Nicole Bedford |

Down to Earth: A Wealth of Growth & Success!

admin — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:34:05 +0000

Over the holidays, I FINALLY managed to update my website (I think it’s been 2 years since I added anything new…I dunno. The dates have gotten foggy since COVID lockdowns).

Doing all the updates took a while, but the process of selecting portfolio items, and reminding myself of all the energy invested and the work completed, was very rewarding.

In particular, I am super proud of the growth and reach we’ve managed to achieve with Down to Earth: A podcast for Geoscientists by Geoscientists.

As I write this blog, our podcast has been ranked:

In the top 10% most popular shows out of 3,260,732 podcasts globally (January 2024, ListenNotes.com)
#48 of the top 50 Earth Sciences podcasts (July 2023, podbay.fm)
#2 of the 15 Best Earth Science Podcasts worth listening to in both 2023 and 2024 (January 2024, Feedspot.com).

Since launching the podcast in 2021, we’ve seen listeners tune in from over 86 different countries. We’ve also been ranked #1 in “Best Idols Podcast” (Feedspot, 2022) and have appeared in the top 15 Earth Sciences podcasts in countries including Cameroon, Japan, India, Colombia, Greece, the Philippines, Latvia, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

The thing I am most proud of when it comes to these rankings is that all this growth and reach has primarily been achieved organically. Our immediate team, the volunteer social media ambassadors of the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, and the guests who have appeared on our show, have all worked hard to encourage distribution across social media, through personal networks, and even at conferences! And our work has paid off – we’re now at a point where complete strangers are randomly stumbling across the podcast!

The funny thing is that, before this project, I never imagined I would be the producer of an international podcast about Geoscience. What began with me receiving a request to submit a proposal for a series of promotional videos back in July 2020 has since morphed into a very rewarding, informative, and rich podcast series focused on a topic I initially knew nothing about. But I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Over five different seasons, we’ve explored the challenges of being a woman in STEM (Season 1), the intricacies of remote sensing technologies (Season 2), the ways scientists are tackling wicked problems affecting our climate (Season 3), the growing field of Open Science (Season 4), and how scientists are contributing to our survival in the face of global warming (Season 5).

We’ve interviewed people from around the world, including business owners, professors, students, and researchers at national space agencies like NASA and DLR. I’ve personally been incredibly honoured that these folks have trusted us to share their research and stories especially when, for a surprising number of our interviewees, it’s been their first time doing a media interview!

As Professor Christopher Jackson points out in Season 4, Episode 8, there’s a lot of stress associated with sharing one’s science with the media, even for seasoned science communicators like him!

“I'll be honest, I find it incredibly stressful. I mean, the TV medias thing…I've done it for about five, six years now, and it's never gotten better. You're representing a bit of your science, a few of your colleagues, and then you go make a mess of it, you know, you don't want to do that…And then the other kind of curiosity…producers universally think that if you are a geologist, you know about everything to do with geology. So they're going to ask you about the skull of a T-Rex, they'll ask you about the water depth in the Pacific one hundred million years ago, and they're also going to ask you about sandstones on Mars, and they'll be like, oh, can you just explain all these things to us? And it's like, no, because, you know, what I work in, chemistry, biology, whatever it might be, they're hyper-specialized.”

Professor Christopher Jackson, Director of Sustainable Geoscience at Jacobs

Not only have we explored different topics each season, but we’ve also had the opportunity to experiment, both in our audio production–like crafting binaural soundscapes in Season 3–and in our graphic design–like the unique, multi-layered images elucidating concepts in open science (sample below).

On a personal level, I’ve strengthened my audio editing skills, enhanced my ability to communicate complex scientific concepts, streamlined my pre-production process, and further developed my documentary storytelling skills. I’ve also had the wonderful opportunity to work with two amazingly talented collaborators: Stephanie Tumampos, our intrepid podcast host, and Mailyne Briggs of Kilam Media, our creativity-infused graphic designer.

Overall, working on this podcast has been a very rewarding experience and it’s exciting to take this moment to appreciate all the people and work that has made the project so successful.

I truly look forward to seeing what new avenues our podcast explores next!

Have a suggestion for a future episode topic? Let me know! Email me at NicoleBedfordFilms @ gmail.com!

Lessons from Living in Lockeport, Nova Scotia

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 01:47:57 +0000

Well, my time here in Nova Scotia is almost done. I’m not surprised that five months pretty much flew by! I’ve had such an amazing time and I’ve gathered a slew of fantastic footage that I can’t wait to review. I feel my shooting skills have grown substantially while I’ve been here. I also feel that I have grown personally, and that’s what I wanted to get down in a blog post today, because being here in Nova Scotia has taught me and reinforced some great lessons that I want to bring back to Ottawa!

Lesson 1: say hi to strangers

Here in Lockeport, there’s an unwritten community rule that saying hello, waving at, and generally acknowledging others when passing them on the street is a given. This rule applies whether you’re in a car, walking on the sidewalk, entering a store, wherever! Even if you’re walking while talking on the phone, you still say hello, and sometimes you even pause your phone call to have a short exchange with whoever you’ve happened to run into.

When I first arrived here, this rule was really scary for me. In big city Ontario, one does not wave to, or even make eye-contact with strangers. And God forbid you start a conversation! I half joke…but in general, folks in big city Ontario prefer to go about their day avoiding stranger interactions, particularly those involving randos on the street. So when I started to practice Lockeport’s “say hi to everyone” rule, it was incredibly challenging for me. I would see someone walking towards me and begin to panic. When do I raise my hand to wave? Do I make eye contact as we approach each other? Do I say hi or just nod? Will they stop to have a conversation? Aaaa!!! I had no idea what I was doing, so each encounter felt pretty daunting!

