Hurricane Bill

Ever since Hurricane Juan devastated Halifax and the Maritime provinces six years ago, people have been especially cautious whenever a tropical storm gathers strength in the warm south Atlantic waters and heads north. Such was the case this summer when Hurricane Bill rumbled up the Atlantic seaboard on a collision course with Nova Scotia.

The thing about hurricanes is their uncertainty; you never know what direction or what effect they’ll have from hour to hour. I had this in mind when I headed to work on that mid-August weekend when Bill was projected to pass through Nova Scotia. I was shooting with Kayla Hounsell, a talented young reporter who recently joined the team. When I arrived at work I felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. It had not begun to rain yet, but the sheer massiveness of the storm ensured that it would. I packed up my gear making sure to be extra prepared for extreme weather and we headed directly to Peggy’s Cove. As we left it began to rain; by the time we were on highway 333, it was torrential.

When we arrived at Peggy’s Cove the sight was incredible. The waves were the largest I had ever seen and the rain was like standing under a waterfall. The wind was strong enough to affect equilibrium and when it blew the cool water in your face, it left a memorable sting. However, the one factor that made things most difficult was the fog. I had never shot in such conditions, but I managed to get several clips and plenty of b-roll.

We then headed back to Halifax for more clips and b-roll. Once this was accomplished, we decided to try to go to Lawrencetown Beach. Unfortunately, this attempt was futile as the road was blocked by the authorities. After we interviewed an RCMP officer in Cole Harbour, we headed to Cow Bay for some more clips and footage. At this point I was beyond soaked and I was relieved the equipment was holding up well.

When we finally made it back to the station we were both relieved to be inside a warm, dry place. I had a break and then we had to go back to Peggy’s Cove so I could shoot Kayla’s live “tops and tails”. It had stopped raining, but the waves were still remarkable. The shots looked great with huge waves crashing against the rocks in the background, while the sun was giving her a beautiful light. Incredibly, while we were waiting for the live hit an RCMP officer informed us that some teenagers had been standing too close to the shoreline and were briefly swept into the ocean before being rescued.

Hurricane Bill was an amazing experience for me. Although the extreme weather of that day created exceptional challenges, I managed to get everything I needed for the story; I am fairly certain it ran nationally (or at least portions of it). I learned a great deal that day and I gained plenty of confidence as a shooter.

NDP National Convention

This summer, the National NDP Convention was held in Halifax. Being the shooter that weekend, I was fortunate enough to cover it. It was a two day extravaganza of everything NDP. It was certainly exciting and a valuable experience as a shooter.

I was working with Lane Farguson, one of the most knowledgeable and professional reporters I’ve met. He taught me how to shoot efficiently, handle scrums and, since he was always impeccably well dressed, that you should be appropriately dressed for every situation. One of the main stories we were looking for was the potential name change of the Party; they proposed dropping the New from the NDP. Unfortunately, the vote did not occur. Whether this is because time ran out or they simply decided not to vote, i am uncertain. Nevertheless, Lane knew exactly what he wanted and we strove on.

At an event of this magnitude, a multitude of clips and scrums are standard fare. There were no particular issues regarding the clips except there were several different types of light throughout the complex. However, with the use of the sun gun and frequent white balances, this inconvenience was overcome without difficulty. The scrums were held in a specially designed area, which was lit with a backdrop and audio mixer.

The highlight for me was the scrum with NDP leader Jack Layton. The room was full of other media outlets and I felt I was a part of a special and select group; I definitely gained confidence. I believe some of my shots ran nationally and Lane was pleased with the results. And although Lane has now moved on to another job and city, the lessons I learned that weekend will remain with me evermore.

Behind the Lens

For my initial blog, I feel I should briefly introduce myself; being a newcomer to the “blogosphere”, I am unsure of the customs and etiquette. I am an urban aboriginal television production student from Halifax, NS working part-time for a local TV station. Although it took me many years to realize it, I discovered that the television industry, specifically videography, is a great passion of mine. I’ve always been a storyteller, of sorts, but to create a story for TV; to shape it from beginning to end; striving for perfection in a dynamic and fast-paced environment is exciting and fulfilling.

After high school, some university and travelling, I still had no idea what I wanted to do for a living. When I found myself at an employment program faced with that very question to determine my summer placement, I said television. I don’t know what made me say it, but upon reflection, was one of those watershed moments that altered the course of my life from that moment on.

They were able to accommodate me in the form of a job placement at the local community TV station. Evidently impressing them with my work ethic and skills, they hired me for a 1 year paid intern. I gained valuable expertise and experience during my tenure. As the end of my internship neared, my boss strongly encouraged me to apply to the Radio & Television Arts program at the recently completed NSCC Waterfront campus.

Following a successful first year, I was placed at a local TV station for a required internship. I was again hired as a part-time employee and worked full-time hours all summer. Now that I’ve begun my second, and final, year at NSCC, I will work weekends, holidays, etc.

After reading several blogs about various subjects, such as politics, sports and entertainment, I realized there are experts and amateurs alike in the “blogosphere”. Yet, the one thing they all have in common was a passion for what they are talking about. So, I’ve decided, over the next several weeks and months, to chronicle my own passion – namely, videography. I will write about my experiences and adventures shooting stories for my local TV station, and maybe for my school assignments. There will be insight and humor; realism and idealism. And if anyone can gain any benefit from these tales, I will feel like I’ve done my job.
Sincerely,

James Robinson.