Part IL: My last day.

Hello readers,
Today was my last day of Canada's Greatest Summer Job. I know I haven't been blogging like I'm supposed to be I have been working so hard to get my movies done... and they are. Finally.
Today was a day of last minute preparations, frantic closed captioning and last minute audio checking. At 2 P.M. I presented the videos to the office and they seemed to like it. Thank goodness.

But today is only one day in what has been an incredible experience. This summer has flown, it feels like yesterday that Sheila was watching me jump around the living room with the excitement of getting the job. Going to Banff, making the news that I was selected out of 900 applicants for this job real, was incredible. Being in Alberta for the first time and meeting the other 31 students (you guys are incredibly talented) and the amazing mentors including Ashely Hoppin, Craig Colby, Albert, Downy and Eva Karvonen, Fiona Currie, Louis Lavoie and others that I'm forgetting.
The Banff experience was truly incredible, the mountains inspiring and the company couldn't be beat.

From Banff I made my way to Tadoussac, in Quebec's Cote Nord, a place I had never been before. I continue to be blown away from the beauty here, the cliffs, the fjord, the whales, everything about this place is spectacular. I seriously wouldn't even believe I'm in the same province.
Tadoussac and the Saguenay St-Lawrence Marine Park has given me some amazing memories. Tanya, Rosemary, Kevin and Genevieve have made this summer great from playing scrabble and pool at Chez Sam, to climbing over rocks at the dunes, to getting drunk on company whale watching tours (the truth comes out!!).
The St-Lawrence and Saguenay have given me some incredible adventures. Some of my favourites: flying in the sea plane for aerial footage, kayak trip gone awry, kayaking normally, whale watching trips, swimming at l'Anse a l'Eau, dune trips and walking around Pointe d'Islet.
I've had my ups and downs with my videos (crashes and re-builds) but in the end, I am proud of what I've made despite minor audio blips or wonky cuts.

Then there was the Torngats. What a unique and crazy experience in Canada's North. Never thought I would be there. So many crazy hikes, plane rides, first helicopter ride, first iceberg, first polar bear, first caribou (seeing and eating) and so many unique and unforgettable experiences.

So all in all, this has been an unbelievable summer. Truly is Canada's Greatest Summer Job, and I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Thanks Parks Canada, the Saguenay St-Lawrence Marine Park team, my friends and family for the support and in the words of one Kourtney Tyndall: See you on the other side!

Part XXXVIII: Adobe: My arch-nemesis

I remember my first time using Adobe Premiere editing software. It was a sunny day in Banff, Alberta. I remember thinking how many cool things I could do with it. How Concordia's FinalCut didn't compare to it.
That was three months ago.
Now I sit in front of my computer for at least half and hour every morning waiting for my projects to load... that is if they do at all.
Adobe crashes at least four times a day which means I have to restart my computer and re-load the project. For all the great feature it has, the system isn't worth all the time and heartache its given me.
I've never had FinalCut crash on me and take so long to so simple tasks. Only six more days of Adobe until I'm back to FinalCut.

Part XXXXVII: Rendering the night away

Name: Kelly Greig
Status Update: Editing
Since the Torngat Mountains (the long update is coming up) I've had a revelation. This job is supposed to be fun. I'm supposed to be having an amazing experience. When my computer crashed and I lost my premiere files, I drove myself into the ground trying to make up what I lost. Now, I have accepted the fact that I will only complete two movies and have gotten myself back on track.
I'm enjoying my job again, not freaking out at every minute. I look forward to seeing my movies done, and will get them done on time.
Work=fun!

Part XXXXVI: Back from the edge of nowhere

Hello readers.
It's been awhile. How's the family? Anything new with you? Me? Well, I have been trekking through Northern Labrador, meeting the minister of the environment and eating weird animals. No big?
Details?
Unfortunately I have neither the stamina nor the photos uploaded to share my experience at this moment. But so you know, it was an amazing experience!! Loved every minute of it! Fantastic!
More to come...

Part XXXXV: Picking up the pieces

Hello dear reader.
In the wake of my computer apocalypse I am doing what survivors do. Starting to pick up the pieces and move on. I have accepted that I will not fulfill my goal of three videos. I will produce two.
One is currently trapped in my co-workers computer and the other one is still in pieces. Whatever.
I can and will do it.
I've been surprisingly optimistic about the whole situation and Fiona Currie from National Office is a god send.
One more day until I leave for Montreal!

Part XXXXIV: Sunday editing marathon

10:04- Start up the computer. Yes, I slept in a bit. Woke up at 9:30. Sue me.

10:40- Massive set back, the video files from the Adobe were all on the desktop so when I tried to open my old file it was all media offline

11:10- Movie Two is really interview driven and rendering the interviews is taking forever.

12:06- Twenty minutes of rendering and 13% done.

2:11- STILL RENDERING, thank goodness this is a really interview driven video because in about 30 minutes I'll have all interviews rendered. Ugh

Part XXXXIII: Saturday morning editing marathon

9:15- Just arrived at the office. It's a beautiful warm Saturday morning. Not a cloud in the sky, and I'm cooped up in front of a computer

10:24- Rendering is taking FOREVER on this computer. Seriously 1 second of footage is taking about 13 to render.

11:51: About 48% complete

11:54- Waiting for a huge chunk to render. Blasting Don't Stop Believin' on my laptop.

1:00- First Adobe crash of the day, sure to be more to come. Almost have all the images in sequence. Still to do: audio, supers, music, credits

1:15- Listening to Hanuka Matata from the Lion King while getting the last of my clips together

2:23- Snack time

3:31- Holy hell this computer is slow. Everything is do take twice the time as my old computer.


4:22- Recording script. Almost done. Just supers and credits left to do.

4:46- Wow, my French is awful. Should I get someone else to record this?

5:59- Really almost done, just need to tweak some audio.

7:15- Exporting. Phew. Time for a break. Haven't decided whether or not to get going on video two.