Despite this rocky, anxiety-inducing beginning, I’ve really come to embrace this beautiful community rule. Because of this rule, I met Julie Locke-Balish, one of my documentary protagonists, on the second or third day after my arrival. I would have walked right by her but she said hi (because I was a stranger) and ended up inviting me to a band practice that was taking place before our first scheduled shoot date. This rule also led me to meet Jim, who later agreed to show me net knitting for my documentary, and I’ve also had some pretty interesting conversations with other folks, learning about how they came to Lockeport (if they’re come-from-aways), what they love about the community, or even philosophies about life! Because of this rule, I’ve come to feel very connected to the community here. I might not know everyone I wave to, but I still feel part of their lives because we have acknowledged each other’s existence.

When I get back to Ottawa, I plan to say hi to every stranger I run across in my own small community in Ottawa South. I don’t necessarily plan to wave at every car I pass throughout the city (what a workout!), or stop to chat with every pedestrian, but within my own little neighbourhood, I’m going to start saying hi. Who knows what interesting folks I might meet? I’m looking forward to finding out!

Lesson 2: Notice & Savour the World Around You

This lesson connects a bit to the ‘say hi to strangers’ lesson in that both are about paying attention to your surroundings. I know I have notoriously failed to do this in Ottawa. Here in Lockeport, where my surroundings have been new and exciting, it’s been easier to pay attention. When I go for walks, I don’t feel the need to listen to music or look at my phone because there’s so much to take in all around me – the waves rhythmically crashing onto the beach, the pipping plovers arguing over territory lines, the wind tussling the treetops, the lone seagull crying as the sun sets over the glassy ocean…even the sounds of my shoes crunching across the gravel pathway on the trestle trail has been engaging.

What I’ve loved most about taking the time to truly see my surroundings has been witnessing the stunning transformation of the environment. When I arrived, everything was brown. Over the spring and summer, the whole town exploded with colour, birdsong, and the rich scent of hundreds of different flowers in bloom! I’ve seen seals in the harbour, and weasels searching for food. I’ve watched yellow finches build their nests, and seen flowers transition to bean-pods. The sunsets have painted the skies with taffy-coloured streaks and morning fog has left greenery shining with a thousand crystal droplets.

I know this type of beauty exists in Ottawa, it’s just that I haven’t taken the time to look like I have here. So when I go back, I’m going to see and savour my surroundings, because doing that here has really helped me feel connected to this wonderful place.

Lesson 3: Listen Closely, Ask Questions, & Be True

This is a combination lesson that every documentary filmmaker knows and probably puts into place during filming, but my suggestion here is to take it out of the documentary context and bring it into your daily interactions. I’ve listened closely to many of the folks I’ve met here, and I’ve had two major realizations as a result: (1) People are absolutely fascinating – they have such rich and diverse experiences and listening to their stories gives you a glimpse into the exciting adventures their lives have been. By listening closely, you can also glean life lessons to help you avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

More importantly though, listening closely and asking questions helps us all feel seen, which is the second realization I’ve had while here: (2) Very few of us truly ever feel seen as whole beings. Instead, we share versions of ourselves, curated based on our “audiences” – one self for family, another bunch of selves for friends, a completely different self with colleagues, etc. Our partner(s) may know the most about us, but after a while, we become a curated self for them as well, weeding out pieces of our history and habits that don’t jive in the relationship. We forget how multi-faceted we really are. By listening closely to everyone I’ve met, I have felt seen and felt as if I’ve granted that experience to others. Not everyone has shared every aspect of their lives with me, but I’ve seen different facets of people that their closest friends and family may not know exist. Perhaps I’m incorrectly assuming I’m getting such an intimate glimpse of people this way, but right or not, I know when I walk away from an interaction where I’ve focused on listening closely, both myself and my conversation partner seem to feel pretty good.

Which leads me to the last part of this lesson: Be true. Folks here in Lockeport do not mince words. They are some of the most authentic human beings I have ever met in my life. There are no mind games, there’s no dancing around the bush to make a point. They don’t stay silent when their opinion is different from others’ and there’s little-to-no passive aggressive communication. Folks here just say things like they see them and assume others are going to do the same. This doesn’t mean people express all their grievances or gripes on the spot, nor does it mean they don’t vent to each other or gossip at times. It just means that what they say out loud is their truth, and they respect others who engage with the same.

To be honest, this lesson of “being true” has been tough for me to absorb. I am the type of person who avoids conflict like the plague. I refrain from speaking my mind at times (or often) because I fear harming others’ feelings, or being criticized or chastised for my opinions. I assume that people obfuscate their true meanings when they ask a question or state an opinion due to rules of polite social interaction, fear at revealing too much, or sometimes even malice, so I find myself constantly analyzing people’s words to try and find the “true meaning” behind them. It’s been a process for me to try and release these behaviours (which say a lot about me, but also the social environments I’ve been in over the years!). What’s great though is that several circumstances while here in Lockeport have helped me practice.

For example, when I first arrived, my friend was so eager to support the documentary that within days of my arrival, she booked an impromptu interview for me. I hadn’t planned to conduct interviews for this documentary (that has since changed) and I didn’t know how to tell her this because I was afraid she would think I didn’t appreciate her help. However, she told me several times it wouldn’t hurt her feelings if I wanted to do things my own way, so I got up the courage to share my vision for the documentary. True to her word, she wasn’t upset that my vision and approach were different, and in fact, because I was clear about it, we were able to work together to expand and enhance the film over the past five months.

