Lights, Camera, Action

Today was my introduction to being in front of a camera.  I was interviewed at Canada Blooms at the Direct Energy Center in Toronto.

My boss came down there with me and I really appreciated having the support as I was a little nervous.  We actually made really good time and got there an hour early.  We had a chance to go for a nice walk and a good chat.

I met the producer, Harriet, and she took me to meet the rest of the team.  The whole crew made me feel welcome and made it easier for me to have some confidence in the whole process.  The show is Canada in Perspective and is on the accessibility network which is AMI.  I believe it is channel 48 for Bell customers in Ontario.

I have never been to Canada Blooms but, it is amazing.  It is the largest garden show in North America.  The space is massive and the displays are amazing.  There was such a wide range of plants, trees, shrubs and flowers.  There was also a lot of water features and some awesome hardscaping.  Oh and there was a tree fort and park in the middle of the space.  Kids were having a great time playing on it. If you have not had a chance to go, you should definitely check it out.   The Home Show is running at the same time.  Today was the first day and it runs for ten days I believe.

So the crew took me to the Landscape Ontario display to set up for the shoot.  It took some time to get everything set up.  I had been a bit nervous but, was feeling a little more comfortable at this point. I sat down and the director began to ask me questions.  There are some aspects of the interview that I wish I had expanded on but, I think it went well considering if was my first time.  I talked a little bit about the benefits of the landscape industry to wellness and the positive impact it has had on me working in the industry.  I hope it comes across well when it airs.

I had the opportunity to meet a really nice woman named Beth Edney.  She is a landscape designer out of Toronto.  Her website is  http://designsbytheyard.com/.  She has a great reputation in the industry and I was glad I had a chance to meet her.  Beth will be on the program as well and they shot her footage after me.  She looked quite comfortable being in front of the camera.

After they were done shooting Beth,  they filmed me walking among st some of the exhibits at Canada Blooms.  I found it a bit difficult as I was not talking.  I had to walk around looking at things, trying not to look at the camera and attempting to be natural.  I hope I don't come across goofy lol.

All and all, it was a good experience.  I am thankful to the AMI crew for not only  making me feel comfortable but, also for mentioning mental health in their show.  As I mentioned in one of my last posts,  I have no interest in becoming famous.  The reason I agreed to do this show is to help spread awareness surrounding mental health.  There is no point in going through what myself and others around me have gone through if I cannot share that experience with others.  If I can do a small part and helping start conversations around mental health and breaking stigmas, then today was worthwhile.

Hope this finds you well.  Take care,  Shawn.

“The gift of life, gives you the greatest opportunity to live and chance to rise above any situation. With hopeful attitude you can overcome any struggle.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita, Beautiful Quotes