Bryce Comer-The last remaining mountain caribou-Long form at DVinfo.net

Bryce Comer · February 17th, 2009, 12:34 PM

Hi all,
Well i've been really busy of late & unfortunately i haven't yet been able to get any footage for my long form project. What i do have however, is a bit of a script that i have put together. It basically outlines what the project will cover, & will probably change a lot along the way. You will see that i have started with the rut which is in October, then the story will continue through to the summer months. Since it is now getting on to late winter here, & i will only be starting to film in the coming weeks, i will be gathering footage & putting it all together bit by bit throughout the year, but it won't all take it's proper shape until around November, when i have the last of the footage i will need.
Anyway, attached is my script. Please help me out with any feedback you may have so i might be able to better plan how this project will end up. Looking at what everyone has been producing over the last year & a bit, i'm sure you will all have some great ideas that will help me out.
Thanks,
Bryce

Vidar Vedaa · February 17th, 2009, 03:32 PM

Hello Bryce

Lock trow your script and It lock facinating,and hope you get the cut you
nead. But I think we are in same boat ,the mountiain is big were you are to,
I think it give allot of training

Lock forword to your entery.

All Best !!
VJV.

Catherine Russell · February 19th, 2009, 10:25 PM

Hi Bryce:

Well, following the caribou for a year and documenting on ways to help them survive in the future is well worth while. I read through your report and am impressed. Do you think you can actually film the calving season? Do you know where they go?

Looking forward to viewing your progress on filming and documenting these beautiful animals!

Cat

Chris Swanberg · February 19th, 2009, 10:57 PM

Bryce....

Wow...you have set yourself a big challenge. I hope that you can find the herds and bring back some awesome footage of the things you describe.

Some years ago I rode a bicycle across the Yukon. I have always wanted to go back, and hoped to be able to do when when the caribou are migrating. I was told at one place that there were thousands of Caribou there when they passed on their journey. Take me there, please ?

Chris S.

ps. I had heard that a typical Caribou gives mosquitos about a quart of blood in a season. Whether that is true or not or whether it was told to me so I would not feel bad about giving a pint I do not know....but that would be an interesting angle to cover.

Bryce Comer · February 20th, 2009, 07:25 PM

Hi Cat, hi Chris,
Well, yeah, i am already thinking that it will be a struggle to get the footage i am after, but if i do, i will be wrapped & it will all be worth it. There are so few of this type of caribou left & in the area where i live, the herd has only about 35 in an area covering 1500 square kilometers, that's a population density of roughly 23 for every 1000 square kilometers. Slightly further north there is another herd that is 130 strong & even though the area where they live is much larger, the population density is slightly better at around 27 caribou for every 1000 square kilometers.
I will definately need the help of some experts on this one, & will be looking to get that expert advice from a number of bioligists that work on maintaining these last remaining populations of mountain caribou.
I have definately set my sights high with this project, & realistically, if it were a project undertaken by National Geographic or the likes, then it may well be filmed over the period of 2 years or more, so if i can pull off something that resembles my original plan in the next 10 months, then i will be very happy.
Bryce

Andrew Hood · February 21st, 2009, 03:27 AM

Hi Bryce
I like the idea you have; ambitious and with a good aim in mind. It will be difficult at times I'm sure, but with the right guidance and assistance you should have an easier time of finding places to go to get the footage. Maybe someone knows a mating call you can try, or a smell to lure them over long distance... or not, but you never know till you take the next step.

Good luck, I'm sure you will get something interesting by the end of the project.

Per Johan Naesje · February 21st, 2009, 04:06 PM

Hi Bryce,
a very interesting and ambitious project you have! If you got only a few shoots like the pictures in doc, you have a winner for sure!

Look forward to view some of your footage when you have something to upload.

Good luck with your project, Bryce

Geir Inge · February 22nd, 2009, 05:02 AM

Hi Bryce.
It seems like you have a great plan and an ambitious too :)
I guess you have to hike a lot in the mountains, or is it possible to go by car?
Do you have any to ask where to find the herd? I guess the caribou is walking all the time from place to place?
Wish you all the best and looking forward to see your film.
Remember to bring with you enough batteries :)
Geir Inge

Dale Guthormsen · February 22nd, 2009, 06:43 PM

Bryce,

Boy you have a big job ahead of you!!! what a great challenge and effort!! I look forward to some of you first posts of footage.
Can you get up there to get some winter footage as well??