All this to say that I hope to take this lesson about listening closely, asking questions, and being true back to Ottawa. It feels so much better to listen and speak from my heart, and while I’m still finding the courage to do so, I suspect it will lead to a much happier existence, even if, at times, my authenticity may lead to conflict or challenges.

Lesson 4: Remember Others & Contribute to Build Community

This lesson ties into the first three, but I’ve also separated it out because I think it differs a little too. I’m not exactly sure how to articulate it, but basically, what I think I mean is, if you practice lessons 1-3, folks in your community will be there for you and you can be there for them. Let me explain.

Here in Lockeport, there are approximately 550 residents. Some are only part-time residents, and others live here year-round. With 550 people, it’s impossible to know everyone, but what folks do is treat each person as contributing members of the community, even if they are new. For example, when the librarian finds out about someone’s special skill, she goes out of her way to encourage that member to host a library workshop on said skill. When a new person moves to town, many of the community members introduce themselves so the newcomer immediately knows people. My roommate works with other community gardeners to plant flowers all over town so others can enjoy them – these gardeners aren’t paid for this work, but the municipality has a small budget set aside so the gardeners don’t have to pay out of pocket for supplies. When a family’s house burnt down due to a chimney fire, the community organized a big fundraiser to help the family get back on their feet.

The point is, people here notice each other, notice when folks need help or have a special talent, and they actively encourage each other to get involved in building this community vibe. Not everyone does this, but enough folks do that many people feel very proud of, and tied to, Lockeport in ways I haven’t seen in other places. I hope to bring this lesson back to Ottawa in my small Ottawa South community, because the collective care I feel being here in Lockeport is something I truly think many are missing in other parts of Canada!

Lesson 5: Find the Positive

The last lesson I’ve had driven home while I’ve been here is finding the positive. Folks that I’ve met here are constantly celebrating the good in life. Is it raining? Delightful – the wells will be full and the gardens will grow. Is it hot and humid with a brilliant sun? Fantastic – we can walk the beach and possibly even swim! Did the power go out in the middle of the day? Wonderful – an opportunity to take a break from work! Did the fire station ring its alarm in the middle of the night, waking you up? Yep! And thankfully, someone is being saved! Okay – I haven’t heard the last one, BUT my point is that no matter what the situation, folks here find the positive in it. This is not to say they are toxic positivity evangelicals, dismissing or invalidating negative experiences by “looking on the bright side”. They just don’t dwell on the negative, preferring to acknowledge it and also see the positives.

This is one of the most important learnings I hope to carry back to Ottawa. I have a habit of dwelling on the negative, pointing out my faults instead of recognizing my growth, failing to see the opportunities that an unexpected challenge provides. Being here I’ve learned to love the rain – because I don’t feel guilty about working. I’ve learned to see sudden cancellations or schedule changes as a gift of “free” time. I’ve recognized that when I’m exhausted and can’t work, it’s an opportunity to release the burden of my task list and savour the world around me. I’m very thankful for witnessing this lesson in action all around me in Lockeport, and while I’m still learning the process, I am eager to keep growing in this way.

So those are the lessons – what do you think? What have you learned about life over the past 5 months? Share in the comments below!

What is Art?

admin — Thu, 27 May 2021 21:01:00 +0000

This month, I got a little philosophical, so this post is absurdly long. But I think you’ll find it interesting. Today, I’m asking myself the question: What is art?

I’m going to caveat this blog post right now – this is a work-in-progress answer! What follows is my attempt to define art as I currently see it, based on my emerging experience as an artist, but also on several long and deep conversations I’ve had with other artists. I welcome your thoughts and perspectives in the comments section below!

So, what is art? In my mind, art is an expression of one’s essence. It’s expression compelled into creation from within and therefore is as close as possible to the truth of our subjective experience of the world. I believe that art is something many human beings feel compelled to create. Whether it comes from a drive to share one’s inner self with others, or to merely see one’s inner self become a tangible reality, it’s always something that comes from within. I also believe that art is unattached from audience. By this I mean that art can count as such even if the artist is the only one who will ever see or experience the work created.

Now this idea of expression being separate from an audience sounds like an oxymoron. What’s the point of expression if not to express to someone else? And of course, it could be argued that art created solely for the artist’s pleasure still has an audience. True. However, I feel that the artist does not require a final destination or audience in order for something to count as art. Sometimes, when I create what I consider art, I am simply creating. It is only once the act of making my expression a reality is complete that I might decide whether to keep the work for myself or to share it with others.

So, if art is expression of self, where does compensation come in? I’ve been debating this question for a while, and I might end up contradicting myself later in this post, but at this point, I do NOT believe that art created for compensation (e.g. money) counts as art. This means that if an artist is hired to paint a portrait, write a story, or create a composition, and the artist is being compensated to deliver a product, then this does not count as art. Why? Because compensation tarnishes the purity of the artist’s expression. Yes, a painter brings their own energy, approach, and style to a commissioned portrait, making that portrait uniquely theirs, however, the work is never fully their expression. For one, the subject matter may never have been something the artist would have chosen to paint, in which case, the portrait is definitely NOT an expression of the artist’s inner self. Second, no matter how hands-off a client may be, the fact is that who they are, what they have requested, and the timeline imposed by their commission will all influence the choices an artist makes in rendering the final product, thereby changing the work from the artist’s expression to merely a product.

