In the Community

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:

Media Production Continues

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

Recent Trip to Disneyland with Newport Marching Band

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 .

Another Superb Dramatic Performance

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.

A little bit of Inspiration

At a recent marching band competition as a chaperone for my son’s high school band of 230 musicians, I caught this little bit of video that touched and moved many of us that experienced it.  I call it Small Wonder.

SEQ small wonder_1Mb

►

It’s not every day you run into such dedication in such a young soul.

Newport High School Drama “Little Shop of Horrors”

Newport High School Drama performed “Little Shop of Horrors’ for the Spring Musical May 28 and 29 2010.  The Performance was doublecast with the principal 4 characters performed by different actors in separate performances.  The rest of the cast remained the same.

Little Shop of Horrors Double Cast Newport HS May 28, 29 2010

►

This 15 minute segment includes cast members from both performances including the principal characters.  It is a short compilation that switches back and forth between the May 28 7pm performance and the May 29 7pm performances. 

There is so much talent and sophisitication in the characters and music and set design and costumes.  It is really a treat to watch.  I am happy to have been able to preserve this performance for all of the hard work that went into the final production.

New Week at Camp Casey

My teenage son was finally able to be a counselor at Camp Casey this year and I was able to attend as a volunteer and create an updated 2010 video compilation.

Camp is a meaningful experience for all who attend, whether as a volunteer or a camper.  And it is run to be entirely free to campers.  Watching my son have so much fun with the campers and work himself to sheer exhaustion with the other counselors, brought back moments for me as an 18 year old in the same setting and charmed experience.  Post a comment if you would like to know more about how to get involved.

An Inspirational Experience

This clip explains itself.  There is a special place in the Pacific Northwest run by and for special people each summer that creates a magical experience for all who attend.  It’s called Camp Casey.

SEQ Suddenly Able

►

That’s just a little bit of inspiration for the day. If you are interested in knowing more.  Let me know.

Recent Travels

My recent travels in Ireland with my 14 and 16 year old sons provided us all with inspiration and a quality to want to know and appreciate more about how other people in our world live each day.  It is a beautiful country.  It has had a long and tumultuous at times history.  Our trip to New Grange and Knowth gave us appreciation for this history and where we’ve all come from.  The guide was so impressive to say that the early inhabitants at Knowth dated back over 5000 years and practiced farming.

I loved his story that so many of our own cultures have lived and thrived with farming and so their history is our history and to move forward successfully we should know more about where we have come from. 

That speaks volumes to me and I plan to work with some of the video from this trip to compile a synopsis of family and friends and places in Ireland that provide a glimpse of my grandmother’s life there.  This will be useful for many in my family as a visualization of where they have come from and opportunity for where they can go.

Emperor’s New Clothes, Elementary Style

Just finishing providing Puesta del Sol Elementary with DVD’s for their production of Emperor’s New Clothes.  What great energy and enthuisasm they  showed on stage.  I put a highlight segment together and here it is:

EmpTest480wide

►

There are so many activities at the end of the school year.  I am glad I am able to help capture some of these fun moments for parents and kids to relive through the years.  My kids went to Puesta del Sol and were in drama productions there too. I am glad to be able to have them to see again through the years.  Speaking of those, I may edit some highlights and post those too.  It might be fun for the teenagers now that were 4th and 5th graders then.