Bryce Comer · February 23rd, 2009, 12:17 AM

Ok, for what ever reason, i don't seem to be able to edit my original post so i will have to put a link here to my video on Vimeo. I still need to upload it to the UWOL site, but will need to do that tomorrow night, as i need to get some shuteye! Here is the link. Comer-UWOL-longform on Vimeo
Regards,
Bryce

Bryce Comer · February 23rd, 2009, 01:19 AM

HI all,
Well, i have got a video up on Vimeo now, still need to upload to the UWOL server, but should get that sorted out tomorrow night.
Dale, you're not wrong when you say i have a job ahead of me. The more i think about it, the more i think wow, what was i thinking! I will be trying to get some footage of them before the end of winter. It's actually a bit easier to track them, just harder to follow the tracks! :)
Geir, I will be travelling into areas & along forestry roads by car but then a lot of the places where i will need to go will only be accessible by foot, so there will be a lot of hiking involved. I will make sure i have plenty of batteries, but interestingly enough, i was just looking the other day at a small solar powered battery charger that can be used for hiking. I really like the idea of this as i'm also then cutting down on the amount of greenhouse gasses i am producing every time i charge my batteries. It's only something very small, but hey, every little bit helps huh!
Per, thanks for the encouragement, if i can get anywhere near the quality of footage you seem to be able to get eack time you go out, then i will be very happy. Of course, i would like hope that that footage will include Mountain Caribou, & hopefully some of the predators that prey on them.
Andrew, Yes i will definately need help with this one. I have emailed some people that work in these areas & will be contacting more in the hope that i will get some help & guidance. I may well be able to use a call like with elk, but i'm not even sure if they have one, not to mention that with elk, the calling usually occurs in Autumn when it is the mating season. I would also like to be able to get all of my filming done without any interference to the caribou at all. Quite a few of the nature programs i see on tv nowadays seem to be so "in the face" of the wildlife & i can't imagine that's a really good thing for them. So for me, i would like to do all my work as an "observer" & not as a "player" so to speak.
Regards,
Bryce

Annie Haycock · February 26th, 2009, 03:04 AM

That's quite some project you have outlined. I think one of the fascinating aspects of this challenge is seeing how films develop from those initial proposals.

Bt "in your face" wildlife do you mean those that sensationalise the animals, or those with lots of close-ups. I tend to avoid the first kind. The wonderful close-ups in conventional wildlife films must come largely from the incredible magnification possible with today's zoom lenses on relatively small (compared with 35mm film) chips. Our Canon XHA1's don't have quite that ability - so I'll be interested in how much you get extra with that Raynox 1.8 TC.

Good luck

Mihali Moore · February 26th, 2009, 04:54 AM

Wow. What a proposal. A great idea for a film and the back drop makes for great viewing. I look forward to your progress.
I think the help of local biologists is a must for this one.

Good luck.

Bryce Comer · February 26th, 2009, 09:20 AM

Hi all,
Annie, Yes it will be interesting to see how things develop over the course of the project. I really hope i can put it together as in my plan, but i think it will need a lot of work & some luck too. What i meant by "in the face" of the wildlife was what you thought, the sensationalism & invading the space of the animals being filmed. It may make for better ratings for television viewing, but it's not what i want. I don't mean to be negative towards the people who make programs in that way, it's just not what i would like to see if i had the choice. The 1.8x tele converter that i use does a great job, but still i am limited to the 1400mm (or there abouts), range that it gives me. I will probably need to do a lot of filming from a hide in order to get close enough to my subjects. Only time will tell.
Mihali, Thanks for the encouragement. It certainly is a beautiful place where the mountain caribou live, hopefully i can show it off in my film. I agree that without the help of the biologists i would have little hope of pulling off something like this, even with their help i think it will be a big task. I have searched the internet for footage of mountain caribou & have come up with nothing, so maybe if i do succeed i will have some pretty unique footage.
Regards,
Bryce

Mike Sims · February 27th, 2009, 04:02 PM

Bryce,
Here’s a suggestion. With such a large sexy animal with such small numbers why not play up the air of mystery? Especially if you have trouble getting as much footage as you want. First tease us with a couple of long shots as you do the introduction then follow the efforts of a biologist as he or she tries and tries to locate the animals to study and protect. Follow their early fruitless efforts, their perseverance, and build up to the final moment when they finally find the herd and all is revealed. With little footage existing the offer of access to your raw footage may be just the incentive the biologist needs to help and be on camera. The footage you showed us is really nice. I only have two complaints. That first pan across the mountains could go a bit slower. We flatlanders would like a couple more seconds to take it in. Second, three minutes is not enough- I want to see more!

