Behind the scenes on CTC’s 35 Million Directors video project

Douglas Coupland challenges the country to produce a personal point of view on travel in Canada.

2012-08-27 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)’s 35 Million Directors project has been underway for a week now. Canadians have already produced dozens of photos and videos from across the country to tell the story of what travelling our country feels like.

The project also presents a great opportunity for members of the Canadian tourism industry—large or small—to grab their cameras or smartphones and show off their exceptional experiences and places.

As part of the project, seven of Canada’s auteurs, including the internationally acclaimed Canadian novelist and visual artist Douglas Coupland,are shooting video in different regions of the country. CTC News is happy to take you backstage to meet them. Keep an eye out for their work as it goes live on the 35M Directors website.

  • Guillaume Blanchet moved to Quebec to pursue his passion for filmmaking. There he has garnered plenty of fans, especially for his comical and eye-raising project,“The Man Who Lived on His Bike,” which was a tribute to his father. It chronicles Blanchet’s 382-consecutive-day odyssey atop a bicycle in the streets of Montréal.
  • The term “Generation X” has become part of the world lexicon. It’s amazing to think that it’s been more than 20 years since Douglas Coupland published his ground-breaking book. He still works tirelessly in Vancouver, BC, leading projects that centre on themes of techno-pop-culture, postmodern religion and Web 2.0 technology—to name a few. Coupland is joining this project to inspire a new and unique viewpoint of Canada.
  • The call of Canada’s North drew photographer Michael Ericsson to the Northwest Territories from his native Okanagan, BC. Ericsson takes his inspiration from the majestic landscapes and wildlife of his new home in Yellowknife. National Geographic has featured his work.
  • The culinary culture of Nova Scotia is what raises James Ingram’s photography temperature. He’s already captured the work of some of Canada’s top chefs and snaffled a Gourmand World Cookbook Award for his contributions to a French cookbook.
  • BC native Carlo Ricci spent the past year travelling through regions of Latin America and North America shooting documentary films for various non-government organizations. Ricci is a true global citizen.
  • Matt Wiebe recently moved to OttawaON, to pursue his videography passion. He started life behind the camera shooting skate videos in WinnipegMB. Now he moves around the nation’s capital capturing life’s simple, real and stunning moments on video.
  • Zach and Dustin Wilson are dyed-in-the-wool adrenaline junkies with a penchant for cliff jumping, kite-boarding and surfing. Together they run Two Brothers Films, a Saskatchewan-based production house specializing in cinematography and action sports.

What’s your view? Don’t forget to upload your image or video to the 35M Directors website.

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