Girl About O-Town

Last February, this girlaboutOtown was lucky to be invited to the launch of a lovely new business in Ottawa { First Kiss Films } which specializes in producing fine art wedding films on 16mm and Super 8mm film.   Not only was Bridget Redmond’s concept brilliant, her talent was downright impressive.  Since then, I’ve been following Bridget’s progress with curiosity, and watching her unique  filmmaking business flourish!

Imagine my delight when I read of her latest endeavour, a new service called the Family First Film.  It seems Bridget has decided to apply her gifted eye to everyday lives.  Building on her cinematic approach to weddings, this accomplished filmmaker will come to your home and create a custom film of your family.  Whether it’s a special celebration or an ordinary slice of your life, Bridget’s hope is to help her clients turn seemingly mundane moments into extraordinary memories that will last forever.  I watched in awe as “An evening with the Brooks Family” unfolded on film, and found myself desperately wanting one for me and my three!  I think if you view it too, you will see what I mean.

Anyway, when I asked Bridget if she would answer a few questions, she very kindly agreed.  Not surprisingly, there are some serious smarts behind this brave and creative cinematic eye!

You are an artist, photographer and filmmaker, and have studied these formally.   How did you first discover your passion and when did you know it was a talent?  Film has always been a part of my life.  It started with my father’s interest in capturing images.  He spent hours visually chronicling my family’s life.  We always had cameras at home, and I used to love making videos just for fun.  But artistically, still photography became my first passion when I received an SLR while still in high school.  I then moved onto making art films after graduating from Carleton’s Film Studies program.  It was at that point, once I started getting feedback from public screenings, I realized not only do I love working with film but people seem to appreciate what I’m creating.

How long have you been making films?  My first film was completed in 1997 and was shot in one weekend with a crew of ten people.  It was a very visual film with no dialogue, and was set in a photo darkroom.  I guess I was inspired by the environment where I used to spend much of my free time!  I shot my first film with a 16mm Bolex – the same type of camera I use to shoot most of the footage I capture for { First Kiss Films }.  The Bolex is a classic spring-wound camera that hasn’t changed much since the 1930s.

Is filmmaking your full-time occupation?  Currently I’m working on transitioning so I can do what I love full-time: capture love through my lens by creating films solely through { First Kiss Films }.  I currently have five different business cards (lots of side projects) and I’d like to carry just one. Okay, maybe two!

You’re quite accomplished too.  What is your proudest achievement in film?  I’ve been focused on learning, growing, creating and sharing for a long time. I definitely have personal films I like better than others, but overall I am really proud and grateful that I have been able to keep creating thanks to support of family and friends, the arts councils and the Independent Filmmakers Co-operative of Ottawa (IFCO).

Tell me about the Burundi Film Centre.   What is it all about?  The Burundi Film Center (BFC) is basically a non-profit film school in East Africa. In 2007, I spent a few months in Burundi volunteering with the center and have remained involved ever since.  I even squeezed in a return visit this past summer.  The films that come out of this training are incredible – each one is shot and edited in only one day. The last batch of films made by the students screened at over 50 international film festivals (even winning some awards along the way) which speaks to their uniqueness and quality. For those interested in seeing the films we’ll be holding a gala screening here in Ottawa on November 17^th, 2010 at the Mayfair Theatre.  Everyone is invited to attend – it will be an amazing evening with all proceeds going to the BFC!

Let’s talk about { First Kiss Films }.  How did you decide to become a wedding cinematographer?   It was a very easy decision. A friend of mine was getting married and knowing I was a filmmaker, she asked me to create a film of her wedding. Having shot weddings before (but never on motion picture film) I told her I would do it as a favour assuming it would just be a one-off. As it turned out, I absolutely loved the entire process (and she, and many other people were thrilled with the final product). Shortly afterwards, I realized that there was a demand for this kind of service, so I decided to launch { First Kiss Films }. Now feel as though I am following my true path.

Describe “vintage”.  Does this mean you shoot in a particular style?
It is very important for me to   distinguish my process immediately from those who shoot on video, and I feel using the word “vintage” at least gets people asking questions about what I do.  The cameras I use are very unique and in order for me to make these types of films I need to be very present when shooting.  All the settings on the 16mm cameras I use are manual, and with only three minutes of footage per roll I need to be on my toes in order not to miss anything!  This approach informs the final product as I am creating the narrative as I shoot – not trying to find it afterwards in the editing room.

What do you love the most about creating the wedding films?  I love finding moments that give me butterflies…like when I realize that I’ve just captured an incredible moment or expression. Or the sweet anticipation of getting the footage back from the lab after it has been processed and transferred. I also love when a moment becomes even more powerful through the magic of editing. But overall, hearing people’s reactions to the films is truly the best. Making people happy with something I created for them is the greatest feeling.