I’d also extend this concept, to a certain degree, to grants. While an idea for a work of art may originate as a pure expression of the artist’s inner self, the act of modifying and adjusting the work to fit into a grantor’s parameters again tarnishes the purity of the art, rendering it, again, as another commissioned product. Yikes, just writing that and I realize I’m going to have to stop calling some of my works art!!! That’s okay though, because all this is not to say that an artist doesn’t, like any employee or contractor, ply their unique skills in the creation of a work for money – we all do this. But in these cases, I think it’s better to see these works as either a product for compensation, or as an employee “being hired for one’s skills”.

Now, the inevitable question that comes up for me at this point in the thought experiment: What happens if an artist creates a work purely for themselves, separate from any compensation, and then someone asks to buy the work. Does it still count as art then? My answer here is yes, but with a caveat. If the artist ushers their inner expression into physical reality separate from funding or the intention to sell it, then I would consider the work art, even if the work is sold in the end. I think when we create with money in mind as the end goal or as a potential result, this tarnishes our pure expression and reduces the work to a product. No matter what, when compensation becomes part of a work’s creation, it will influence said creation. One might, for example, declare a work complete well before the full expression is rendered, simply from the motivation or need to sell it. All that to reiterate that I think it is completely fine for someone to buy a completed work and have the work still count as art. The difference to me here is that compensation must in no way be part of the art’s creation, because when compensation becomes a motivating factor or a controlling force (as with commissions, or creating with the end goal of selling a work) the art can no longer be a true expression of self.

One other quick point here – does art that is purchased and then re-sold count as art? This is a tricky one, but my gut says yes, and for now my only justification here is that the original piece was created within the parameters that I already defined above. I do have issues with this gut reaction though because the business of buying and selling ‘art masterpieces’ for thousands to billions of dollars not only feels wrong somehow, but could result in future creations by the artist becoming products due to their knowledge and/or expectation that the ultimate purpose of the art will be to sell it…so still pondering that one.

Another question that comes to mind is whether or not a work counts as art if it is a combination of other pieces of art. So, for the simplest example, does a collage count as art? Again, I would say that, as long as the artist is using the other art as the tools through which they express their inner selves, and as long as that work is created without any interference by compensation, then it counts as art.

The last question for me in writing the above is the question of collaboration. Can something count as art if it emerges from collaboration? It is easy to think of a painting as a work of art in the above framework because it’s something that can be created without anyone else’s involvement. However, other creations, like films, regularly require collaboration with others.

In the case where an artist hires assistance in order to realize their vision, then I think it’s easy to continue thinking of the work as art since it remains their inner expression turned physical. While the artist may be influenced to a certain degree by the hired assistance, the purpose of the assistance is to support the artist’s vision. No matter what, we will always be influenced by the world around us. However, hiring someone to help realize an artist’s vision will still result in the artist’s creation, provided their vision is clear.

What about co-creations between two or more artists? This is where I still have questions, but my gut says, yes, something can be co-created, as long as all artists involved are working to weave their independent expressions into a final piece. Though, when I think about how I collaborate with others, I know that I regularly end up quashing my own artistic vision in favour of avoiding conflict – so in that case, I am not sure if art created through collaboration is art. At the same time, there are many works, like theatre pieces, that bring together many voices and ideas when they are developed. And if collaborative creation didn’t count as art, perhaps I’d be unfairly restricting what counts. I’m not sure here.

Ultimately, I think the one conclusion I can make here is that art cannot be someone’s job, and therefore artist is not an occupation in the capitalistic sense of the term. If art must always be created free from compensation, then it cannot be something we do to make a living. I think that, in the emerging category I find myself in now, I can safely say that there is definitely a division between what I consider my art, and what I consider ‘work for hire’.

ROAR is a good example of my art – from beginning to end this piece was created without compensation involved, and remained a pure expression of me contemplating the concepts of women, power, and eye contact. If it sells now, great. But this work was never created with money in mind. I just had to make it, and so it became a reality. The work listed under the ‘Promotional’ category of my website is all work that funds my ability to create my art.

As I become more experienced, perhaps these divisions will begin to blur. I’m already questioning, for example, how a film can ever really be art when so many people (and so much money) is needed to make many a film possible…but to save you yet another giant paragraph of these ponderings, I will turn things to you. What do YOU think counts as art?

A Journey of Whys to My Passion for Documentary

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 21:58:26 +0000

If you’ve been following my monthly blog, then you’ll know that four weeks ago I arrived in Nova Scotia to film a documentary about the Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women and Song. You’ll also know that the decision to make this trip also has me asking lots of questions – not about the decision to take this trip. On the contrary, I am incredibly thankful to be out here in beautiful Lockeport, meeting such lovely, friendly, and welcoming people, and getting the opportunity to tell what I feel is a really compelling story about community building and resiliency.

No, I’m not questioning the decision to come to Nova Scotia. But making the decision to jump into an adventure such as this one definitely has me plunging back into my bad habit of questioning why I’m even pursuing documentary in the first place.

One of my accountability partners gave me the idea of trying out the ‘11 whys’ exercise to try and drill down to the ‘true’ or ‘deepest’ reason for why I am pursuing documentary. This exercise is really simple. All I have to do is keep asking and answering why until I feel like I can’t ask why any more. So here goes!

1. Why do I want to create documentaries?

I am curious about, and find beauty and magic in, the varied experiences and thoughts that make a person who they are. I want to capture that beauty and magic and share it with others.

2. Why?

Because it can be hard to see beauty in others and in ourselves.

3. Why?

Because my society’s current focus seems to be on pain and suffering. We (myself included) more regularly express what’s going wrong in our lives and our societies than what’s going well.

