Thanks to your ongoing support, we’re finalists in the Small Business BC Awards for Best Solopreneur!
Come cheer us on at the virtual awards celebration on May 5th! There'll be an inspiring short video about my journey so far, and I can't wait to share my story with you, and a province-wide audience!
Save the date May 3-6. Register for free at sbbc.co/awards-week
Behind the scenes from our Wastewater Treatment video project at the City of Kamloops state-of-the-art facility. This facility ensures wastewater is recycled and reused effectively, and since this Thursday is Earth Day, we thought these shots were rather fitting.
Easter weekend marked the beginning of wedding season for Aspect Film Works! Here's a few behind the scenes shots from our first wedding of 2021...film coming soon!
Photo credit: Wilson Weddings & Adventures
TW (Trigger Warning): this video contains graphic scenes depicting drug use and addiction, which may be traumatic for some viewers.
This is the first of two films we created for St'at'imc Outreach Health Services in conjunction with the Lillooet Tribal Council. The purpose of this project is to educate and inform young people about the possible causes and dangers associated with drug and alcohol addiction.
We are in awe of the courage and strength Rocker Brady exhibited while sharing his story for this project. Telling one’s personal story is never easy, especially when it involves revisiting traumatic events or memories from the past. We are so proud of Rocker for putting himself in this vulnerable position, because ultimately his story may help or possibly save someone’s life.
A couple of behind the scenes snaps of us working on an exciting project with the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation that we'll be sharing with you later this month - Stay tuned!
Note my beloved 'sherpa' Kathleen Fisher Photography has upgraded from pulling my equipment around for me, to pulling ME around so I can get those smooth "dolly" shots...what would I do without her?!
Photo credit: Tiffany Christianson Photography
Earlier this week, we shared the storyboard for the horticulture and gardening tips video series we created with the City of Kamloops. We thought it would be fun to share one of the completed videos from the series, so you can see how it all comes together.
As with most things, you can’t create an engaging video without first planning how you’ll create it. Therefore, it's no surprise the most important part of our video production workflow takes place even before the camera starts rolling... aka pre-production!
After various meetings, phone calls and emails to gather all the information we can about a project, to then scripting, storyboarding, creating a shot list and writing interview questions - there is so much work and planning that goes into each of our videos, and it all starts with the pre-production process.
We thought it'd be interesting to share one of the storyboards we created during pre-production on a series of videos we worked on with the City of Kamloops about horticulture and gardening tips.
Words cannot describe how incredibly excited and honoured I am to have been named as one of the Top 5 Finalists for Best Solopreneur in the 2021 Small Business BC Awards, amongst some absolutely outstanding BC businesses.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to those who nominated and voted for us, and to everyone who has supported and encouraged me in running and growing Aspect Film Works over the past 5 years here in Kamloops, BC
This was one of the first videos we were able to film after the initial Covid lockdown! It was so great to get to know these amazing women, and showcase how quickly they pivoted to serve the community.
The best part is, all 3 of these local businesses now have an On-Demand fitness membership for you to enjoy. Check out BARRE Kamloops Yoga Now Kamloops K Spin Indoor Cycling Studio for on-demand classes right in the comfort of your own home.
This one really hits the heartstrings for the Aspect team.
From the moment we met Mike and his family, we connected instantly. They are such beautiful, positive people, who we were very honoured to get to know and build a friendship with.
This was the first project the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation ever hired Aspect Film Works for, and since that time we have created an outstanding working relationship that we are very grateful for.
When working with the RIH Foundation, there is never a lack of inspiring stories to tell or incredible people to meet. One of the best parts, is highlighting the healthcare heroes in our community.
Richelle Velestuk was brave enough to tell her family's story as part of the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation Grateful Patient campaign. A story that showcases the amazing work the team in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Royal Inland Hospital does day in and day out.
The compassion, grace and expertise of the NICU team is relied upon by so many families every year, and this responsibility isn't taken lightly. Thank you to the staff at RIH for all you do, and thank you to the Velestuk family for being brave enough to share your experience with us.
