All aboard!: Win N Trak model railroad group

A couple months ago I mentioned that I had started filming my first documentary on model railroading. And today I’m happy to announce that it is officially complete!

As I expected, the models were amazing; the venue, perfect; and the guys were enthusiastic and certainly not camera shy.

But the main problem I suffered from was information overload. I didn’t just shoot the evening set up and show day, I also got the chance to film one of their monthly meetings, a demonstration, and a layout in Gooch’s Hobbies where one of the members works.

It all seemed a good idea at the time, until I was sitting in the edit suite watching back the footage and came to the conclusion that I had about seven different stories lines and not all of them would fit together nicely.

I also realised that when shooting extreme close ups hand held (which I had a lot of, based on the nature of the topic) the lens is fully extended and it’s pretty hard to get steady shots – even the slightest movement throws off composition.

It took me a few days to come up with a decent storyline, and the result is a more general take on the hobby, the group, and why each member is interested in model railroading.

The guys from Win N Trak have invited me to their end of year meeting to show the video, so here’s hoping they’ll like it!

Kertész the shadow man in full view at the WAG

Hungarian-born photographer André Kertész is a bit of an enigma, like the shadows that predominate his work. After purchasing his first camera at age 18, he was called into service in World War I where he photographed moments from life in the trenches, developing a mature, engaging style that would span his entire career from Hungary, to France, to the United States.

As a commercial photojournalist, Kertész’s work was published in French, German, and American magazines, through which he steadily gained an international reputation for his innovative use of camera angles, composition, distortion, and the effects of light.

The current exhibition on at the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG), titled Shadow Marks, is the gallery’s effort to provide a sort of introductory class to Kertész for the unaware (which, presumably, would be quite a few), showcasing select works from his career beginning in 1914 and ending around 1980.

Although it only contains a small 30 pieces from the WAG’s collection of 180 Kertész photographs, the exhibit nonetheless offers an excellent overview of the photographer’s unusual and thought-provoking style.

Disappearing Act (1955)

Perhaps due to lack of space (the WAG is currently showcasing Inuit sculpture, Nunavik art, European Renaissance and Baroque pieces, and the Indigenous exhibit Close Encounters) Kertész’s exhibit has been placed in the smallest gallery room (#3) of the WAG on the third floor, which at first glance gives the impression that the exhibit is rather insignificant.

To get the full effect of Kertész’s art, enter not from the Skylight Gallery, but from gallery #1 or #4 which house a variety paintings in full colour that make entering an entire room of black and white photography a refreshing contrast.

In keeping with Kertész’s minimalist black and white theme, the works are displayed in oversized frames with thick, clean white boarders around each photo, then divided among the four walls into Kertész’s key periods: Hungarian, French, and American.

Lighting can make or break an exhibit, but in this case the WAG has done well to use overhead track lighting which makes the room appear light, inviting, and not as small, while reducing the amount of glare on the photographs for viewers.

Washington Square, Winter (1966)

The exhibit begins with a silhouette photo of the artist along with a short biography, after which it takes a chronological approach to layout, with each photo representing one, sometimes seven years from Kertész’s career. This approach is a good choice for viewers new to Kertész in that it is quite easy to stand in the middle of the room and be able to view his changes in themes and shifts in style and subject matter as he developed his art further.

It is from this angle that even the casual viewer can plainly see how groundbreaking Kertész’s work was – back in the twentieth century, and today. While all of Kertész’s photos depict ordinary, everyday objects, he captures them in such a way that we no longer see them as such. Even the most mundane of snowy city streets covered in tire tracks and footprints is transformed into a maze of intricate patterns by Kertész’s impressive talent of altering perspective.

One of his more popular pieces, Satiric Dancer – also on display at the WAG – is a studio portrait, but not in the traditional sense. Here, the woman as subject is posed contorted on a couch, imitating the corner wall behind her. This is the true Kertész style: an eclectic mix of still-life, portraits, and street photography, which possess an intriguing story-like quality. In fact, Kertész is considered by many photographers to be the father of photojournalism – a fact you won’t find stated anywhere in the Shadow Marks exhibit.

