The Payoff

As much as grind traveling road shows can be, there always without fail is a payoff. It can come in the form of financial gain, practical experience, and life experience in general. There is always a payoff.

I remember my first large scale "road trip" back in 1994 when the station I was working at the time took one of their shows to Florida during a particularly bad winter. There was the financial aspect and it was good. As it was my first big adventure, it provided a big professional and practical payoff throughout. It was not until the bitter end of the assignment that the best spiritual payoff presented itself. That was a full day, by myself on a warm sunny island away from the crew, the show and light years away from the winter that we had left back in the Maritimes.

This past week with our CTV News @ 6 show in Whistler for the 2 Year Countdown Celebrations to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, was no different. The week and the project once again tested me in many ways. Physical and mental fatigue, yet again things that I forced myself to work through. After all it is the professional thing to do.

Brent and Pamela at they ride the "Magic " chair as we began our trip up to the top

The spiritual payoff came in the middle of this trip and as it only lasted a half hour, it was indeed worth it. Wednesday brought an assignment for Brent , Pamela and I up at the top of Whistler Mountain. There was a number of elements to collect before we loaded onto the lift and at times it looked like our attempt at snapping on the skis for a few "turns" might elude us. But in the end we were able to get ourselves up. The official reason: Go to the top, get some shots and shoot a stand up. The truth is we all just wanted to get a run or two in on what was a spectacular day. I had to be on the set at 3:30, but it had been pushed to 4, so that took a bit of the pressure off.

A look from Whistler across the valley toward Blackcomb.

Brent and Murman at the top top near the "Round House"

It was good for the soul, it was good for the body. It was indeed the Payoff.

Weeks End

As the week of Specials came to a close, our newly formed Bureau would begin to ramp up. Thursday brought the arrival of Whistler Reporter Sarah Galashan. Her presence would require me to begin shooting and editing as her assignments dictated. This would present an interesting logistical problem. I was still required to shoot and edit with Producer Brent Gilbert and Host Pamela Martin. I was also required to be on set at 4:30 to man the camera for the show.

CTV Whistler Bureau Reporter Sarah Galashan on her first day at the Bureau

At this point in the week fatigue was beginning to take its toll. Add to the mix, an evening shoot that was sold as being an hour tops, but actually went 4 and by Friday morning the WALL was coming awfully close and I was afraid I would hit it.

CTV Floor Director Jimmy Walsh, waiting for the final show

Somehow the team was able to get through it. I shot a piece with Sarah and cut it. The weather on that last day brought snow and cold. Couple that with tired bodies and you know that striking the set would be a challenge.

Just before we went to air for the final show, word spread that the only highway back to Vancouver was now closed. This put the rest of the crew in a sombre mood as they were anxious to get home. I would be staying as part of my Bureau commitments, but my accomidations were now in the Bureau itself and with all of the turmoil of the week, the room had looked like a bomb had hit it.

A shot of the Bureau on Friday, looking like a bomb hit it.

The show went to air, I had little energy left after the shoot and edit. As the show ended we all knew with the highway closed, getting the stranded crew some place to stay in a resort town on a Friday Night would have to take priority.

Brent warming his hands during the show, just wanting to wrap up.

I began to strike the set as the others set out to find lodging. It wasn't long before guys began to return to help out. Before we knew it we had the set packed up and loaded onto the truck. The highway wasn't going to reopen until midnight. It would mean another night for the crew, but going home in poor road conditions would be a very bad idea indeed.

My final night with the crew was spent with Floor Director Jimmy and his girlfriend Inga. We raised a glass and toasted the end of a week of successful shows and to a good night's sleep for our tired bodies.

All In Good Fun

The reasson etre (and forgive my lame attempt at spelling of reasson etre, I barely can spell in english let alone french) for us being in Whistler is of course the two year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Winter games. After riding Monday's coaster of DOOM, Tuesday provided a bit of fun for all of us at the CTV Broadcast Center. We are located at the Village Square, center piece for the Countdown celebrations.