4. Why?

I think perhaps because our society has been experiencing so much change in such a short period of time and humans don’t seem to like change.

5. Why?

Because change is often a threat to our survival.

6. Why?

Because our survival is dependent on being able to know and navigate the world around us, and change causes our knowledge and navigating abilities to become less reliable.

7. Why?

Because change shifts what is ‘accurate’ knowledge and what is ‘inaccurate’.

8. Why?

Because human knowledge is superficial and based entirely on the limited and biased information we can gather through our physical existence, even when that existence is extended or ‘enhanced’ through the tools that we create, like a stick for capturing ants in a log, or the languages we devise to share knowledge between physical bodies. As a result, our understandings of the world are currently (and may always) be limited by our biology.

9. Why?

Because we cannot step outside of ourselves. We are locked in the proverbial box of our physical selves, and no tool that we have can currently unlock that box in a way that allows us to truly experience and comprehend the life of another.

10. Why?

Because we have not discovered the power to swap physical existences yet (although, even if our consciousness could enter the physical self of another entity, I’m still suspect that we would be able to understand the other…because we would still be trapped in our unique perspective by our consciousness).

11. Why?

Because, in the way we currently understand our existence, our consciousness is basically what allows us to understand and have a sense of self. Thus, how would we perceive self in other if self were not there to perceive other? In which case, is it ever truly possible to understand other?

And yet, to bring us full circle to the initial question and answer, I am still fascinated by and compelled to investigate the lives and experiences of others. So I suppose, with documentary, I am attempting to understand others to the extent possible, and perhaps, because consciousness impacts my perception, it is actually ultimately about attempting to understand myself through comparison to others? Wow, is that what this is all about?

Certainly an interesting experiment. What do you think?

What is the purpose of documentary?

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 11:51:24 +0000

What is the purpose of documentary? I’ve been asking myself this question a lot recently, especially as I prepare to start filming my new doc about a women’s music festival.

I chose this topic for my next documentary because the story felt exciting to me. I am really looking forward to following the Harmony House Band, getting to know each of the members, becoming familiar with Lockeport and the people who live there.

However, it’s brought up this question for me of a documentary’s purpose.

What IS the purpose of a documentary?

The dictionary defines documentary as “a movie or a television or radio program that provides a factual record or report.” Under this definition, I would understand a documentary’s purpose to be to deliver ‘a factual record or report’.

Putting aside the obvious (i.e. that the mere act of pointing a camera at something subverts this concept of ‘factual’, defined as ‘concerned with what is actually the case rather than interpretations of or reactions to it’, because a camera can only document a small portion of ‘reality’, and the choice of what portion is selected is always completely subjective), the fact that the definition of documentary emphasizes factual seems to suggest that subjectivity should not be a part of documentary creation. That documentary is merely meant to document. This is obviously impossible.

So then, what’s the alternate purpose of documentary? I suppose the purpose is to say something.

Many individuals would argue that documentary should be used to bring to light issues of injustice, or to attempt to motivate societal change. Media, after all, is a powerful influence on human behaviour (I would argue at least). Others might say documentary is merely another means of artistic expression.

I think the reason I’m asking this question of purpose is because I don’t exactly know what I have to say. I mean, at times, I have a specific message. For example, my message for the smallest steps my feature on anti-violence activism, is that anyone and everyone can and should take steps to end violence against women. But other documentaries I’ve created, like to love, again! (my short about my grandmother remarrying late in life), have had no real message. Literally in that instance, I was quickly creating a short documentary to try and win the TVO Short Doc competition and figured they might gravitate to a senior love story.

Coming back to the documentary that prompted this question of a documentary’s purpose, what do I have to say about this Nova Scotia women’s festival? I must admit, I don’t know what to say. I think it’s a story about connection, community building, and resilience, but I suppose I won’t know what message I intend to convey until I document it. Does this mean my documentary will lack purpose? And I guess, another question is, does not having an explicit purpose reduce the value of my documentary? Maybe THAT’s the question I’m really trying to get at – what gives documentary value?

I suppose today I’m all questions and no answers. What do YOU think?

A big move: Am I crazy???

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 01:05:08 +0000

Back in 2020, or it might have even been late 2019, I was attending a meeting on community-campus engagement, and a colleague and friend of mine, Dayle Eshelby mentioned this festival called the Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women and Song. Ever since she mentioned it, the idea of doing a documentary on this festival has been at the back of my brain. Since one of my goals for 2021 was pitching a new project to CBC or Bell Media Fund, I thought I’d do some research on Harmony Bazaar to see if there might be a story there.

Over the course of January, I spoke to quite a few people about this festival. Each person I chatted with was incredibly friendly and generous. What made the research process even more exciting was that everyone was really proud to talk about Harmony Bazaar.

And frankly, they deserve to be proud. It is SUCH a cool festival with so many neat facets! Here are just a few of the reasons I am officially in love:

It started as a fundraiser for a women-led organization focused on women’s empowerment (the Shelburne County Women’s Fishnet)
It is Atlantic Canada’s only women’s music festival.
From day one, diversity and inclusion was a major focus, as was supporting local women with skills development. Volunteers learn how to run a festival and they are also encouraged to participate in the festival’s annual local talent event and its song-writing workshops.
Many of the artists who have performed at the festival in the past (including established artists), have contacted the festival in subsequent years to support it. This tells me there’s something magical about this festival.
The town that hosts the festival — Lockeport, Nova Scotia — is so small that attendees often end up boarding with locals and/or tenting on locals’ properties for the festival’s duration.
From what people have shared with me, the festival has had a big impact on the town, both in terms of social/cultural attitudes as well as economically (the festival was even a major contributor to Lockeport’s music stage).