Morgan and Chris took their very first vacation together in Tofino, and since then they have visited this gorgeous destination every year - making it the perfect place to celebrate their wedding! When the pandemic caused them to alter their plans for a large celebration with Australian and Canadian friends & family, to an intimate elopement, they decided a videographer was needed to ensure everyone who could no longer attend would still be able to enjoy their celebration of love.
At Aspect Film Works, storytelling is our greatest passion. Normally, we like to tell other people's stories, but today happens to be International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which has compelled me (Alex) to tell the story of my grandparents on my mother's side.
January 27th 1945, marked the date of liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops. In November 2005, January 27th was officially proclaimed International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
My grandparents Mania and Myroslaw Seneta, were born in a small town in Ukraine called Stary Sambor in the early 1900's. Although my grandfather was Catholic and my grandmother Jewish (a union that was disapproved of at the time), the two were married and had a son, my uncle Eugene. When World War 2 began, my grandmother, along with the rest of the Jewish people in the town were told to wear a white armband with a star on it, and were put to various kinds of manual labour. My grandmother had to walk 5 kilometres to and from work (digging gravel at the riverside from 8am in the morning to 5pm in the afternoon) each day, and no time was given for lunch. She could eat only when the police were not watching. If she could not keep up, she was beaten. Her weight plummeted from 55kg to 35kg.
She continued to stay with her family when not working, but in May 1942, was ordered into the Ghetto, an area of the town surrounded by barbed wire. There were between 3 and 4 thousand Jews in the Ghetto initially, with 10 to 20 people dying daily. Luckily, my grandfather's father was able to bribe the jailers to let my grandmother out of the Ghetto, one day before the rest of the Jews were moved on by the police - most of them to concentration camps.
8 people from my grandmother's family were taken, including her two sisters, whom she never saw again. My grandmother recollected after the war, that she knew of no other survivors from that Ghetto.
My grandfather had been preparing a hole under the floorboards in the bedroom of their home (approximately 2ft x 3ft x 4ft). After my grandmother escaped from the Ghetto, she had to run to that hole to hide many times per day; and on occasions when soldiers were billeted at the home, she had to stay in the hole for two days at a time. She hid for a period of two years, until the Germans left the town in August 1944.
In March 1944, my grandfather was arrested and sent to Czechoslovakia to work as a forced labourer in a quarry. He became ill, and was then sent on to work as a farm labourer, where he stayed until 1946. The Soviet army liberated Stary Sambor in August 1944, and at this time my grandmother and uncle left for Germany via Jewish transports heading for Bavaria, where there was a large camp for Jewish survivors. During transit, my grandmother made contact with my grandfather's brother, from whom she learned her husband was alive, and from whom my grandfather learned that his wife and son were still alive.
Acting on an instinct, my grandmother decided to remain at the transit camp with my uncle, and by some miracle later that day they saw my grandfather walking with one small suitcase along the wired perimeter of the camp. She said to my uncle “Look, that’s your daddy.”
After several years living in various respective Jewish and Ukrainian survivor camps in Germany, the family left for Australia on February 7th 1949, via Naples in Italy. After a period living in the transit camp at Bonegilla in Victoria, they moved to Adelaide (my home city) where my mother Irene was born on June 20th, 1951.
My grandparents' story is just one of many millions of Holocaust stories. They were incredibly lucky to have survived, after living through what I can only imagine to be one of the darkest and most horrific periods in our history. Very sadly, I never had the opportunity to meet either of them, as they both passed away before I was born. Thank you for taking the time to read their story. Let it be a reminder to us all while living through a global pandemic, that we are very fortunate to be suffering less than many who have gone before us.
We absolutely loved working with Aluminum Curtainwall Systems to create this promotional video, highlighting their manufacturing process from start to finish.
Throughout the shoot, it felt as though every corner we turned, revealed something new and even more intriguing to film! We really enjoy capturing manufacturing of all variations, as the potential to get creative with the shots along with the content itself is pretty much endless.
ACS is a Kamloops based company, but they work on projects all over North America - including buildings you’ve probably walked past several times in downtown Vancouver, such as the Vancouver Convention Centre!
