontonjournal.com/fortchip
If you don’t know about the issues surrounding Fort Chipewyan I suggest you check out CBC’s special section and also their timeline which is about a year old now but will get you up to speed.
You back now? Great
Basically cancer rates in Fort Chip are higher than they “should” be and there is a lot of controversy and confusion over why that is. Many attribute health problems to the fact that Fort Chipewyan is downstream from Fort McMurray and thus the oilsands development. Dozens of news agencies have reported on Fort Chip and about half a dozen documentaries have been done about the issue as well. It’s a big story and an important issue and I was lucky enough to spend a week up there and capture how the residents of the town feel.
Watch my short documentary of Fort Chipewyan resident’s concerns.
Fort Chipewyan residents have for years suspected that industrial activity upstream of them was connected to cancers and rare illnesses in their community. See Fort Chipewyan for yourself, and hear what residents have to say about the health problems. Video by Ryan Jackson/Edmonton Journal
Another issue is water quantity. In the late 1960’s a large dam was built in B.C. which dropped water levels in the Athabasca.
Go out on Lake Athabasca with Metis elder Raymond Ladouceur and see the changes he attributes to industrial development. Video by Ryan Jackson/Edmonton Journal. Read more about water issues with Fort Chipewyan at edmontonjournal.com/fortchip
Now here is what my still camera saw. A couple pictures were taken in Fort McMurray when we had a layover.
University of Alberta scientist Dr. David Schindler poses for a photo at the Journal office in Edmonton on September 1, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
This is the living room where Hanneke and I slept in during the week we were up in Fort Chip. We didn't find a place to stay until the last minute and were prepared to camp there if need be.
Moose meat smokes over a fire near in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. during a cultural gathering on August 25, 2010. Many residents still eat traditional meals from the land such as moose and fish despite possibly elevated levels of pollution. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Elder Cookie Simpson during an interview in her home in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 25, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Allan Adam, Chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation looks out over lake Athabasca in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 26, 2010. Adam remembers diving off of the dock when he was a young boy and the water levels were much higher. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Elder Steve Courtoreille poses for a photo in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 26, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Elder Steve Courtoreille poses for a photo in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 26, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
The sun rises over Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 26, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
FORT CHIPEWYAN, ALTA.: AUGUST 26, 2010 -- The sun rises over small islands surrounding Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 26, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
The receded shoreline of Fort Chipewyan, Alta. along lake Athabasca on August 26, 2010. Residents recall once being able to sail their boats right up to the main steet. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
A view of Syncrude's base mine which is now a tailings pond near Fort McMurray, Alta. (Ryan Jackson/Edmonton Journal)
The sun rises on Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 26, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Dr. John O'Connor poses for a photo above Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 25, 2010. O'Connor first voiced his concerns in 2006 of elevated levels of rare cancers and diseases with the residents of Fort Chipewyan which is downstream on the Athabasca river from oilsands industry in Fort McMurray. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Dr. John O'Connor poses for a photo with his wife Charlene above Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 25, 2010. O'Connor first voiced his concerns in 2006 of elevated levels of rare cancers and diseases with the residents of Fort Chipewyan which is downstream on the Athabasca river from oilsands industry in Fort McMurray. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Dr. John O'Connor in poses for a photo at the Fort Chipewyan Nursing Station in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 25, 2010. O'Connor first voiced his concerns in 2006 of elevated levels of rare cancers and diseases with the residents of Fort Chipewyan which is downstream on the Athabasca river from oilsands industry in Fort McMurray. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Elder Gracie Thacker poses for a photo in front of her home in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 24, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Metis fisherman and trapper Raymond Ladouceur points to the exposed rock along shore lines to show how much water has dropped along Lake Athabasca near in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 24, 2010. Ladouceur says water levels have dropped significantly over the years due to the Bennett dam and industrial water consumption around Fort McMurray. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Metis fisherman and trapper Raymond Ladouceur looks at the low water levels on Lake Athabasca near in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 24, 2010. Ladouceur says water levels have dropped significantly over the years due to the Bennett dam and industrial water consumption around Fort McMurray. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Dr. John O'Connor and his wife Charlene walk along monument hill in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 23, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
A view of Syncrude's base mine which is now a tailings pond near Fort McMurray, Alta. (Ryan Jackson/Edmonton Journal)
A scenic view of Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 23, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Signs left over from a 2008 rally at the Alberta Legislature sit against the wall in a community multi-complex in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 23, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
A pole at the Fort Chipewyan airport shows the distance to cities across Canada in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 23, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
Posted by ryanjackson on Aug 23, 2010 in photos, video
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- Left to right. Sgt. Francis Aquino, Lt. Wright Eruebi, Master Cpl. Tatyana Danylyshyn, and Master Cpl. Ian Millar walk past shooting targets during a training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- A casing is ejected from 9mm Browning pistol during a training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- Canadian Navy Master Seaman Mark Underhill cleans his C7A2 rifle during a training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- Master Cpl. Tatyana Danylyshyn, 25, fires a C7A2 rifle during a training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- Canadian Forces soldiers wait to start training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- Master Cpl. Tatyana Danylyshyn, 25, fires a C7A2 rifle during a training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
WAINWRIGHT, ALTA.: AUGUST 19, 2010 -- Cpl. Mack Murphy fires a C7A2 rifle during a training and selection camp for the Land Force Western Area's combat shooting team at CFB Wainwright in Wainwright, Alta. on August 19, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal).
We strapped a video camera to an intern and put her on the best rides at Capital Ex at Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alta. Video by Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal
![Melody Lepine, Director of Government and Industry relations for Mikisew Cree First Nation poses for a photo in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 25, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal). [Note: image was shot with a tilt-shft lens]](http://punkoryan.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/13-FortChip-0R9Q1429.jpg "Melody Lepine, Director of Government and Industry relations for Mikisew Cree First Nation poses for a photo in Fort Chipewyan, Alta. on August 25, 2010. (Ryan Jackson / Edmonton Journal). [Note: image was shot with a tilt-shft lens]")
