The two local videographers who were awarded $750 each for portraying the spirit of 樱桃视频at the Adventure Centre's Reel Movie Spirit Night on Wednesday (Feb. 11) know exactly where the money is going - back into their camera equipment.
Grade 12 Howe Sound Secondary student Alex Sykora and longtime videographer Dean Richards presented their films interpreting the spirit of 樱桃视频to a full theatre of about 50 people in charge of voting for the best two pieces as part of B.C. Spirit Week.
The pair of films stood out among four other films and two photography presentations. Sykora said he plans on majoring in film studies next year in university and the money will help purchase a new video camera. Richards, meanwhile, has a similar mindset but more experience in the industry. The owner and operator of Mysquamish.com said his high-end video camera "has had the biscuit" and needs to be repaired.
Fortunately for Sykora and Richards, Legacies 2010 Now helped fund the event. Legacies 2010 Now is a not-for-profit society directed toward developing sustainable legacies in recreation, healthy living, arts, literacy, accessibility and tourism throughout the province. Tourism 樱桃视频and Pause Caf茅 also contributed.
Richards has been capturing footage in 樱桃视频for the last 14 years, both as a hobby and a career. He gathered a large collection of sports related scenes, from kiteboarding and rock climbing to the Test of Metal, to show the wide variety of recreation opportunities in Squamish. 樱桃视频spirit can be interpreted as the idea that anything is possible, while the strong volunteer base is the heart of the town, he said.
Richards's film ended with footage from 2003 when Vancouver won the 2010 Olympic bid. Eager faces of those who contributed to the bid locally cram the Howe Sound Brew Pub as the television announces the result and the place erupts.
"The theme for this one was the spirit of sports in 樱桃视频and to show the passion that we have and to emphasise the volunteers," he said.
"I wanted to show the spirit in the sense that we have amazing volunteers here, per capita, and just how everyone was so excited by the opportunity that we have for the Olympics."
Richards intends to post the film and a complete documentary on local Olympic bid initiatives on www.mysquamish.com.
Sykora took a slightly different approach to his film, focusing on recognizable local personalities in a series of interviews asking the question: what does the spirit of 樱桃视频mean to you? For example, Mayor Greg Gardner and eagle advocate Thor Froslev both made cameo appearances.
"I wanted to get people to think about experiencing 樱桃视频more and to think about the Olympics in a way so everyone can relate to their own personal stories of Squamish," said Sykora. "The Olympics are happening and we need to start taking the initiative."