What inspired you to create Family First Films?  As I am not yet a parent, I can’t take credit for this idea. I that think once people have children they realize how quickly their children change. There is a desire to hold onto memories of when they are little. So just like how I got into shooting wedding films, I had someone see my work and ask me to create a family film for them. Afterwards, I was surprised that I was moved to tears by the footage I had captured and was reminded of the power of this medium.

Vimeo and my Live Writer were not getting along today, but trust me when I say this is one family film worth watching.  Click the image to view {An Evening with the Brooks Family}.  You’ll be glad you did!

How do they work?  What type of investment is involved?  There is more to co-ordinate when shooting a family film compared to a wedding. With weddings, all the details of what people will be wearing, where they will be and what they will be doing have already been decided. With kids, the variables are endless – you can shoot anytime, anywhere, with the family doing anything! So, meeting with the family beforehand is really important. Some parents may have very clear ideas of what they would like captured while others are more interested in working together to decide what would represent their family best, and what would be the most fun! The costs for family films are more fluid because these shoots are a bit more unpredictable.

Now I’m curious about you. Are you from Ottawa?  I am – born and raised. Most of my family is here and has been for generations. I’ve seen a lot of other places in the world but I really love living here (minus the darker, colder months).

How would you describe your personal style?  Is this a fashion question? I love change, so I would say my style is always subtly evolving. But I don’t spend that much time shopping. Right now my closet is full of ruffled details and to my husband’s dismay, puffy sleeves. I think being around weddings so much has given my current style a romantic slant.

Can you narrow down to just one or two favourite films or movies?    Why do you love these in particular?   I sure can – hands down my favorite film is Baraka.  I’ve admired this film since seeing it at the Bytowne Cinema when it was first released. I actually just went to see a 70mm print of this timeless film on the big screen this past weekend.

Where do you find creative inspiration?  One of the things that I have never questioned is my creativity. It has always flown very freely so inspiration for me is truly everywhere. Creativity is a practice.

What impresses you?   Talent. Honesty. A genuine commitment to something. Vision. Courtesy. People who can effectively multi-task. Confidence. Bravery. Gentleness.

What are your favourite possessions?  If you don’t count my film and photo gear, I actually don’t have a lot of “stuff”. But, I do cherish things that are beautifully crafted such as my vintage camera collection, our small collection of works by other artists, or the professionally bound book my husband just made me for our first  wedding anniversary (paper).

What do you crave or covet most? Time!

If time and resources were no object, where would you want to make your next film?  I’d love to go back to India.  Last time I was there, I brought a Super 8 camera, but since I was staying at an Ashram and studying to be a yoga teacher, I didn’t have a lot of time to shoot. So, I would love to shoot a wedding in India.

What do you like the most about living in Ottawa?  What do you like the least?  I’m a big cyclist so I love all the bike paths we have here and all the accessible green space. I like that we are a big city but it never feels like one, and I adore my home and neighbourhood (New Edinburgh). But, we Ottawans wear too much black – especially in winter!

Where are your favourite places to shop & eat?  I grew up enjoying searching for unique finds at second-hand stores, and I still love sifting through racks of once-loved treasures.  Nowadays when I’m in need of something new I almost always stop in at Winners, partially because I still enjoy the process of having to really look to find something special.  On a side note, it makes me a bit sad to think about how crappy the second-hand shopping will be in the future, since most clothing and furniture isn’t made to last.

As for dining, I’ve been vegetarian for the last 20 years (although I just started eating certain types of fish occasionally), which dictates where I like to eat.  I’m always up for some good veg-friendly ethnic cuisine (Indian, Thai, Mexican, Ethiopian) or a visit to The Table.

Read more about the Burundi Film Centre on their blog and follow Bridget’s filmmaking here. 

Image sources for the Burundi Film Centre, Bolex, Baraka and The Table.  Photo credits to M-Photography & AMB Photo.

Krista Leben is bursting with energy. 

Arriving in Ottawa less than a year ago, Krista Leben is someone with serious momentum who really gets things done!  While working hard to build her creative business urbanite jewelry, she has also begun producing independent craft shows, including this weekend’s Capital Craft Market, and initiated The Craft Co-op, a new organization to help foster a stronger craft community in Ottawa.  Within a very short time, Krista Leben has already made quite a contribution to her adopted new city, and this girlaboutOtown thinks she is definitely one woman to watch.

Since meeting her, I have been consistently amazed at how productive and positive Krista Leben is.  How does she manage to do it all?  How did she decide to follow her passion?  What insight might she offer those around OTown who may be considering craftier, creative endeavours?  Thankfully, Krista agreed to answer a few of my probing personal questions!  Here is what I learned: 

What brought you to Ottawa?  How long have you lived here?  Someone once told me that people only end up in Ottawa for love or money.  Luckily, I ended up here because of love!  After finishing grad school last fall, I moved to Ottawa to be with my beau, and have lived here for about 8 or 9 months now.

What are 5 things you love about Ottawa?   1)  All the wonderful urban enclaves in a notoriously government-centric town.  2)  The amazing number of clever female entrepreneurs in the city.  3)  The stunning architecture all around us.  (How many people can drive by their country’s parliament regularly?)  4)  The lovely natural surrounding of the city.  5)  Being able to hop, skip and jump to some really great cities nearby!

