The bus from Vancouver to Victoria BC (Part 1)

I took the BC Ferries Connector Bus from Vancouver to Victoria BC. I went out to the Island to see my Aunt for a couple days and I don’t own a car, so the bus was the logical alternative. Especially for a minimalist. You can rent a car but I didn’t need to haul a lot of stuff, so that allows me to travel light. Even my camera were just a cell phone. Minimalism makes traveling less stressful.
I found out about this bus from my friend Paul who said that it’s easier to take the BC Connector because they handle everything, like the Ferry ride to the island. So you buy one ticket and it’s good for the bus and the Ferry. Plus it’s a really nice bus. And he was right. It was simple and easy and way better than driving myself or taking several separate buses to get to Victoria and back.
For a photographer/videographer the bus is a dream because you can actually relax and focus on taking pictures and telling a story.
I got on the bus at Pacific Central Station, which is right beside the Skytrain for easy access. The Station is amazing itself but I didn’t get much coverage of it because I was running late.
The weather was cold because it was one of the worst Februaries on the West Coast, but the sun was out and Vancouver is undeniably beautiful, regardless of the weather. Another reason why the weather wasn’t a problem…was the people. Everyone was kind, courteous, and helpful.
Russ the bus driver was super amazing and added tons of value to the trip with his excellent sense of humour, storytelling skill, and knowledge about the trip. I would love all bus drivers to have people skills like Russ, but I realize it’s very hard to do. It’s an area where I need a lot of improvement so Russ was an inspiration.
Good people are essential to a good trip. Traveling is not about the place, it’s about the experience, and that means everything is dependant on people. People add the most value to any experience because we are extremely social creatures. Even though many of us claim otherwise. You need people to “present” a place or an experience. If the people suck, the experience will suck. Whether it’s the people you travel with, or meet along the way, they have the power to make or break the trip.
I’m dividing the trip into two videos because I’m still not sure if people like watching long form content (from me). Basically I’m not Shane Dawson. His content is very good and his audience is dedicated. I just have a cell phone and I like to shoot.
-Gear: iPhone XS. 4Kp30 HEVC. Finished on 1080p30. Audio via built-in mics. All handheld. Corrected White Balance in post and tried to lower the exposure on a few clips. The XS always makes things to warm and too bright. But it’s hard to correct either in post. Especially exposure. You have to try and bake everything in-camera and then post is a breeze. I also raised audio levels on some clips as well, though the mics on the XS are very good.
-Location: Vancouver BC. FE-25-2019. Started at Pacific Central Station, then travelled south on highways 99 and 17 through Delta and Richmond to the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal.
#mobilephonefilmmaking