Perry, Steve and Tamara, during a tech check

There has been entertainment on the main stage every day. Our close proximity to the stage has made for some interesting sound dynamics when audio checking or worse, going to air, but it has also provided us with the opportunity to enjoy some of the festivities.

Usually at around 3:30 the entertainment begins. The crowd gathers and fun ensues. As part of the Olympic Flavor of the event, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascots make an appearance. They have been an instant hit with the kids. They hang around for about 30 minutes or so, having pictures and hugging the children that are passing by.

CTV Olympic Producer Allison Redmond, Quatchi and CTV National Reporter Lisa LaFlamme

I have to confess, when the mascots were unveiled I was less than impressed. But I have to remember that these creatures were made for the kids, and well they kinda grow on you.
With the appearance on Tuesday some of our crew took advantage and posed for a few shots.
It was all in good fun.

CTV Floor Director Jimmy Walsh smiles with Olympic Mascot Quatchi

Sumi the Olympic Mascot with CTV Special Events Producer Joan Marshal

Paralympic Mascot Meiga with CTV Photographer Steve Hughes

The Coaster Of DOOM

With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games 2 years away, the official 2 year countdown on Feb. 12. Announcements and events planned for both Vancouver and Whistler meant that as the Network with the Broadcast Rights for 2010, we mobilized for a week of shows both National and Local. My assignment is with our local team in Whistler BC, home of the Alpine, Nordic and Sliding sports.

We arrived on Sunday and began our set up for Monday. Mostly cabling runs and minor stuff. Our main delivery of equipment was not due until Monday morning. The bulk of the crew were also due in before noon Monday.
For me Monday brought an ENG assignment with ctv producer Brent Gilbert ( some of you may remember Brent as part of the crew that I went with to the Turin Games with in 2006). CTV Host Pamela Martin would also be on this shoot atop Blackcomb Mountain. It was an item about Avalanche rescue dogs. We would cover Pamela in a hole in the snow and have the dog find her. We were on a bit of a time crunch as I would be needed to get back to our set position and build the set for our 6PM show.

A shot looking at our set in Whistler with the antenna's of the proble IFB's and wireless mics in the foreground.

The shoot went pretty well and when my time on the mountain drew to a close, I headed down the lift. Brent stayed behind to collect a couple more shots.

The set build was a bit on the stressful side as problems with IFB's and Mics caused headaches. The camera builds went smoothly as the tech checks drew near. The guys in the SAT truck were going great guns, but as the show drew near, you could sense the tension in the air. Problems with IT and Prompter, electrical issues just added to the drama.

CTV Camera Op Steve Hughes and Weathercaster Tamara Taggart hoping for a working IFB

With the games two years out, our network Executive team including CEO Ivan Fecan were also in Whistler meeting with Olympic Officials and other Official Broadcasters, touring venues and potential broadcast locations for 2010.

With a show potentially melting down, and the presence of the Execs from World Headquarters, you had all for the ingredients of the Perfect Storm, or of us, the Perfect Stroke.
I was worried about our lead Tech. He's the kinda guy that puts his heart and soul into a project and major problems less than 2 hours before a broadcast was not what he or any of us needed at this time.

With the clock ticking, IFB and Mics with wireless issues, hosts and talent growing impatient with waiting in the marginal weather, who shows up on the set. You guessed it, like a scene out of the Sopranos, the gang of Execs appears. Those of us on set just smiled and went about our business as if all was right with the world. Our faces hid what lurked inside, a set check that was causing so much grief.

CTV National Reporter Lisa LaFlamme with CTV Globemedia CEO Ivan Fecan on the set

After saying there hellos and checking our locations they were gone. Whew, bullet dodged.

CTV Camera Gary Rutherford on his knees for a shot, or is he praying for the broadcast Gods to help us

Before we knew it, it was show time. The show went off without a hitch. It's always the way, bad tech rehearsal, great show. Yet the roller coaster that is always day one of projects like this we live for. Who knows how many years we have taken off of our lives, riding the Coaster of Doom before a show, but by god when the shows over and the team has wrestled victory out of the jaws of disaster, Damn that's Sweet!