I’ll stop there for now. Long story short, this festival is damn cool!!!

In addition to the festival’s backstory getting me geared up, I also met four really unique women who formed a band after meeting at the festival in 2019. In 2020, they started practicing together and even with COVID, they have found a way to continue playing.

This year, if Harmony Bazaar is able to resume (COVID-pending), the band is hoping to perform at the festival that birthed them!

Given how excited I felt just researching this documentary, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell its story by following this emerging band. So, like any sane documentarian (haha!), I made a very quick and dramatic decision: I am moving to Nova Scotia!

I have zero funding in place but I have a story and people who are willing to let me follow them around with a camera (I also did pitch the story to CBC, so we’ll see how that goes). Thanks to Dayle, I also have a place to stay. Get this: I will be living with the former mayor of Lockeport!!! How cool is that???

I leave for Nova Scotia in just over two weeks. I’ll be riding out my quarantine in Wolfville before heading to Lockeport for mid-March. And that’s when the fun will begin!

Am I crazy to just pick up and go in the midst of a pandemic? Probably. But is it worth it to have an adventure and see where this story takes me? Absolutely!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram @NicoleBedfordFilms to stay up to date on my adventures. For once I will have some beautiful-looking content to post on my mostly inactive pages (because seriously, how many shots of a person editing their first feature does social media really need?!?!).

Goals for a better 2021

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 22:28:06 +0000

Happy 2021 Y’All!

I’m not sure about you, but I feel good about this year!

The organizer that I am, though, I wasn’t about to leave it up to chance, so I made a point of taking a couple days over the holidays to do some goal-setting. (2020 felt like such an uncertain year so I was craving some structure, even though none of us yet know what 2021 holds.)

I followed the process outlined on Indiehustle.com by Suzanne Lyons, which suggests starting with the 25 to 30-year “obituary” (i.e. highlights of your long and successful life), and growing increasingly granular until you have a month-by-month set of milestones to achieve your main goal.

I found it pretty tough to think of the 25 to 30-year highlights to be honest. I’m still exploring. Plus, I’m not exactly the type who is craving an Oscar win or anything (not that I would ever say no!). After a long while staring at a blank page, I jotted down ‘rich relationships with friends and family’, followed closely by the standard “award-winning filmmaker and artist known for breaking the ‘rules’, carving her own path, and crafting films that really impacted people positively.” (I secretly want to be a rebel…)

The 5-year vision was much easier to create (again, another list), and then the 1-year goals even more so. In terms of my art, this year my goals include:

Completing my first feature documentary, the smallest steps, and screening it at least once
Crafting my first media arts piece (with or without funding)
Pitching a new project to either the CBC or Bell Media Fund (I already have ideas for both), and
Meeting and working with a new producer and a new cinematographer (hopefully a component of the previous goal)

After setting these 1-year goals, I broke them down into monthly ‘milestones’ – as Lyons says in the article, “These are not the long list of the daily and weekly action plans, it’s more a short list of the essential items that need to happen at each milestone.” As someone who is incredibly detailed-oriented, Lyons’ reminder was necessary, and allowed me to create a simple chart outlining a few tasks for each month. I plan to scratch them out as I achieve them each month (my favourite part of to-do lists!).

One thing I also learned last year through the Arts Network Ottawa mentorship was the usefulness of having an accountability partner. So over the holidays, though I was nervous about doing so, I started to advertise for one! I created a post on a Facebook group called Kinnd, which aims to “revolutionize digital connection by providing a platform that encourages all members to (a) be vulnerable by sharing what you need and (b) by offering freely what you can (for example, knowledge, skills, mentorship, time to hang out etc.) – with one rule ‘no coin allowed.’”

I ended up getting quite a few responses to my post. I couldn’t respond to all of them, but of those I did, a few were eager to set up a meeting to see if we’d work well together as accountability partners. I also got invited to a new co-working group AND I scored a pen pal through the process (for the win! Let’s just hope they can read my writing – cursive baby!).

Overall, I am feeling very positive and prepared for 2021. It might still have some surprising things in store (like the freaking USA coup d’état happening as I type – WTF America???), but here’s hoping it’ll be fairly smooth sailing, at least in terms of my artistic creations!

A Year (and a bit) in Review

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 21:12:23 +0000

This month, I got a newsletter sent by From the Heart Productions that had the subject line Bragging: Good for the Soul and Your Career!.

I have to say, it definitely made me sit back and think about the past year and a bit since jumping into film. So I thought, for the last post of the year, it’d be appropriate to do a quick review!

April 2019 - The Launch

Just over a year and a half ago, my full-time contract with the Communities First: Impacts of Community Engagement research project ended. At that point, I began to work “full-time” in film and video production (I put full-time in quotes because I still kept one foot in academia via a new part-time contract…because fear of no money, yo!).

