“All good ideas start out as bad ideas, that’s why it takes so long.”
Steven Spielberg
The purpose of this post is to show the process and progress of my short film – Crossing the Line. Borders are currently a hot topic. Patriotism and protecting one’s own country are on the rise. Right now Americans and Canadians have an uneasy relationship and a lot of people are refusing to cross the border. But during Covid when the border shut down, the Peace Arch Park (which straddles Blaine, Washington on the American side and Surrey BC on the Canadian side) was a place of refuge where people could freely meet in the spirit of love.
In 2022, I began a Short Film course with the wonderful, talented, kind and bubbly Olesia Shewchuk. Obviously the goal was to make a short film. Everyone else had scripts to work from. I didn’t know what I was going to do until I thought, “I have all these photos and footage of meeting Andy at the Peace Arch Park during Covid.” I usually take a camera with me whenever I go out, but this footage is amateur as I didn’t use an external mic or a tripod resulting in shaky, blurry video that has plenty of external noise – not ideal. This did not deter me, I decided to go with it anyway. I was the only one in the class to make a documentary.
The Short Film course was on-line and we had to make goals every week. There were participants from the Seattle area as well. What a great bunch of people! So supportive and fun.
SYNOPSIS FOR SHORT FILM – CROSSING THE LINE
When Covid 19 shut down borders between countries, there was a little known loophole that permitted people from the US and Canada to visit one another in a beautiful, meticulously kept park at the Peace Arch Border Crossing.
Canadians jumped the ditch at Zero Avenue to meet their American counterparts while the Americans could just pay for parking close by. Weddings could be organized or parties planned using the American Kitchen facilities. An immigration lawyer from Blaine could be consulted. Religious groups held fresh-air church services. Sports of all sorts were played. You might want to stop to smell the roses in the rose garden or marvel at the 40 or so varieties of trees. You could write your thoughts about what peace means to you at the Snack Shack. How about viewing works of artists at the annual International Sculpture Exhibition or reading the fascinating history of this unique place. There were also music video shoots and lovers canoodling in tents away from prying eyes.
The changing of the seasons in this idyllic setting over the course of a year is examined in this short film. But rest assured, you are being watched when you “cross the line.”
MY CREATIVE APPROACH
I really didn’t know how to organize my footage but had a bunch of “themes” – weddings, taxis, authorities, tents, park staff, etc, etc. Then I thought I would use an idea I had used for a music composition at SFU.
Taking inspiration from Mussorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, I would present each segment as a new vignette, sort of like several short films strung together. There would be new music for each segment.
My favourite part about making a film/video is the production of it. For Crossing the Line, I didn’t do any pre-production planning at all. I had fun videoing and talking to people, never expecting a film to come out of it. I don’t mind editing except for the technical part which I find to be very frustrating even though I was using the simple-for-most iMovie. I’m the annoying student in any class with a technical component to always have my hand up and need help. Continually.
OTHER DOCUMENTARIES
This was not my first short film. I took it upon myself to make a film about a restaurant I’d worked at and made another short film with students at Emily Carr about graffiti. But Crossing the Line was the first film to have a proper, but small, screening.
The first assembly/rough cut is available on You Tube. It needs editing and refining. If you have any suggestions, I’d be happy to hear them.
STAY TUNED
Filed Under: Audio, Blog, Creative Journeys, Video
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