Murman, Floor Director Jimmy and Producer Joan, just happy the show is almost over

Busy and Intense

This is the beginning of what I am sure will be a very busy and intense few weeks. A change from day to day news gathering is always welcome, especially at this time of year. The task at hand will involve a number of "Live" specials from events surrounding the 2 year countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Live specials or taking the show on the road is always challenging. This particular challenge however, will also involve launching a new Bureau for our station. The Bureau start up is something that has been something that the station has wanted for some time. Now we are in a position to execute the start up.

How I became involved in the start up is a long and twisted story, so I will shorten it for you my faithful reader. I was standing at the wrong place at the wrong time, or at the right place at the right time. (And I reserve the right to determine which of those applies when I return from this assignment)

Murman at the new Whistler Bureau edit suite during the install on Wednesday.

Wednesday of this past week we began to tool up the new Whistler Bureau. It basically a hotel room tricked out with an edit suite and soon to be installed feed services. Fax machines, phone lines and high speed infoweb everything a news bureau should have. In the weeks to come I hope to give you a look from the inside of the trials and tribulations of "New Bureau" life. It is a temporary assignment until a staff hire can be made to fill the camera/editor position. It begins officially from me on Thursday of this week coming. Until then, Olympic Countdown specials in Richmond and Whistler will occupy my attention. Full setups and tear downs. In Whistler, promos, ENG editing to boot. Yes it will be busy. Add the big wigs coming to town, it has all the makings of "busy and intense" weeks to come.

The End of January

It has been a long and somewhat eventful week out here on the left coast. After a week of blissful flight, ol' World Wide drew into the regular general assignment ENG rotation.
I was welcomed back to earth with a heavy snowfall. Now usually that would automatically mean a nasty commute topped off with an always popular weather story.

As I loaded the truck and listened in on the traffic reports, I realized I might have a problem just getting off my street. You see an incline to the main road, without salt or sand translates to spinning tires and little or no forward momentum.

A flick into four wheel drive solved that problem and I was quickly on my way in to the office. Listening to the radio I discovered there was supposed to be a big problem on one of the busiest bridges in Greater Vancouver. That turned out to be a very good turn of events for me. I joined the highway into the downtown after the problem bridge. The road was bare and the trickle of traffic inbound meant I could cruise at near the speed limit. When I finally made it to the desk, I had just completed a record best 22 minutes for a commute time.

I did draw a weather related story, but instead of trudging around in the snow looking for sound bites, I got to ride shotgun on a snowplow. Great fun, but shooting in a cab of a big ass snow plow can be hard on the back. Even with the discomfort, I could get the "Mr. Plow" song , from the Simpsons out of my head. The day ended with a live hit not related to snowplows or weather, but taxi cabs. Such is the world of front line news gathering.

The cycle would repeat itself everyday for the rest of the week. Thus ending the always tough month of January.

Fly Me To The Moon

For a Tuesday on a flight week, today was a very good day. Mother nature has treated us with a break in the monsoon season. Clear skies, fresh snow on the mountains, surely flight missions would follow.
It began with a phone call from re assigned flight reporter Dave (Kink) Kincaid. He reassigned duties keep him terrestrial. He now fronts a thing called "Where We Live" and today he sold the desk on the idea doing one from the air.

It has been said by someone when describing Vancouver, that you can ski, golf and then go for a sail in one's yacht all in a single day. Our mission, to show this from the sky.

As we took off to collect the orgasmic visuals for this piece. A call from the desk sent us in a different direction. A body found in Langley.
"We're on our way Gregg." I told the voice on the other end of the cell phone.
Actual news gathering is what we live for and this mission in Langley would fill the need for the "hard" news that the desk hungers for.
Peter my pilot for today, began to bring the turbine engine to life. I established contact with control room to determine which receive tower I would be linking with. Gregg breaks in on the radio and gives us an additional assignment. This one, a shooting in Surrey less than ten minutes old.
This would be a busy flight. We had a guest with us as well, Freelance CTV Writer Doug Murray. Doug also writes a blog called "Road Spill". Kinda funny now that I think of it, we had three "Murray's" on board.

