UWOL Long Form Projects- Where are they now?

[Andrew Hood]

I really enjoyed watching this Bryce. Great work following through and putting everything together, that's a huge amount of work. I think including yourself, and the trials and tribulations you went through was a good choice. It made for an interesting and relatable story.

For the voiceover I think you took the advice onboard - this felt more connected and direct than the previous short form entry you had about the caribou. And it told a more engaging story through the vocal narrative. I found myself focused on the story, not thinking about the specifics of the VO. A lot of it comes down to practice - the more you do it, the easier it gets. Just like being in front of the camera, which I don't tend to do.

It's great to see how this has evolved into the larger piece. Good luck with the festival submissions.

[Bryce Comer]

Thank you Andrew,
Coming from you, that is a very nice compliment. Yes i think you are right, practice makes perfect, i just need to practice lots more! :). Writing the narration too was something i struggled with, & you wouldn't believe the number of times i changed things in an effort to make them sound better, or flow better. I learnt to how while one word written reads well, it can be difficult to pronounce clearly after the previous word in the sentence. I found myself looking at a thesaurus many times in order to find the words i could pronounce clearly.
As for being in front of the camera, you are right, practice makes perfect. Something i learnt doing the "Rut" was that being up close to the camera & looking at the LCD screen, looks really bad. While it is only a few inches away from the lens, it looks really bad when the person onscreen is talking, but not looking directly at you. You have to be looking straight down the lens.
Really glad you liked enjoyed it.
I have just made a little trailer for it. It's a little down & dirty, but i hope it will convey what the film is about. I've never done a trailer before, so any feedback on that would be appreciated too! :)
Regards,
Bryce

[Bryce Comer]

Ok, so i've just made a little trailer for the film too. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

The Last Mountain Caribou Trailer on Vimeo

[Bob Safay]

Bryce, I watched the trailer several times and really wanted to see more of the video. I only have a few suggestions. At 0:40 you transcend from snow covered mountains to walking on bare ground. I would take the shot of the flower with melting snow at 0:46 and move it forward to show the transition of seasons. Also, as a viewer I would want to know where all this beautiful scenery was filmed. Identify your location so the viewer will get a better feeling of where you are taking them.

On another note, I will be spending 10 days (Sept 26 - Oct. 6th) going through your Canadian Rockies via train and hope to see/video some of these caribou. I will be taking my Canon XF300 with me. Take care and keep shooting. Bob

[Bryce Comer]

Hi Bob,
Those are fantastic suggestions thank you. I will make the changes and get it uploaded tonight.
Your trip through the Rockies sounds like it will be great! Being on the train may actually give you an advantage for seeing some wildlife?? The problem with the parks in the Canadian Rockies is that they have been getting busier & busier every year, & this year with the 150th birthday celebrations, there are no park fees, & from what i have heard, it's a bit of a gong show! Naturally, with it being so busy, the animals will be in hiding, unless you are up early, or out late!
Can't wait to hear how your trip goes!!
Regards,
Bryce

[Tim Lewis]

Hi Bryce

It has been almost a year since we returned from Canada and I must say we certainly notice the lack of wildlife. We lived on the edge of town in Ontario, but were still able to see chipmunks, squirrels, shrews, raccoons and groundhogs from our dining room window. Just little further afield we saw beavers, martins, musk rats and osprey.

We certainly had nowhere near the rugged terrain available to you, but we came to appreciate how much wildlife there is in Canada. That you are taking the time to document a small part of it is very laudable. I have just invested forty-five minutes of my life in watching your film and was in no way disappointed. Keep up the excellent work.

[Bryce Comer]

Thank you Tim for the encouragement. I have learnt a lot from making this film, like what I would do differently next time! :)
How is it for you settling back into life in WA? I can't imagine any two places more different than WA and Ontario. Where are you in WA? My brother lives in Albany and there is quite a bit of wildlife where he lives.
Hope to see you back with us again having fun with another UWOL challenge soon!

[Tim Lewis]

Hi Bryce

Western Australia is very different from Canada. Even though we had a coldish winter, it was probably 'shorts weather' in Ontario. We have moved back to our house in Perth. I love Albany, it is probably my favourite WA town. It has lots of granite and waves, makes for a lovely coastline. We went through Albany on the cruise ship on the way home and really enjoyed it.

[Bryce Comer]

Hi Tim,
Yes i heard they have been having a cold (for WA) winter this year.
Well i hope once you settle back in there, we will see you making some more films for the UWOL.
Regards,
Bryce

[Bryce Comer]

It is with a very heavy heart that i write this today.

The most recent census numbers are in for the South Selkirk herd of Southern Mountain Caribou, & it's not good with just 3 cows counted.

Norm Merz, a biologist with the Kootenai tribe in Idaho reported an area from Myrtle Creek just north of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, all the way north to Nelson, BC was covered in the census. This pretty much covers all of this herd's range. There is still a slither of hope some were missed, but it doesn't look good. The 3 cows have been captured and radio collared, & blood samples taken for pregnancy testing. So far the results aren't in, but we will keep our fingers crossed.

Last summer i was helping David Moskowitz David Moskowitz | Photography and Wildlife Tracking set some camera traps for photos for his upcoming book. We struggled to get many shots of the caribou even in areas that had produced a lot of footage for me over the years. In late summer we managed to get a great shot of a bull, & as i write this, i wonder if that bull was still around in the fall, the caribou's breeding season.

Just where things will go now for this herd is still undecided, but as it stands right now, the herd is functionally extirpated. A maternal pen had been built & was ready to go this March, but with snow depths at 140% above normal in the area, the top of the 15' fence was only a foot above the snow at the time the caribou were to be captured. It was decided then to abandon the project for this year, & make the fence even higher. Obviously the project is now on hold until things are clear on what direction will be taken with this herd.

If this herd (the last remaining caribou south of the US/Canada border) disappears from the landscape, what then? Well you can bet your bottom dollar the logging companies will be lining up to get in and log any remaining old growth forest in the area. This logging is the main reason for the demise of this herd in the first place, & the reason so many other southern mountain caribou herds are facing the same fate.

I am hoping to have my film broadcast on David Suzuki's "The Nature of Things" on the CBC here in Canada, but am waiting to hear back from them. With this devastating news though, i have decided to make the film available to watch online for the next week or so. I really hope my film will help raise awareness about this species, & hopefully help in the protection of other herds, almost all of which are in decline for all the same reasons this one is now extirpated.

Having watched it a number of times since i first finished it, I found a bunch of things i wanted to change, & went ahead in did so. I am now happy with how things flow, & hope you enjoy it.

Please feel free to share it around, as i am hoping to raise awareness about this issue.

Regards,
Bryce

The Last Mountain Caribou on Vimeo

[Mick Jenner]

That's sad to to hear Bryce. Hopefully you can get your film out there asap. I have shared on my twitter page for you. Mick

[Trond Saetre]

That was sad news, Bryce!
Hope your film can be used as a wakening call.

[Bryce Comer]

Thanks Mick & Trond,
Yes this is why i decided i would allow anyone to view the film, at least for a little while. I'm still hoping it will be shown on national tv here, but that may be a stretch!!