Would you call yourself a solopreneur?  What is your background and how does it relate to where you are now?   I would definitely call myself a solopreneur, although I certainly didn’t set out to follow this path whatsoever.  In fact, like many fantastic things in life, creative entrepreneurship sort of found me.  My background is actually in political science.   I have a Bachelor’s and an M.A. in politics and international politics, respectively.

How did you get into jewellery design?   Very serendipitously.  In 2007, I was living and studying Arabic in Morocco.  I had a series of dreams about jewellery designs, literally out of the blue.  I would wake up from these dreams, vividly remember pieces, and then scribble them down furiously.  When I moved back from Morocco, I bought my first beads and started to experiment with creating pieces.  Then an established jewellery designer looked at the first piece I ever made, and gave it her stamp of approval, I knew I was onto something.   One year later, I had a company name–urbanite jewelry– and about 6 months after that I released the first piece of my collection which fittingly, was Tangier, Morocco.

Your designs are  named after cities.  Have you traveled a lot?  Where is your favourite destination?   I have been incredibly fortunate to live in a lot of different countries and travel to many more.  My favourite destinations are a close tie between Stockholm and Paris.  Paris is poetic, and I sincerely believe that’s the only word that can truly describe it.  Stockholm is so beautiful (even in winter), the people are so friendly, Swedish design is fantastic, and they have my favourite chocolate in the world: Marabou.

Tell us about your projects/productions Wed by Hand, The Craft Co-op and the upcoming Capital Craft Market.  You are clearly working hard to bring more attention to crafting in Ottawa.  Why?    When my partner Robin and I moved to Ottawa last fall, we searched far and wide for craft shows for urbanite jewelry to participate in.  More often than not we were finding out about craft shows after the fact, which left us incredibly frustrated.

We realized that while Ottawa has a craft community, but it really isn’t as cohesive as it could be.  We decided that in order to make the craft community stronger and to encourage the public to buy local and handmade, Ottawa really needed three things:

1. A central resource for people to find out about vendor opportunities, craft shows, and crafty happenings,
2. More opportunities for vendors in the form of hip, modern, well-managed and well-promoted craft shows, and;
3. A central organization to bring crafters–both professional and hobbyists alike–together to foster a stronger craft community in Ottawa.

So, The Craft Co-Op was born and we are already filling some of these gaps.

In February we produced Wed By Hand, which was half of Ottawa’s first “indie” wedding show, with a focus on sustainable, local and handmade vendors.  The event is one of only 4 in all of North America and was incredibly successful.  Then, we decided to take advantage of the momentum from Wed By Hand and launch The Capital Craft Market, which is a unique 3-day market coming up this Canada Day Weekend.

How do you manage your time and stay organized?   To-do lists are key, and documentation as I go is essential.  Lists (both long & short-term) keep me on track and remind me of what I have coming up, while the documentation comes in handy when we’re planning our next show, when I’m pricing a piece or for when I need to remember what the hell I did  in a day!

Where do you find inspiration and motivation?   In the past year or so, I have come to realize that inspiration is literally everywhere if you’re willing to open your eyes and be open to the world.  I find inspiration in architecture, in patterns, and am constantly impressed with and inspired by other designers.  I also find the diversity in this world to be incredibly awe-inspiring; I try to honour that and bring attention to the beauty of diversity through my jewellery designs.

What advice do you have for other aspiring solopreneurs, crafters, jewellery designers and/or show producers?   First, don’t be afraid to pursue a life full of passion!  Although I have switched career trajectories in the past year or so, I have always been passionate about what I’m doing.  I know pursuing a creative career can often seem scary, unpredictable and out-of-the norm, but being passionate is essential.  So much of our lives are spent at work.  I believe that loving work could even revolutionize our economy and our society!  Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all did what we loved? 

Also, as a solopreneur the list of things you have to tackle, manage and accomplish is daunting, and sometimes it may seem tough to get yourself and your products out there.  However, I believe in creating opportunities for yourself. Put on an event; host a gathering of like-minded people; become a resource for your niche; provide opportunities for your colleagues/competition.  Don’t be afraid to stand out, be different and to make a difference.  You will make valuable connections, help foster a stronger entrepreneurial community and probably make sales too.  Bonus!

What are your favourite Ottawa shops? 

1. La Bottega in the Byward Market (or any of the Nicastro family’s amazing fine food shops).  
2. Workshop Boutique on Dalhousie for the latest and greatest handmade goods from talented ladies. 
3. Wabi Sabi.  I’m not a knitter but their colorful & comfortable space with a communal & friendly atmosphere is so divine. 
4. Magpie Jewellery.  It’s a great place to go to be inspired by the jewellery designers I aspire to be like someday!

 Don’t forget to check out the Capital Craft Market for yourself, coming up this Canada Day weekend, July 1-3!