February 17th, 2009, 03:32 PM	#2
Vidar Vedaa Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: bergen norway Posts: 235	Hello Bryce Lock trow your script and It lock facinating,and hope you get the cut you nead. But I think we are in same boat ,the mountiain is big were you are to, I think it give allot of training Lock forword to your entery. All Best !! VJV. __________________ WestCoast-film. www.vidarvedaa.com

February 19th, 2009, 10:57 PM	#4
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	Bryce.... Wow...you have set yourself a big challenge. I hope that you can find the herds and bring back some awesome footage of the things you describe. Some years ago I rode a bicycle across the Yukon. I have always wanted to go back, and hoped to be able to do when when the caribou are migrating. I was told at one place that there were thousands of Caribou there when they passed on their journey. Take me there, please ? Chris S. ps. I had heard that a typical Caribou gives mosquitos about a quart of blood in a season. Whether that is true or not or whether it was told to me so I would not feel bad about giving a pint I do not know....but that would be an interesting angle to cover. Last edited by Chris Swanberg; February 20th, 2009 at 03:07 AM.

February 20th, 2009, 07:25 PM	#5
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Hi Cat, hi Chris, Well, yeah, i am already thinking that it will be a struggle to get the footage i am after, but if i do, i will be wrapped & it will all be worth it. There are so few of this type of caribou left & in the area where i live, the herd has only about 35 in an area covering 1500 square kilometers, that's a population density of roughly 23 for every 1000 square kilometers. Slightly further north there is another herd that is 130 strong & even though the area where they live is much larger, the population density is slightly better at around 27 caribou for every 1000 square kilometers. I will definately need the help of some experts on this one, & will be looking to get that expert advice from a number of bioligists that work on maintaining these last remaining populations of mountain caribou. I have definately set my sights high with this project, & realistically, if it were a project undertaken by National Geographic or the likes, then it may well be filmed over the period of 2 years or more, so if i can pull off something that resembles my original plan in the next 10 months, then i will be very happy. Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

February 21st, 2009, 04:06 PM	#7
Per Johan Naesje Trustee Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Akershus, Norway Posts: 1,413	Hi Bryce, a very interesting and ambitious project you have! If you got only a few shoots like the pictures in doc, you have a winner for sure! Look forward to view some of your footage when you have something to upload. Good luck with your project, Bryce __________________ - Per Johan

February 22nd, 2009, 05:02 AM	#8
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,343	Hi Bryce. It seems like you have a great plan and an ambitious too :) I guess you have to hike a lot in the mountains, or is it possible to go by car? Do you have any to ask where to find the herd? I guess the caribou is walking all the time from place to place? Wish you all the best and looking forward to see your film. Remember to bring with you enough batteries :) Geir Inge __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

February 19th, 2009, 10:25 PM	#3
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	Hi Bryce: Well, following the caribou for a year and documenting on ways to help them survive in the future is well worth while. I read through your report and am impressed. Do you think you can actually film the calving season? Do you know where they go? Looking forward to viewing your progress on filming and documenting these beautiful animals! Cat

February 21st, 2009, 03:27 AM	#6
Andrew Hood Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Latrobe Valley, Vic Posts: 320	Hi Bryce I like the idea you have; ambitious and with a good aim in mind. It will be difficult at times I'm sure, but with the right guidance and assistance you should have an easier time of finding places to go to get the footage. Maybe someone knows a mating call you can try, or a smell to lure them over long distance... or not, but you never know till you take the next step. Good luck, I'm sure you will get something interesting by the end of the project.

