March 4, 2015

World Premiere: “Our Story. Our Future.”

Well, okay, a Regional Premiere – the reason why I believe so passionately that the referendum is about a lot more than a transportation package, a funding proposal or a popularity contest.  It’s about us, what we believe in, are prepared to pay for, to fight for and leave to future generations.

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In the coming months, Metro Vancouver residents will be voting on a new transportation package proposed by The Mayor’s Council. A successful “yes” vote in this plebiscite will be a triumph; its failure a historic loss. One way or another, we will be deciding the future of our region, including our quality of lives, economy, environment, and the prospects for our children. It’s that big a deal.

The creative team at Modacity (modacitylife.com) – under the leadership of SFU City Program Director Gordon Price (pricetags.wordpress.com) – produced this film, making the case for this crucial investment in a first-class transportation system. It tells the story of how we managed to build one of the most liveable cities in the world, and how this single decision will shape our future for decades to come.

For more information please visit here.

I’ve always wanted to work with creative people, skilled in visual media, to reach people in new ways, telling a story with the heart as well as the head.  On this, I was able to work with exactly those people.

To Chris and Melissa Bruntlett of Modacity for taking on the challenge and working on it far harder than I could have asked for, with a remarkable team that achieves such great work on the Vancouver CycleChic videos.  Chris sums it up: “David for the many sleepless nights, Michael for the fresh perspective and the tasty chords, Todd for his utmost professionalism and patience, and Christoph for squeezing this all around a newborn baby boy!”  And thanks to Herve, Shahira, and Tim for their starring roles!

We funded it mainly with individual contributions, and with support from the David Suzuki Foundation, Vote YES for better transit, and British Columbia Cycling Coalition (BCCC).

Now it’s your turn.  Please like, forward, retweet, talk up and pass on.

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Comments

  1. Very impressive production and message. It is great to see this turning into a discussion about what we want, and what kind of future we choose, for our city, and ourselves.

  2. Thank you Gordon, and everyone involved. When I heard you deliver a (modified) version of this at the New Westminster PechaKucha event two weeks ago, I thought to myself – someone needs to put this on YouTube and make it the centrepiece of a campaign. I am glad to see this nuanced yet powerful message can now reach so many more people.

  3. Very nicely produced video. I just wished there was more ethnic diversity in the video — the video and the Yes campaign materials do not sufficiently reflect the people in the region today. In addition, some more imagery of Surrey, Langley, Northeast Sector would have been useful to make the connection between transit and growing communities.

    1. Nonsense. I think there’s plenty of diversity in the video and in YES materials. And the region-specific material is abundant, if you look for it.

  4. “It is this generation’s question” and yes we are “shaping the future with a single decision”. Right on! Kudos to everyone at Modacity! The “yes” vote allows the shaping of our landuse and transportation decisions. Let’s lead a productive sustainable way forward.

  5. This is amazing – and exactly what I’ve been hoping to see since the referendum was announced. Huge kudos and thanks to everyone involved. Bravo!

  6. Fabulous! I will share this every way I can possibly think of. It’s on my Facebook and my BCIT students will be seeing this video in next Tuesday night’s class.

    1. Thanks for your kind words, Rosemary! We couldn’t be prouder of this film, and are overwhelmed with the enthusiasitc reaction it has received thus far! If you (or anyone else) want to email me at chris@modacitylife.com, I can forward a download link for a high-res QuickTime file that might be easier to screen in a classroom setting. And please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide to support your efforts. The trick now is to get this film in front of as many people as possible who wouldn’t normally sit and watch something like it.

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