Apart from a brief biography, the room is completely void of information about the works and the artist, save for a handful of wall texts. As an introductory exhibit, more could have been done to answer some obvious questions – for instance, how many of Kertész’s photos were staged (certainly the headless mannequin and duck composition of Rencontre demands an explanation) and why he seemed to shift between the relatively ‘normal’ portraits and still life, to the bizarre distortions and street photography throughout his career.

Satiric Dancer (1926)

What is made evident, however, is Kertész’s place in the larger realm of the art world, albeit through an interesting comparison. Strategically placed around the room among the photographs are black and white pieces of stoneware in various shapes that echo Kertész not only in colour, but also in theme. One particular pair of vases is described as retaining the traditional form of the vessel while having been altered to assume a more artful, sculpture-like quality.

This, in fact, is the essence of Kertész’s work and his contribution to the artistic community, in that through his photographs he has reframed the traditional, and altered the ordinary, to create art in a new way out of unlikely subjects. Shadow Marks recognizes this, and is an overall excellent introduction to his work.

Shadow Marks runs until September 9, 2011 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Not just another hardware store: a mini doc

When I saw that our first assignment for TV doc class was to produce a mini doc vérité-style to capture the essence and energy of a location, I knew Pollock’s Hardware

would be a great place.

All photos from Pollock's on Facebook.

I remember going there with my dad when I was little to pick up the odd tool or can of paint. It was like stepping back in time to the hardware stores of the 1900s when they didn’t just sell hardware – they were the corner store of odds and ends for a lot of neighbourhoods. (Although truth be told back then I just loved the toy horses in the window.)

Recently, Pollocks has added another interesting page to their history book. When the original owners decided to retire, but couldn’t find a buyer, they were forced to close the store in 2007 until the local community banded together to re-open it as a consumer co-operative.

A visually interesting store with an interesting story just got even better when I called the place to book a filming time and found out their store dog, Diggr, just had puppies.

With dogs in tow, general manager Mike Wolchock came to the store and showed us all the quirky little things that makes Pollock’s so great.

The hardest part of all this, however, was the actual filming. Walking around with a boom mic and a camera in a tiny store with even tinier aisles stocked to the rafters was certainly a challenge, as was trying to shoot proper composition on the fly. It’s also really hard to keep a hand held camera steady. Really. Or maybe that’s just the perfectionist in me talking.

Either way, I’m really happy with the way this turned out, and it was good practice for my next (and final) project - a short documentary on a Winnipeg model train group. Come back to watch the end product in the few weeks from now!

No seats, no view, PR problem: what you should know about concerts in Winnipeg

The general premise for this post is: when I buy tickets for a concert which does not specify otherwise, I expect to get a seat.

Well, call me a fool. Two weekends ago it was not so.

Two weekends ago, me and a friend went to see Yann Tiersen, of Amélie fame, play at the West End Cultural Centre. And I suppose you could say I did get a seat – on the floor.

Allow me to explain.

The Event

Oh seats, where did you go? WECC.

Like any concert I attend, I arrived early to get a good seat at the front. And like every other WECC concert I’ve attended, I expected that when the doors opened, I could walk through the lobby to the theatre and nab a seat.

At this show, however, we were not allowed to go into the theatre after presenting our tickets, but had to wait 20 minutes or more in the crowded lobby while people streamed in and edged their way to the front, ruining any sort of chance us early birds had of getting a seat (and, as we’d soon find out – any seat, not just a good one).

The doors opened and there was a mad rush into the theatre, until some people stopped abruptly, confused, as they realised there was only about 60 seats on the main floor around a big gaping hole of empty space.

An empty space, a bare floor, that we eventually figured out we were expected to sit on with our coats as makeshift cushions like elementary school children at a gym assembly.

