Pursuing the Grizzlies
We had set off sailing up the beautiful Knight Inlet on the northern end of our trip. We were making our way up the inner coast of Vancouver Island and had already seen some amazing sites. However I got really excited when I heard we might make our way up to this beautiful place. To me Knight Inlet has remained a place of magical memories. A place that seems straight out of an adventure book.
It was in this exact spot two years ago that I had seen my first and only Grizzly bear. That memory has stood above most as something I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Being in the presence of a powerful creature in it's natural place of life, is a crazy experience.
On this trip however our first scouting mission was completely silent. Nothing. We heard word that ten sub adult grizzly bears had been seen that day alone, and yet in our two hours of paddling around we saw nothing.
I was overjoyed with excitement. After a night of songs on the boat we settled in for the night. The next morning there was a buzz aboard the ship as we got news there was a mom and her cub near by
We silently moved the zodiac in as gently as we could. Everyone was almost holding there breath as we made it towards the shore. Our view was obstructed from these large posts in the water by the shore. These pillars that used to hold up a dock of some sort. Someone said they saw something move and we all strained our sleepy eyes a little more. Sure enough as we got in just a little closer there in plain site was a mother and her cub prowling the shore line. I thought to myself, this is why I love sailing, this is why I love adventure, it's all about moments like this.
This is a Film I Made With No Budget, Entirely For Free
What excuses do you make when you put of creating projects you are passionate about? I know that I have tended to make a lot of excuses over the years. I don't have enough time, I don't have a nice enough camera, or maybe the content wont be good enough. Avoiding making things your passionate about seems all too convenient these days. It seems that a lot of people in the video industry have become so accustomed to saying,
"I can't afford to work on videos I want to. You know, gotta make money from those corporate clients, it's boring but it pays the bills."
I don't think you can afford to not focus on your passions. I have caught myself thinking in a similar fashion and I am convinced it doesn't have to be this way. We can still be making films about the things that we love, even if we claim to not have time to.
If you are not making time for projects your are passionate about now, I don't think you will ever make time them. It all starts with today.
On this trip it wasn't even my responsibility to make a video. I was volunteering as a Watch Leader and helping run the sail training program aboard the vessel. Video was definitely a back seat priority. Yet even though it was back seat to my actual responsibilities I still took it seriously enough to make something I am proud of from the trip.
Being Okay With Less than Perfect
This was all made possible from being okay with less than perfect. Is this the quality of videos I want to be making? Not necessarily, for me I know I am capable of creating films of a much higher caliber, but I don't think that means I should pass up on the opportunity to make something when the story is there. Not everything can be a 100% film. One thing I am noticing is that people pay attention to consistency far more than they pay attention to announcements.
It is my Goal to be a 'Go To' Outdoor Adventure Storyteller in British Columbia
I don;t want to be the go to adventure film guy because I want to be better than others. I definitely don't want to in order to win some type of social media race of stats and numbers. This is my goal because I want to be making films like this all the time. It's that simple.
I come alive when I make films about adventure.
I want to say no to making anything less than what I am passionate about. It is so hard to do this, but it means when I am selective in picking my projects, it creates the potential for each project to be the best thing I have created. That is the type of work I want to be making. Capturing and sharing stories that make me come alive.
Right Now I am Covering My Bills So I Can Make Films that I Want to Make
Currently I am doing a lot of freelance editing. I am doing this so I can pay my bills and not be forced to take on clients or projects that are not a good fit for my company. I am growing Leftcoast Media House to be a specialized production house that tells adventure stories with excellence in the Vancouver and greater British Columbia area. I believe that you can make the tough choices to enable yourself in doing this as well. You can be making what you love if you are willing to sacrifice and fight for it.
Written by: Levi Allen VanderKwaak