At this point, I was leaning heavily towards ‘corporate’ video production with a focus on promoting community-academic partnerships. However, my documentary work was starting to expand in ways that would lead me to question this focus:

I’d just had my first film screening at the Toronto Indie Night Film Festival
I was a few months into my first documentary feature, the smallest steps
With the help of my team, I launched my first Indiegogo campaign.
I won a spot in the DOC Institute’s Short Film Lab and had film mentorship for the first time

2019 - High Gear

Between April and December 2019, I felt like I was in high gear in terms of my filmmaking. In that short period of time, I:

Directed, filmed, and edited three short documentaries (The Curated Self; to love, again!; and ROAR)
Supported the filming of a fourth short documentary, Mattman (working title)
Production Managed the narrative short Goodbye, Papi directed by Jedidah Nabwangu
Applied to and won a spot in the National Film Board’s New Identities – An Israel/Canada International Coproduction Partnership in Digital Creation
Pitched a film project for the first time in front of a crowd.
Experienced virtual reality for the first time (which started stretching my creative thinking towards media art).
Met and interviewed human rights activist Sally Armstrong.
Mentored a pair of budding filmmakers (my first time mentoring!).
Completed production for my feature documentary.
Screened films at 3 more festivals: Eve Film Festival, Digi60, and One World Film Festival.
Was paid my first ever artist fee.
Held my first wrap party!
Fundraised over $24,000 (cash and in-kind) for my feature documentary

2020 - New Experiences

By the time January 2020 rolled around, I knew I wanted to focus my energy on filmmaking as opposed to video production. I still wanted to take on client contracts, but I wanted the majority of my time to be spent on my own films. I also wanted to start branching out into media arts creation thanks to my experience with the National Film Board program.

Luckily, I started the year with another film screening — SAW Video’s Resolutions 2019. I also won a spot in the Arts Network Ottawa Mentorship Program, where I was paired with Amen Jafri, an Ottawa filmmaker who, at the time, was focused on branding for artists. With Amen’s help, I embarked on a process of discovering my values within filmmaking. From there, I worked with Amen to rebrand based on my filmmaking goals. Having a one-on-one mentor really made a difference for me — I realized that being accountable to someone helps me stay accountable to myself!

As a result of my work with Amen, I completed a full rebrand of my website and I started the uncomfortable process of pitching myself for podcasts, interviews, workshops, and more. I was also contacted independently by Kris Roley of the Roley Show (now named The Bluejacket Creative) and got the chance to be a guest for Episode 354. That was a fun experience!

While the pandemic meant I was out of work (and really down) for a solid 5 months, I still ended up with an amazing year overall. Some of the highlights included:

Screening to love, again! with a live audience at The Art House Cafe. It was a wonderful experience hearing the laughter and “awes” in person and knowing that my film brought people joy!
Maintaining my commitment to post once a month on my blog (even if some posts only appeared on the last day of the month!)
Growing my knowledge of anti-racism, having complex conversations about race, and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement (and others) to expand my understanding of the challenges we must overcome before we can ever have a fully equal and equitable society.
Winning my very first grant for my film work — and a Canada Council for the Arts grant at that!
Being a finalist for the From the Heart Productions Roy W. Dean grant.
Meeting with Kelly Payne of Ontario Creates to learn about her work, and get some pointers on documentary pitching.
Attending some fabulous webinars hosted by Film Fatales and by Sundance Collab.
Recording interviews with strangers from around the world during the first month of the COVID pandemic.
Winning my largest contract to date in partnership with Mailyne Briggs of Kilam Media (to be released in January 2021!).
In general, just getting paid to produce podcasts (2 this year! Super cool).
Having to turn down a contract for the first time since starting my film work — you know you’re doing well when you’re too slammed to take on another project!
Having to apply for my HST number!!!! (yes, I am a nerd)
Continuing to work closely with my amazing volunteer social media team for the smallest steps.
Having the flexibility to move in with my grandmother for a month while she recovered from being in the hospital (and learning, again, that I need to better balance my work and life!).
Staying connected with my Quest Friends Forever improv troupe through the power of Zoom!

I’m sure I am missing additional highlights, but this list is already pretty spectacular. And, of course, separate from this list, I have also been incredibly fortunate to have the support, love, and encouragement of my boyfriend, my friends and family, and also individuals within the film community. As everyone knows, no one can be successful on their own, and I am very grateful for everyone with whom I get to work, live, and play!

Well, From the Heart Productions, I’m not sure if this bragging post will end up being good for my career, but I do agree that it was good for my soul to spend some time recognizing the successes I’ve had in the past year and a bit!

Here’s to a new, and even brighter 2021! Happy holidays y’all!

via GIPHY

Superpower or Curse?

admin — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 03:46:51 +0000

Okay, so, for the most part, I’m a highly organized individual. I’m good at thinking through projects in a process-oriented way, which is incredibly beneficial when I’m planning a video shoot, or quoting on a client project. I’m also getting very good at estimating how long it will take me to complete projects and tasks. And when it comes to managing budgets, so far, I’ve been excellent at maximizing small budgets, as well as balancing larger ones.

In many ways, being organized is like my superpower! And it’s a pretty awesome superpower because it means I can tackle a lot of projects all at the same time! For example, in 2019, there was a period of something like 3 months when I completed 3 different short documentaries, on top of finishing up a full-time contract, juggling a second part-time job, shooting (and grant writing) for my first feature doc, and working on client contracts.

As exciting as this superpower is, lately I’ve been wondering if it may also be a curse.

For example, when it comes to creative projects, my process-oriented brain frequently interferes with silly thoughts like, Well Nicole, before we start a creative brainstorm, it’s only smart to get organized. All projects start with a goal, or perhaps a bit of research. And there’s no way you can just scrawl all over that blank page — draw some boxes and you can work efficiently within those. Oh, and I’ve only allotted you 15 minutes for this brainstorm exercise because next, you must update your QuickBooks, and then attend a meeting, and then, and then, and then…

*Sigh* I’m not much of a superhero aficionado but I’m starting to feel like Rogue, except my organizing powers thwart my ability to be creative!

