Sunny Wonder Media Blog

So maybe these segments I produce just inspire me when I talk with these people in interviews and discover more about their lives and then run a camera and capture the beauty of the surroundings, but I like to think the finished product also inspires others.  This following segment comes from the annual Bellevue Strawberry Festival.  I have a booth where we set up a camera and I talk with anyone who will volunteer to share their journey story.  More specifically, how they got to where they are at that point in time.  It has been a wonderful project and this segment provides a look at the variety of birthplaces and backgrounds of the people who volunteer to participate.

Future installments will tell more of their story.

I recently finished producing a short program with Gabrielle Nomura called Hapa Stories.  I posted the segment on You Tube in April and it has been viewed by over 400, people.  It’s not viral but it seems to have had a positive impact.  The comments we’ve received so far range from :”This is an Awesome Video” to “Great Video”.

It looks like this is a topic that affects people in varying ways.  The term Hapa, as it is used in the segment, represents people from varying backgrounds, typically part white and part asian but ranging from many different backgrounds.  The reason people seem to like this video and the reason people participated was to tell their stories and appreciate the diverse backgrounds they’ve come from.  Many of them say it has been hard to fit into one group or another but they prefer the idea of appreciating the many facets of their diversity.  It was a fun project.  Next up, this weekend we ask more people about their heritage and background for Journey Stories at the Eastside Heritage Center’s Strawberry Festival in Bellevue.

For the last several months, Sunny Wonder Media has been involved in filming and editing activities happening in our communities.  I prepare these videos for the people involved in them so that their good works or discussions or business activities can live on a little longer than just those “live moments” in which they occur.  One such event is a week-long service event by teenagers from the St. Madeleine Sophie Youth Group.

Ann LaBeck takes a group of 14-15 on a one week journey to assist the “poorest of the poor” in our state as they struggle to work and feed those closest to them.  The teens on this trip get a chance to leave some of the sheltering and comfort of their personal lives and reach out to others in need.  What they seem to notice most is the laughter and peace they encounter in the children and adults.  It is a transformational experience.

In the same summer but on a different week, Ann takes a group of 16-17 year olds on a one-week journey to assist the “forgotten group” in our state of people that are needed for farm assistance yet receive little to assist their transition to a life in our communities.  This group is in need of language assistance and other essentials such as food and clothing.  These teens become close friends with this “forgotten group” as they play with the children and assist in teaching the basics of the English language to the adults.  Instead of expecting that these people go out and learn English to thrive in our communities, they take an active role in that effort.  They all come away with a cherished opportunity to form friendships in the process.

But words aren’t enough to describe these transformations, it’s much easier for those involved to tell their story:

Through the last few months, production has continued for Sunny Wonder Media.  Currently we are in the middle of finishing segments for a youth service group that worked in a food bank in Eastern Washington this summer and another one that worked in a food bank in Burlington Washington for St. Madeleine Sophie.

We are also finishing a segment that require many different locations this summer for a wonderful interior design firm, Decor and You.

Meanwhile, since summer is the time for families to gather and experience fun times together, Sunny Wonder Media enjoys capturing those events and producing segments that can be enjoyed throughout the year when crazy schedules and difficult weather make it nice to reflect back on those simpler and carefree moments with people they care about.  This is just such an event:

Admittedly, this is an event that my own family attended, yet many other families that attended have been able to relive the fun moments again through this segment.  Sunny Wonder Media would like to expand to produce more of these family moment segments for groups, organizations or families that would like to keep and cherish them.  If you are interested or know someone that may be interested in this kind of treasure, have them contact Sunny Wonder Media.   www.sunnywondermedia.com

I had the privilege of accompanying the Newport High School Marching band to Disneyland for a marching performance down Main Street in Disneyland California this month.  As a chaperone and video journalist on the trip, I followed the band when they needed help and ran to get “Fast Passes” for rides for kids in my group and found myself “solo” in the Happiest Place on Earth a number of times and had a fabulous time.

The best part of the trip was discovering how hard teenagers are willing to work to make a good impression and put on a good performance.  It was also inspiring to realize how teenagers can be helpful, courteous and fun to be around .

I enjoy covering the theatrical performances at Newport High School.  I am happy with the outcome when I videotape with 2 cameras and one is for wide shots while the other is used for close ups and medium shots.  It is wonderful to catch the action and help the actors preserve their performances after so much time, talent and effort has gone into each performance.

This performance was in November 2010.  My method of catching audio from the performers seems to work well and is unobtrusive to the actors’ performance.