a few months back, i had the opportunity to experience a "not-freezing-your-ass-off" canadian summer. it was beautiful with lush, colorful foliage, mild sunny days and the feeling that, for a moment at least, all could be right with the world.

pithy though my travel writing might be, i was there to work and the project (for the alberta's teacher association) was encompassing. teaming up with my favorite canadian ex-pat DP, christopher walters (pictured here under extreme suspicion by the TSA), we populated an elementary school with adult students playing at being 3rd graders. the agency's idea being that if schools don't pay attention to kids when they're kids, society will have to deal with much graver consequences when they're adults.

strapped for cash, we shot on the canon 5D and the result is pretty decent. that said, the camera's handling of color still seems a bit sketchy and, as the files are already so highly compressed, there's not as much range in post to correct any chroma-shifts. even so, my not-so-secret find of the year, emery wells of katabatic, did a great job grading the final piece.

though the day was grueling (a dozen actors playing children are not unlike a dozen children play acting), i felt the shoot came off well until i spied a doodle by one of the actors no doubt sketched during the many breaks for lighting or camera resets. i think i'm the angry looking guy:

here's the final spot: