A couple of weeks ago I got a message on Instagram from Different Media, interested in shooting a van tour video with me. I’m always up for showing off my setup, so I said yes, while simultaneously researching them because I hadn’t heard of them before. They’re a legitimate YouTube channel with over 146,000 subscribers. Two days ago, I got another message from Christian, one of their videographers, saying that he’d be passing through the following day and asking if I’d be available to shoot the video. I said yes.
It’s been almost a year since shooting the video for Vancity Vanlife’s Van Life Tours channel, and a lot has changed, so it’s worth having an updated video out there on the internet — especially for an audience that large. Here’s that video, in case you missed it.
I got my work done in the morning, then did a mad dash cleanup of my van and trailer. I’ve been settled in Quartzsite for two months, and although drives into town force me to clean up from time to time, I’ve definitely settled in a bit and haven’t dealt with some of my mess and clutter until now. But I did, and around 4:30 Christian arrived. We didn’t have much time to shoot before the sun went down just after 5:00, but that gave us that sweet “golden hour” lighting, which should look great.
Christian seemed pleasantly surprised at how well I took to being in front of a camera. He set me up with his wireless microphone, and I had no trouble following his instructions to get the shots he needed. We started with a quick tour of the van, trailer, and bike. Then we sat down and he asked me a series of prepared questions — how I got into this life, how I make a living on the road, what my most difficult challenge has been, etc. Then I stood back and let Christian shoot a bunch of B-roll. His girlfriend told me she’s currently in school for journalism, so we talked shop a bit, and I was able to give her a few pointers for breaking into the industry once she finishes school. The sun set behind the mountains exactly when Christian finished shooting. It was a mad dash, but we got it done!
We’re not sure when the video will get edited or posted to YouTube, but he said he’d let me know. Naturally, I’ll share it here with you when it goes live.
Smokey Da Van 