ARVIAT
Two young members of the Arviat Film Society are wrapping-up two weeks of skills development in Quebec City this week.

4elements Productions camera assistant Marie-Floriane Dekkers gives Arviat's Jamie Okatsiak and Samuel Pauppa, from left, a tutorial on the teleprompter before a shooting session begins in Quebec City this past week. - photo courtesy of Gord Billard

Jamie Okatsiak and Samuel Pauppa arrived in Quebec on Feb. 14 to take part in advanced movie production skills development training with 4elements Productions.

The training was co-organized by ARCTIConnexion and sponsored by the Arviat Film Society.

Fellow society member and John Arnalukjuak High School teacher Gord Billard accompanied Okatsiak and Pauppa on their trip.

Billard said 4elements Productions is actually a co-operative of workers who run a non-profit production company.

He said the trip was arranged with the help of Vincent L'Herault.

"Vince (L'Herault) is an Arctic researcher who came to Arviat the past couple of summers to work with our students to record elder interviews and that sort of thing," said Billard.

"He did a lot of work with Jamie (Okatsiak) and Sam (Pauppa) this past summer and suggested it would be good for them to do some professional training with this company, which he's associated with.

"After talking to Jamie Bell and Eric Anoee of the Arviat Film Society, we decided Vince's suggestion was a great idea.

"They put up the funds to pay for the boys' trip, and Vince and his family accommodated them in their home and fed them, as well."

Billard said the training was excellent for Okatsiak and Pauppa.

He said all three of them were made to feel like they were on the job and actually working with the company during their stay.

"This is the kind of training experience you can't really pay for.

"It's been a unique and fantastic opportunity for these boys to gain hands-on experience and learn on-the-job training from cool people.

"The folks at 4elements were as excited about teaching the boys as they were about learning from them.

"It's been a good co-operative venture and we were thrilled to take part in it."

Pauppa, 20, said he enjoys working with video.

He said he loves to go out with a camera to record events and conduct interviews.

"I learned a lot in Quebec, like how to edit video, how to do a proper shoot, how to interview people and how to set-up lights properly," said Pauppa.

"I'll be doing a lot of camera work in Arviat because I find it interesting to shoot different subjects.

"The things I've learned in Quebec have made me a lot more confident and sure of myself when I'm shooting something.

"I know the right questions to ask when doing an interview now, and I know I'm also a better cameraman."

Pauppa said he also learned how you ask questions to get an interview flowing can be just as important as what you ask.

He said being able to make a person feel comfortable talking to you will make for a better interview.

"I'm just a lot more confident now in the whole process.

"I'm looking forward to working on our next project and using what I've learned."

Okatsiak, 22, said he enjoys the whole media process, from shooting scenes to editing video.

He said he enjoyed learning everything about using a video rig to conduct a professional shoot.

"I was impressed by how much equipment they use at 4elements Productions and how advanced it all is," said Okatsiak.

"I got to use a professional video rig for the first time and it was awesome.

"The shoulder rig allows you to hold the camera steady for better shots, like a stabilizer.

"It's pretty exciting to be shooting video and asking questions at the same time."

Okatsiak said the people he learned from in Quebec were very, very helpful.

He said he also learned a lot of things he's looking forward to using back at the Arviat Film Society.

"I really like doing field work.

"I learned how to use two cameras properly when doing an interview, with one camera being set wide and the other set for a tight shot.

"I still have a lot to learn, but I really learned a lot working with everyone in Quebec."

Billard said he was given $1,000 toward the trip for his travelling south for professional development.

He said he picked up the tab for his hotel room, car rental and other travel incidentals.

"The whole point of this exercise is for Jamie and Sam to be able to come back to Arviat and be mentors and teachers to their peers and the members of the Arviat Film Society," said Billard.

"They learned about new gear, helping to use a teleprompter, setting-up backdrops, and setting-up three-point lighting for interviews for the first time.

"But they used their own equipment for most of the training, so, when they're back in Arviat, they're using the same gear they learned on.

"They also learned a lot from the people at 4elements about their own cameras, such as using their controls to adjust their apertures, exposure and things of that nature."