We flew to both scenes, collected the shots that were needed and then proceeded to collect shots for Kink's story. Yes siree Bob, we got in some quality mountain flying. Hikers atop Mount Seymour, back country skiers, snow covered mountains that look like ice cream cones. It was soulful.
Our flight took us over to Grouse Mountain. I shot some skaters outside on a frozen pond. Onto Cypress Bowl, a reveal shot from the mountains to the bright blue waters of Howe Sound and a BC Ferry making the turn into Horse Shoe Bay. Peter spotted some folk enjoying a picnic on the rocks overlooking Point Atkinson. And finally shots of pleasure craft maneuvering into docks at Granville Island.
It had been a busy flight. So much so that I did not have a chance to get out the D-80 and fire off a frame or two.

A call from Kink when we were back on the ground had me run through what I had shot for him.
"Murman, what will my closing shot be?" he asked.
Just then I remembered that we had a wonderful full moon rise last evening at around 4 :20.
"How bout I shoot the moon rise tonight from the air?" I sold him on the idea.

The sun goes down on a very productive flight day as we prepare to fly and shoot a moon rise

We took off at about 4:50 and headed out for the money shot. I had my eyes and lens pointed at the North East looking for a bright disc rising. Surely it would be up very soon. The flight continued. We orbited over the waters of English Bay waiting.
I was only give a small flight window to make this happen. I shot the sun set, just in case I botched the timing of the moonrise. As I looked at my watch, time was running out. Not even a glimpse of a bright object resembling a moon. We headed back to base and set the machine down. As we powered down machine, my cell rings. It's Kink.

"How is it that the United States lands a man on the Moon, and YOU can't find it?" he mocks.

I begin to explain that I had a backup shot and whine about not being able to time a moon rise. Kink laughs at what a failure the idea had become. Just at that moment, I look out my window toward the north shore mountains, and low and behold, a sliver of bright silver moon rising over the ridge. I quickly re establish our microwave link and shoot the freakin' thing from the aircraft dolly with the FLIR. It appears I have wrestled victory from the jaws of defeat.
It was orgasmic.

The moon finally makes an appearance. My rather weak attempt to photograph it without a tripod.

Flight Week Ahead

After an interesting week on the ground, I find myself ready to get back on flight duty. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and our flight crew will have some good hunting. Maybe a rescue or two. We don't need anyone to get hurt, just a visual rescue. Something that will lead the cast. God knows, it has been a very, very long time since I had something that I have shot from my seat aboard our camera in the sky. I am beginning to feel snake bit. Oh yes this "rescue" needs to happen before it gets too dark. Unfortunately the nose mounted wonder camera, is not much of a wonder when it is dark. So, I'll bring my rabbit's foot, eat my Lucky Charms and knock on any wooden surface and hopefully, it will be a good week riding high above the tree tops crankin' it out for your viewing pleasure.

My favorite part of the week, the first launch.

Kick Ass Day

The Martin Mars Waterbomber as it sits at anchor in Vancouver Harbour

For a Wednesday, today kicked ass. Well for me it did anyway. It began with an early morning call to go and cover a quick shoot at a school. Interesting subject matter, kids and gangs. I figured that this would be my fate for the day, but when the item got down graded to a VSV, it enabled me to team up with Kink on another assignment. And what a gem it was.

Kink and I have worked many stories from the air aboard CTV Chopper 9. One of our favorites from the sky are forest fires. We have done many over the years. From the air they can be very visual and when we happen to share the skies with the world's largest water scooping tanker, there is always excitement in our aircraft.

A shot out the hatch looking at the Starboard Engines (Right side for you non mariners)

Today, we got to do one of those cool things that most never get to experience. We both boarded and were given an inside look at the mighty Martin Mars Water Bomber. This second world war era flying boat, originally designed as weapon against Japan, had been converted for fire fighting after wars end. There are only 2 left on the planet and they both are based in British Columbia, owned and operated by Coulson Avaition. It was a particular thrill for me, as I have shot this massive aircraft fighting fires on several occasions from my seat aboard Chopper 9. ( See "Best Laid Plans")

This particular Martin Mars is called the "Hawaii Mars". It is the same plane that some of you may have seen fighting fires in California this past fall. To see this vintage machine drop her load never gets tired. It scoops a full load skimming along a waterway, in just 25 seconds. When over a fire, she can drop enough water out of her belly to soak 4 acres in just a single pass. She may be old, but she is very capable.