February 22nd, 2009, 06:43 PM	#9
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	Bryce, Boy you have a big job ahead of you!!! what a great challenge and effort!! I look forward to some of you first posts of footage. Can you get up there to get some winter footage as well?? __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

February 23rd, 2009, 12:17 AM	#10
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Ok, for what ever reason, i don't seem to be able to edit my original post so i will have to put a link here to my video on Vimeo. I still need to upload it to the UWOL site, but will need to do that tomorrow night, as i need to get some shuteye! Here is the link. Comer-UWOL-longform on Vimeo Regards, Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

February 23rd, 2009, 01:19 AM	#11
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	HI all, Well, i have got a video up on Vimeo now, still need to upload to the UWOL server, but should get that sorted out tomorrow night. Dale, you're not wrong when you say i have a job ahead of me. The more i think about it, the more i think wow, what was i thinking! I will be trying to get some footage of them before the end of winter. It's actually a bit easier to track them, just harder to follow the tracks! :) Geir, I will be travelling into areas & along forestry roads by car but then a lot of the places where i will need to go will only be accessible by foot, so there will be a lot of hiking involved. I will make sure i have plenty of batteries, but interestingly enough, i was just looking the other day at a small solar powered battery charger that can be used for hiking. I really like the idea of this as i'm also then cutting down on the amount of greenhouse gasses i am producing every time i charge my batteries. It's only something very small, but hey, every little bit helps huh! Per, thanks for the encouragement, if i can get anywhere near the quality of footage you seem to be able to get eack time you go out, then i will be very happy. Of course, i would like hope that that footage will include Mountain Caribou, & hopefully some of the predators that prey on them. Andrew, Yes i will definately need help with this one. I have emailed some people that work in these areas & will be contacting more in the hope that i will get some help & guidance. I may well be able to use a call like with elk, but i'm not even sure if they have one, not to mention that with elk, the calling usually occurs in Autumn when it is the mating season. I would also like to be able to get all of my filming done without any interference to the caribou at all. Quite a few of the nature programs i see on tv nowadays seem to be so "in the face" of the wildlife & i can't imagine that's a really good thing for them. So for me, i would like to do all my work as an "observer" & not as a "player" so to speak. Regards, Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

February 26th, 2009, 03:04 AM	#12
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	That's quite some project you have outlined. I think one of the fascinating aspects of this challenge is seeing how films develop from those initial proposals. Bt "in your face" wildlife do you mean those that sensationalise the animals, or those with lots of close-ups. I tend to avoid the first kind. The wonderful close-ups in conventional wildlife films must come largely from the incredible magnification possible with today's zoom lenses on relatively small (compared with 35mm film) chips. Our Canon XHA1's don't have quite that ability - so I'll be interested in how much you get extra with that Raynox 1.8 TC. Good luck __________________ Canon XH A1; Canon XF100; Nikon D800

February 26th, 2009, 04:54 AM	#13
Mihali Moore Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bristol Posts: 92	Wow. What a proposal. A great idea for a film and the back drop makes for great viewing. I look forward to your progress. I think the help of local biologists is a must for this one. Good luck.

February 26th, 2009, 09:20 AM	#14
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Hi all, Annie, Yes it will be interesting to see how things develop over the course of the project. I really hope i can put it together as in my plan, but i think it will need a lot of work & some luck too. What i meant by "in the face" of the wildlife was what you thought, the sensationalism & invading the space of the animals being filmed. It may make for better ratings for television viewing, but it's not what i want. I don't mean to be negative towards the people who make programs in that way, it's just not what i would like to see if i had the choice. The 1.8x tele converter that i use does a great job, but still i am limited to the 1400mm (or there abouts), range that it gives me. I will probably need to do a lot of filming from a hide in order to get close enough to my subjects. Only time will tell. Mihali, Thanks for the encouragement. It certainly is a beautiful place where the mountain caribou live, hopefully i can show it off in my film. I agree that without the help of the biologists i would have little hope of pulling off something like this, even with their help i think it will be a big task. I have searched the internet for footage of mountain caribou & have come up with nothing, so maybe if i do succeed i will have some pretty unique footage. Regards, Bryce __________________ There's never enough hours in the day!

February 27th, 2009, 04:02 PM	#15
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	Bryce, Here’s a suggestion. With such a large sexy animal with such small numbers why not play up the air of mystery? Especially if you have trouble getting as much footage as you want. First tease us with a couple of long shots as you do the introduction then follow the efforts of a biologist as he or she tries and tries to locate the animals to study and protect. Follow their early fruitless efforts, their perseverance, and build up to the final moment when they finally find the herd and all is revealed. With little footage existing the offer of access to your raw footage may be just the incentive the biologist needs to help and be on camera. The footage you showed us is really nice. I only have two complaints. That first pan across the mountains could go a bit slower. We flatlanders would like a couple more seconds to take it in. Second, three minutes is not enough- I want to see more!