This year, I had the opportunity to volunteer at Extreme Dream’s Alberta Youth Conference. It was a great experience, and I am grateful that I could help out. On Thursday, May 22, I went to Rexall to meet with my other team members and to get our accreditation. We helped set up some of the stage elements, specifically the panels that surrounded the large, circular projection screen.
The stage backdrop at YC:AB 2014. Featuring a large circular screen and 9 smaller panels on each side. These screens were projected on by two 40,000 Watt projectors layered on top of each other for a brighter image.
After that, we talked for a bit, and helped around some more, before we were dismissed for the evening.
On Friday, I got out of school early and drove out to Rexall. We had lunch before meeting again, and seeing if we could help set anything up. We unpacked our cameras, and prepped the bags. We were using 2 Panasonic GH-1’s, and a couple of small, handheld camcorders. When the doors opened, we got some shots of the attendees entering with bright, smiling faces. After that, we photographed and filmed portions of the concert and general session. At dinner, my team leader asked if I had my own camera, and if I did, to bring it on Saturday. I was grateful that had this option, because I am a lot more comfortable on my own camera, and now my camera-mate and I didn’t have to share a camera.
On Saturday, we really got into the job because the Expo Centre was open, and that is the specific location where I was assigned to film and document. In the morning though, we did the same thing as Friday night; film and take photos of the concert and general session. I was really able to learn the limits of my camera and lenses, how far I could push them in the dark stadium. After the morning general session, the Expo Social Media Team relocated to the Expo Centre, and set up in one of the small rooms. It had hardly anything in it when we got in, actually it was completely empty. We managed to get a couple of chairs and a table though, so we were set. I filmed more concerts and some speakers. After that, the Volunteer Coordinator visited us, and requested a bunch of photos of her volunteers, so that is all that we shot for the next hour. Just pictures of volunteers.
These are a couple of the ones that I shot and they used on Facebook and Instagram.
On Sunday, it was much of the same thing.
Overall, I was very happy that I was able to help out this year, and I look forward to potentially assisting in the future as well. I have definitely learned a lot from this experience, and that will factor into my other work as well.
Here is a video that I edited together in a couple of hours using just the footage that I filmed on my camera from the event. Feel free to send me your comments at info@newmeasuremedia.com.