Trail kids net professional filming gig for Silver City Days
By Kyra Hoggan
Five Trail teens got the experience of a lifetime while bringing a whole new realm of publicity for Silver City Days’ 50th anniversary this year.
City communication and events coordinator Andrea Jolly said she was surprised by the initiative shown by Grade 11 J. L. Crowe student Eric Gonzalez, 17, when he approached her offering his videography skills to the city.
“I thought that was impressive initiative, and he was very poised and professional,” she said.
So the city contracted him to do a 30-second commercial for Bull-A-Rama, and officials were pleased enough with the event that they hired Gonzalez and four of his fellow students to film Silver City Days May 8 – 12.
“We wanted something special to commemorate the 50th anniversary,” Jolly said. “There are so many neat things going on that people don’t always get to see, like the firing boards for the fireworks – now they’ll get behind-the-scenes glimpses of what goes into create an event of this calibre.”
The end result will be at least six (possibly seven) short films depicting events throughout the five days, such as the Home of Champions Monument Unveiling, the fireworks, and so on, each to be posted on You Tube.
“It has the dual benefit of serving as a commemoration for residents and attendees, while really promoting Silver City Days in particular, and Trail in general, to the larger world out there,” Jolly explained. “Most travellers determine their holiday destinations by using the Internet these days. This project will ensure they really have something special to see.”
Gonzalez says there were as many as three or four cameras running at each event (manned by Jordon Strobel, Chris Tremblay, Jesse Bartsoff and Mitch Mclean, all fellow Grade 11 students and members of teacher Jason Whitley’s film and television class).
“It wasn’t a school-related thing, but we learned a lot anyway,” he said. “There’s stuff you can’t learn in the classroom – it’s different when you really get out there.”
He said he was surprised and gratified the city gave him an opportunity to prove himself.
“I would’ve thought they would’ve given it to someone with more experience; a big company.”
Jolly said, though, that the city couldn’t have done better.
“I was blown away – they were so professional and enthusiastic,” she said. “If we asked for something, or wanted something done differently, they quickly, cheerfully made it happen for us. It was a terrific experience.”
The first video in the series is expected to be released within the next two days on You Tube (The Champion will provide links here as well as on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TrailChampion?fref=ts ).
Gonzalez intends to go from high school to achieve a civil or mechanical engineering degree.