At first I thought – did I not get the memo? But I noticed many people, some young, some elderly, some women with dresses and skirts, and one young woman with a cane, who clearly did not predict to be sitting on the dirty, hard floor for a couple hours.

Make that dirty, hard, and sticky floor – before the show even started, I caught the house manager mopping up a drink spill.

I was annoyed, but wanted to see Yann, so we decided to stick it out.

After 45 minutes in our bum-numbing “seats”, the opening band finished and we stood up for intermission. At least, I think it was intermission.

The house lights didn’t turn on as is the usual cue, so I spent most of the break trying to protect my belongings from being stepped on while people tried to maneuver in the dark.

Then, people started standing. Either from bum-numbness, or the urge to dance, I will never know, but the ‘concert’ turned out to be more like a house party with people standing in front of the stage, chatting, and drinking their beer.

The Follow-up

I was fed up: I expected seats, I got floor. I sat on the floor, I saw nothing but the backs of legs.

Too bad the house manager didn’t see it that way. Instead of apologizing, he tried to debate point after point – and in general seemed indifferent to our concerns.

He tried to explain that it really didn’t matter where we sat, because you could hear the music anywhere, and that the West End Cultural Centre doesn’t guarantee seats for its concerts.

The first point is incorrect – sitting on my living room floor with a Yann Tiersen CD would’ve produced the same results for much cheaper.

The second point, however, is surprisingly correct.

If you check the West End’s website, you’ll find a short blurb explaining: “Although ticket buyers nearly always get a seat, there are certain shows were we use a full dance floor to accommodate patrons who would like to dance.”

So, what about accommodating patrons who want to sit? The Winnipeg Folk Festival seems to have it figured out: you divide the area in front of the stage in half so that patrons can dance on one side, and sit on the other, with each getting an equal view of the stage. Placing seated people behind upright dancers just doesn’t add up for me.

The website continues: “If you must sit then please arrive early as to ensure a seat.”

Which only works, of course, if you’re not kept in the lobby for 20 minutes where early folks get mixed with late comers until it’s anyone’s game who scores the limited seats.

The WECC goes on to say that they will not refund tickets if people do not get seats.

We asked for a refund, based on the premise that first, although we played by their rules (arrived early), they could not “ensure a seat”, and second, there was no mention of limited seating on the ticket, or in the advertising.

Regardless of whether it’s an official rule or not, telling patrons that performances will be standing-room or (literally) ground-level only is a courtesy rule – a common sense rule.

If you state that all ages are welcome during any concert, like the West End Cultural Centre does, you must have appropriate accommodations for all ages. You certainly can’t expect seniors to go without a chair for two hours, and even adults don’t want to sit cross-legged on the floor.

If you can’t do that, it’s only fair to notify attendees ahead of time so they can decide whether the venue will be comfortable for them. That’s just good business.

The Response

Seating arrangements and advertising, as we were told, is the promoter’s decision. Union Events was the promoter in this case, and their PR isn’t any better.

Customer service at Union Events – as I found out – means telling customers who express a complaint that they’re wrong.

We received an email from Union Events which ignored our request for a refund, and instead replied with nothing more than a block of text full of defensive statements. No greeting, no “dear ____”, no apology, and no signature or name.

‘Anonymous’ said that the majority of concerts at WECC are standing room only (not so, according to WECC’s artistic director) and implied that since they’ve been doing this for years, it doesn’t need to be advertised.

‘Anonymous’ also – wrongfully – assumed that my friend and I were disabled and countered that we should have asked an usher for seats.

We responded to their email and politely pointed out their incorrect assumptions.

‘Anonymous’ at Union Events has not replied.

As for the West End Cultural Centre, I’d like to be able to give their artistic director, Mike Petkau, some credit, for offering to mail us two concert vouchers. Unfortunately, two weeks later, we’ve received no such mail.

The Verdict

Until Union Events and the West End Cultural Centre step up their PR, consider this post your fair warning. If you attend concerts in Winnipeg, know your facts: research the event’s promoter and read up on the venue’s policy.