Fun fact: We weren’t able to fly down to the US to capture time-lapse footage of the ACS building projects, so we ended up animating still photos to make them look like time-lapses! Could you tell?
Videos like this can be used for all of all sorts of purposes, including online marketing & promotion, recruitment, virtual trade shows and conferences...just to name a few!
This Summer, Natasha and Richard eloped in Richard's parents backyard, at their stunning home overlooking Blind Bay on Shuswap Lake.
This intimate celebration of 20 people was the perfect way to celebrate Natasha and Richard's longtime love - these two met in high school and started dating while studying at university.
There is something truly moving about filming young love that has evolved into forever love
Vendors:
Photography: Suzanne Sagmeister Photography
Make-up: Blush + Blossom Boutique Spa
Hair: Shelbys View
Florals: Wildwood Flower Emporium
Jewellery: olive + piper
Brides Dress: The Bridal Boutique (dress by Essence of Australia)
Earlier this year, we teamed up with YKAstrong to create a series of videos to remind the people of Kamloops to #supportlocal during the pandemic. We were delighted to feature our friend Greg Klohn of GK Sound in this series.
Last weekend Greg won Young Entrepreneur of the Year at The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, and we couldn't think of a more deserving person. Anyone who has worked with Greg and the team at GK Sound will agree that their quality of service, professionalism, technical knowledge and creativity is some of the best out there, and traits like these don't come without a hard working entrepreneur. Congratulations Greg! We are so proud of you!
Earlier this year Kathleen Fisher Photography and I were lucky enough to travel to the Sunshine Coast to capture this magical seaside elopement for our dear friends Gen and Jason.
I can still remember Gen raving about Jason back in 2009, when she and Kathleen visited me in Australia. The pair had only recently met before she hopped on a plane and flew halfway around the world to explore the land downunder. It was very clear there was something special between the two of them back then, but I never in a million years would have imagined I'd be capturing their wedding day in BC eleven years later...life can be so full of surprises like that!
Huge congratulations Genevieve and Jason for making things official, and for showing us all that love can still be celebrated so beautifully during a pandemic #loveconquersall
Rockstar Vendors:
Photographer: Kathleen Fisher Photography
Planner: @koricoastalweddings
Hair & Makeup: @fuzhan
“My name is Emma Christy, I am 23 years old and I recently tested positive for COVID-19”
Interviewing Emma and creating this video made me realize just how easy it is to contract COVID-19. It also reiterated that the guidelines aren’t so much about keeping ourselves safe, but keeping the vulnerable populations within our community safe.
One of our recent videos for the Covid-19 #socializesafely campaign launched by the RIH Foundation. This shoot brought on a host of new challenges for me, especially being Australian and never having filmed on ice before, I definitely felt like I was in unknown territory for the first few minutes. Thank goodness for ice shoe grips…they work like a charm 😂
A huge thank you to Logan Stankoven from the Kamloops Blazers, who absolutely nailed his acting debut and put up with me asking him to repeat the same action for the camera about a million times from multiple different angles! What a champ!
Ultimately, I am very grateful to have been a part of this project and to be involved in promoting a message of such huge importance during this critical time.
Happy Friday everyone!
I hope you’re ready to start your weekend off with a huge dose of LOVE, because this film is sure to give you all the feels
Congratulations to beautiful newlyweds Emily & Alex Jephcott, and thank you for choosing us to capture all the magic that was your special day! Kathleen Fisher and I feel so honoured to have been able to tell your story and even more so to have you both as friends.
A huge shout out to the following local vendors, who we are incredibly grateful to work alongside:
Photographer: Kathleen Fisher Photography
Florals & Decor: Sheer Florals
DJ: Common Sound
Officiant: Scott Lanigan, Trinity Church Kelowna
Catering: Uptown Chefs Catering & Events
Hair: Styled by Mac
Make-up: Beauty by Kate
Bride’s Dress: Cande Bridal Boutique
Groom’s Suit: Topman
Rentals: Rogers Rental
Shuttle: DiVine Tours