Kink and Jim Messer of Coulson Water Tankers on the flight deck

The Mars is in Vancouver for a Forestry trade show. It is believed that this is the first time either "Hawaii" or her sister "Philippine Mars" has ever touched down in Vancouver Harbour. It certainly drew a large crowd on the pier to see her drop a load into the harbour.

Some of the Crowd at Canada Place's Pier waiting for the water drop demo

To have been given a look inside, and to have spoken to the crew that keeps her airworthy was indeed a privilege and coupled with a phone conversation I had with a special person back east, it made for a KICK ASS DAY.

Murman enjoyin' his KICK ASS DAY on the flight deck of the Martin Mars

More photos at my flickr site.

Freestylin' Olympic Venue

One of the things that make this occupation so attractive is seeing and doing things for the first time. Earlier this week, I was given an assignment that would provide an up close look at something I had only seen on TV, Freestyle Skiing.
Most of you are already aware that Vancouver will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In preparation for the world class competitions, the Venues for the various sports have been completed or are near completion. One such venue is the Freestyle Ski Venue up on Cypress Mountain. This week the Canadian World Cup Freestyle Ski team held training sessions on the new venue. Most of the athletes attending will be a part of the Olympic team that will compete in 2010.
I would be tasked to shoot b-roll of the team training on the Aerials and Moguls Venue. I was excited to be given this assignment as I had never seen Freestyle Skiing live and up close before. When training was over I would be shooting a number of interviews with the team for use by our Olympic Desk for a later date. Not a bad assignment for a Wednesday in the middle of a week of early morning shifts.

CTV Olympic Desk Chase Producer Marina Ellis gives me the horns.

I had seen this venue many times from the air aboard Chopper 9. I had also seen it from a distance from the ground. My son and I ski often at the Cypress Ski area. But it wasn't until I walked over with my camera and stood at the bottom that I got any kind of an appreciation for just how steep the venue is. To get the shots I was going to need, I would have to get up to at least the Judges Building half way up the course.

CTV Olympic Desk Chase Producer Alex poses for the lens

Producers, Alex and Marina, both young enough to be my children, hoofed it up the mountain with me. Alex had my sticks, I had my lens slung over my shoulder. It wasn't long before I was huffing and puffing thinking I would need to stop and set up camp and try for the summit later. After what seemed like an eternity, I got to the Building. Huffing and puffing, trying to catch my breath, Alex introduces me to one of the coaches. The look on the coaches face seemed to be surprised that I had survived the climb. The jumpers had not yet begun to launch themselves off the ramps yet. I took the opportunity to walk over to the ramps and survey the landing area. Holy Crap, that was steep. And they are going to jump off that??!! Man these folks have stones. It looked more daunting when I climbed up into the judges building and looked over the area.

A member of the Canadian Freestyle Aerials Team launches themselves into the air.

It wasn't long before the team was doing their thing. Launching themselves into the air, twisting, flipping, all with incredible precision. Wow. They make it look effortless.

Another member of the Canadian Freestyle Aerials Team in flight over Cypress Mountain

Over on the Mogul course, the team was working on technical things. Flying down the course, knees pounding and then leaping and launching themselves off a smaller jump. Some took a spill, but they would bounce right back up. Man they're tough.

A look from the bottom of the course as a member of the Canadian Freestyle Aerials team trains at the 2010 Winter Olympic Freestyle Venue at Cypress Mountain.

During the sit down interviews later, listening to some of these athletes, we learn a little of what makes them tick. Just regular folks, with extraordinary talents. Talents that allow them to defy the laws of gravity. It really was something to see. I can only imagine just how incredible it will be to see the best in the world compete and fly through the skies of Cypress come 2010.