And if you don't get a seat, well... the message I'm getting is: tough luck.

Good taste in PR: Ciao!'s Dine About Winnipeg

As every PR practitioner knows, when you plan an event strategicially one of the first things you do is a SWOT (or strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.

And as every Winnipeg PR practitioner knows, when you plan an event from December-February, you must be prepared to deal with the weather problem.

The big -40 windchill, skin freezes in five minutes, car won’t start, streets are like skating rinks problem. It’s no wonder the restaurant industry is slow at this time of year.

When winter arrives in Manitoba, many people simply batten down the hatches and wait for the big thaw.

And that’s precisely why Ciao! magazine’s annual Dine About Winnipeg is such a smart – and very popular – event.

February in Winnipeg is still frighteningly cold, but its been two months already and the

batten-down-the-hatches folk are starting to get a little cabin fever.

They’re looking for something to get them out of the house (and preferrably into another warm building) and Ciao! sweetens the deal with something else Winnipeggers are known for – being.... ‘economical’.

For ten days in February, a number of local restaurants (26 this year) offer a three-course, set price menu for either $25 or $35. Many of these are in the mid to high range entrees, so you’re sure to get the best value for your money.

Yesterday I went to Fusion Grill and indulged in:

Hush Puppies with quinoa, cornmeal and John Russell honey garlic dip

Grilled bison petite tender with grainy mustard rub, Fort Garry beer-battered onion rings, Bothwell chedder potato gratin, smoked garlic aioli and demi-glace

Warm Granny Smith apple crumble with flax seed topping, Screech, cinnamon, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

At my house we do most of our own cooking from scratch, so when we do want to dine out, we don’t often know where the newest and tastiest restaurants are.

Dine About has remedied some of that. Although we didn’t visit a lot of restaurants during those ten days, getting a peek at the various menus has given us a good idea about which ones we’d like to visit in the future (ie. spring/summer).

It’s a great example of taking a significant weakness and turning it into a strength for the restaurant industry during one of their least profitable seasons. In other words, taking lemons and making lemonade.

Thanks Ciao! for your great taste, and great promotional PR.

Corporate interview: Greg Burch, MTS Allstream

For the final TV assignment of the year, us PR majors were told to grab a camera, and go do some networking: find a communications professional willing to take the time to sit under some the bright lights and answer questions from a couple of students.

It was a great opportunity to get to ask people in the public relations profession just how they got to where they are today, and what sort of things us soon-to-be-grads should do to prepare for getting a job in communications.

This was by far the most challenging of our TV assignments, mainly because of the time pressures – there simply was no time to re-do a shot. It also tested all of our production skills: shooting, audio, and lighting, the latter two which are still pretty new to us and made more difficult by the fact that you want to appear to know what you’re doing, especially when your interviewee could be a potential employer!

That being said, Lennie and myself got an amazing grade for our hard work and it actually turned out quite well! (See for yourself below.) So if anyone out there is looking to produce a corporate video, there are two eager producers right here, and here!

Thanks again to Greg Burch and MTS Allstream for allowing us to film them and drag our carload of equipment all around the building!

#wpgvotes, new media is there

I’m fairly interested when there’s an election in my community, and usually spend the evening of the big day watching the results appear on TV. But yesterday’s election was easily the most exciting I’ve experienced so far.

Why? Because I didn’t watch it on TV.

My primary source as news developed was the #wpg votes Twitter feed with CBC Radio 1 streaming live online in the background.

Together, they gave me the up-to-the-minute (or, with Twitter, up-to-the-second) information I needed, while eliminating what I now consider the rather useless visual that TV provides.

I didn’t miss the line of candidates’ photos on screen with vote numbers flickering beside them, or the constant turn to a panel of experts giving their thoughts and predictions as the votes come in.