Part of the issue is that I take on too many contracts and projects at once. The creative industry is feast or famine, and with COVID, I’ve been compelled to say ‘yes’ to as many paid contracts as I can. And besides, my organizing brain re-assures me regularly that it can juggle all these projects because it, I, am an organizing superhero!

But you know what? Just like many superheroes drawn to their calling by the universe, something “out there” wants me to create. Here’s how I know this:

Just over two months ago, my grandmother was rushed to the hospital after a fall. They weren’t sure what happened, but when she got to the hospital, she had a brain bleed that was pretty major. For a while, she bounced around various hospital units due to complications. Eventually, she made it to the rehabilitation centre, where she finally started to show progress.

My grandmother being in the hospital for such a long time really impacted me. I’ve always been close to her, and for years I’d been thinking about how much I wanted to capture her stories, if not for a creative project, then at least for our family. Having her suddenly in the hospital was a wake-up call. My brain’s prioritization of organization and paid work had prevented me from following through on spending real time with my grandmother.

When she was first admitted, I promised myself (and the powers that be) that if my grandmother recovered, I would figure out a way to spend time with her. The universe heard my promise and decided to challenge me: Last week my grandmother was released from the hospital in pretty darn good health all things considered…

So, I made good on my promise. Days after she got home, I put my organizing powers to good use: I packed up my equipment, my computer, and enough clothes to last me a couple weeks, and I arranged to move in with her for an indeterminate amount of time.

You want to know the funny part though? My organized brain still thought it would be able to maintain our previous life of work, work, work, organize, organize, organize! No word of a lie, I wrote out schedules for the first few days: 9am – breakfast; 10am – record stories with grandmother; 12noon – XYZ meeting, etc. etc.

Each day, that schedule was kyboshed, and rightly so. There is no clear way to organize one’s day when staying with someone who is both healing from an injury while also living her life the way she wants to.

So I finally gave in. While I didn’t want to, I cut back on some projects. I decided it was okay to postpone certain tasks. I delegated and asked for support when I needed it. And I’ve taken a cue from my grandmother on the importance of relaxation and play, and taken most of my evenings off!!! (*GASP*!!!)

I hope I am able to maintain this prioritization of space and time when I return home. I truly think it might be the key to maximizing my organizing superpowers in support of my creativity. And in the meantime, while I’ll still be working towards a few project deadlines, I’m going to be thankful for, and enjoy spending time with my grandmother while I still can!

Obsessed with Time

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 21:15:59 +0000

Tonight, we set the clocks back an hour for daylight savings, and it’s got me contemplating a topic that’s been on my mind for a while now: Time.

To be frank, I never seem to have enough of it. I know I’m an efficient person, yet, when I look to other creatives and artpreneurs around me, I can’t help but think, “How are they doing so much?”

I especially have this thought when my fellow artpreneur is a parent. I have no clue how they can produce their own creative works, complete client contracts, find time to eat healthy and get exercise (see the sun!), plus post regularly on social media, all while parenting during a pandemic.

Seriously, how do they do it?!?

Obsessed with the idea that there must be a secret behind their time management prowess, I started asking every creative I met: How do you manage your time? And more specifically, what does your average daily schedule look like?

Here are some of the answers I got:

Comedian:

No dependents; a partner; a part time job (not related to art practice).

6:30am: Wake
Morning: Write daily log and read. Catch up with friends.
Lunchtime: Run, shower, lunch, and time with partner.
Late Afternoon: Write comedy, edit, and watch other comedians
Evening: Dinner, hang out with partner, watch a movie or TV
9:30/10pm: Head to bed

Editor & Digital Special Effects Technician:

Dependents (young); a partner; full-time artist.

7am: Wake & exercise
8:30am: Breakfast
9/9:30am: Emails & administration
10am: Work block 1
1pm: Lunch with family
2pm: Work block 2
4pm: Personal time
5pm: Dinner & family time
8pm: Work block 3
Anytime between 12-2am: Head to bed

Dancer:

No dependents; no live-in partner; full-time artist.

5:30am: Wake & exercise
8am: Shower & breakfast
Morning: 1 hour administration & emails; 2 hours working alone in the studio (i.e. creative time)
Afternoon: Rehearsals with dance company + More admin
Evening: Early dinner + A few quiet hours of reading

Podcaster:

Dependents (older); a partner; full-time artist.

9am: Writing
12pm: Lunch break
1pm: Project for client
5pm: Dinner & time with family
Evening: Social media

Here’s my current weekday schedule (I also work weekends after 12noon):

7:30/8am: Wake & Breakfast
9am: Part time job
11am: Contract work + emails (and sometimes meetings)
12:30pm: Lunch
1pm: Contract work (and sometimes meetings)
4:30/5pm: Dinner
6:30/7pm: Contract work OR meetings
8/9pm: Time with partner (or virtual hangouts with friends)
11/12pm: Head to bed

I mean, *technically* I’m getting lots done each day. But I would ideally like to also fit in exercise, my personal creative projects, skills-building sessions, blogging and networking on social media, and relaxation time where I’m not constantly thinking about the work piling up while I take “time off” (plus, you know, important house chores and whatnot).

Perhaps if I drag myself out of bed before the sun is up, then I could squeeze in some more “balance” (i.e. time for exercise and pursuing my creative inspirations!)? Maybe I’m seeking a magic solution where none exists. I’m not sure. All I know is that the days never seem to have enough of that precious commodity of time.

How about you, dear reader? What are YOUR secrets to time management?