Instead, thanks to Twitter, I looked at the occasional backstage photos that journalists and CreComm J Majors tweeted and enjoyed the mixed commentating and news updates from “regular” people, and media professionals with some nice interaction and RTing between the two.

Sometimes I think that presenting local events in the traditional newscast format can create a disconnect, in that it doesn’t give that close-to-home, unscripted feel of news as it happens.

Following the election via the very untraditional Twitter, however, made the entire thing seem more relevant by being able to read real reactions from “regular” people (admittingly not always a good thing), while at the same time just as informative because of input from media outlets, too.

That being said, new media isn’t for everyone, and this time around the local TV stations really failed to deliver for those looking to them for immediate results.

I should point out that I don’t live in Winnipeg, and therefore couldn’t vote in that election (even though its results still very much affect me), but way out in my small part of the world, new media also tried to be a voice in the election fray.

Tried, and... well, it was a very quiet voice. Of the nine people running, only two had an online presence.

One candidate effectively (in my case) used this presence to appeal to youth voters, sending them a targeted letter with links to his blog and Facebook page.

He was the only person running to acknowledge the youth vote, as well as understand that it required an approach different from the usual canvassing. Case in point, although my parents read the brochures, letters, and other scraps of paper handed to them at the door, I preferred to read up whatever I could about candidates online.

I imagine there was a time when people didn’t know who was their new mayor until they read the (print!) newspaper the next day. Now, with better technology and web posting, people can – and demand – to know the results immediately.

Unless, of course, you have to rely on the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) for your results. Even with their website advertised as the new “one-stop shop on election night”, I still had a day’s wait. As Kenton Larsen would say, 'wah wah'!

New media works, but only if you use it well. AMM election organizers take note.

Thinking in circles going nowhere

EDIT: Re: Melanie’s comment below.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more confusing....

Contrary to what I’ve been hearing and reading in the news, the city did invest some time into educating the public and providing forums for them to voice their concerns, which makes this story that much more intruiging given the amount of confusion and hostility some Winnipeggers are expressing towards the city.

I’m not entirely sure what could have been done better (other than airing an instructional online video or commercial and putting additional signage for pedestians & cyclists), but it’s clear that at least one of their objectives - educating citizens on how to use traffic circles - didn’t fall through.

What communication do you think would’ve been essential to this issue?

If you live in River Heights, what did you think of the city’s approach and what else could have been done?

----

I’ve spent too many mornings over breakfast this week fuming at the radio while Terry and Marcy from CBC play back calls from the listener line about Winnipeg’s new traffic “calming” circles - which is turning out to be a very ironic name for them indeed.

Its not the circles themselves that bother me, but the fact that I think its obvious some communications people somewhere really let Winnipeggers down.

From day one there has been widespread confusion about traffic circles: what drivers do, where pedestrians cross, how service dogs navigate, and why the particular intersection of Grosvenor & Waverley needs one.

New traffic circle in River Heights. Photo credit.

In all this chaos, one thing remains clear - much of the uncertainty and anger could have been avoided entirely had somebody involved simply taken the time to inform everyone - to communicate - well before the big day arrived.

Traffic circles have been around for decades, in various forms, and in numerous places around the world.

In other words, there’s no shortage of research, instructions, and examples of how these things work which could have been distributed to people in the nearby community of Grosvenor & Waverley, and Winnipeggers at large.

How about those 60 Minute Driver how-to commercials? Pamphlets or FAQ sheets delivered door-to-door? Town hall meetings or Q&A sessions? Proper public consultation and communication could have saved the issue from becoming the controversy it is today.

A dual lane, five-road traffic circle in Calgary. Kind of puts Winnipeg's 'confusion' into perspective, doesn't it? Photo credit.

On the other hand, just because the city missed the communication mark, doesn’t mean driver’s can’t educate themselves.

For the record, directions on how to navigate traffic circles are in MPI’s driver’s handbook, pg 52, available online. Or just Google "how to navigate traffic circles" for a plethora of sites with step-by-step instructions - just make sure you're not driving at the time!