Trekkit’s Wonders of Iceland Series – Episode One

Trekkit Iceland

Click to Watch Now. In mid June 2014, four friends departed from Halifax airport to embark on an epic journey to Iceland to film the Wonders of Iceland series for Trekkit TV.

We used 9 cameras and captured 650 gigs of data while circling Iceland. It has been sitting on my hard drive patiently waiting to be transformed into a story of this marvelous adventure.
After many months of other projects, other videos that needed to be cut first, and code to be written, finally the first episode is ready. And we are excited!

It will be airing on Bell Aliant TV1 on Channel One on FibreOP TV on February 9, but because I got it done early and I wanted to show all of you sooner, Bell Aliant (thanks John and Csaba) got the episode out to the web ahead of time so my audience can view it early.

Click here to watch Episode One on Trekkit TV.

In this episode the team lands in Iceland, picks up the Land Rover we call Happy, then heads to see the Microsoft/Nokia folks in Iceland. Then we head off to a relaxing and goofy visit to the Blue Lagoon before we head off to the mid-Atlantic Rift and get a geology lesson from Dr. Dirt himself!

Nokia 1020
For those not familiar with our journey to Iceland take a look at our two trailers on YouTube.

 

 

Also a big thanks to all those that helped get us there. Check out our sponsors and supporters.

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Well off to finish up Episode 2 which is slated for broadcast in early March, maybe sooner.
Please send any feedback to us as we would love to hear from you.

Safe and happy Trekks,

RyanSig3

 

 

 

P.S. Sorry our Episode One does not have Jar Jar Binks. 😉

Adventure Filming in New Brunswick

During our first 2 seasons of Trekkit TV we filmed many great locations in New Brunswick, Canada.

Getting ready for our international version of the show, Trekkit Traveller, we headed out to get additional footage in our home province. We had added a new team member, a DJI Phantom quad-copter we call Vincent, to get aerial views of many of the places we were headed.

We began filming at Mount Carleton. We had previously filmed at Mount Carleton but with Vincent; we knew it was a must to travel to Mount Carleton to acquire aerial footage. We added this new footage to the refreshed version of Tale of Two Mountains, which chronicles our hike up Mount Katahdin in Maine and Mount Carleton.

Hopewell Rocks
Our second adventure was to Hopewell Rocks, it was a first for some of the Trekkit adventurers. We arrived bright and early to film at low tide and to capture video before the tourists arrived. We were greeted by Kevin Snair and he gave us great tips where and what to film. The depth of knowledge of all the park staff has made a very interesting show, airing this spring.

Sugarloaf Mountain Biking

We were then off to do mountain biking at Sugarloaf Mountain. What an adventure! Some of us had never been to a mountain biking trail before; so we were excited. Sugarloaf set us up with an amazing guide and fitted us with the proper gear. There are trails for the new adventurers and seasoned adventurers. This is a must do adventure and a great way to spend the day with a group of people or on your own. It is a great way for older kids to get out of their comfort zone and try something new. You won’t be disappointed.

Next up, Grand Manan Island! We had travelled there before but this time we were greeted by geologist Greg McHone, originally from Connecticut.

We had no idea the depth of geology on this Island. Geologists come from all over the world as Grand Manan is like no other place in the world. We were able to capture some great videos with Vincent which shows the magnitude of the cliffs and beautiful landscape of this Island in the Bay of Fundy.
We also headed out to film aerial views of the waterfalls and other scenery in New Brunswick.

Thank you to the Province of New Brunswick for helping organize our film tour and the staff at each location was helpful and knowledgeable and enhanced the whole experience.

If you haven’t been to any of these places, it’s a must see. New Brunswick is filled with amazing scenery and it is just waiting for you to explore and create an adventure of your own.

Safe and Happy Trekks!

To see full episodes of Trekkit TV check out the Trekkit TV website.

Newfoundland Series on Trekkit TV

iceberg (1 of 1)Season 3 of Trekkit TV kicks off with our three part series filmed in Newfoundland and started airing on Bell Aliant TV1 this fall season (2014).

In Newfoundland Part I – Hiking, Eating and Icebergs, our first destination was Twillingate to see a real Iceberg. This was a life long dream of the crew. Skipper Jim took us out on his boat to see the Iceberg and we were able to capture some amazing footage. What a difference seeing it live! We then explored the East Coast Trail on a foggy day and visited a community that was abandoned in 1966. We taste some local Newfoundland cuisine and then off to George Street to get screeched in!

Click here to watch the full episode – Newfoundland Part I – Hiking, Eating and Icebergs

In the second episode Newfoundland Part II – Hops and History, we visit Quidi Vidi and The Quidi Vidi Brewing Company where we sample local brew, including beer made from melted Icebergs (its the best!). Not only do we taste the local brew but learn about the history of Newfoundland. We complete the day with a visit to Cape Spear and Signal Hill. There is even a Titanic twist in the full episode.

Click here to watch the full episode – Newfoundland Part II – Hops and History

In the third and final episode, Newfoundland Part III – East Coast Trail, join Newfoundland’s own, Rodney McAffee, as he films and edits his first video — the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland. He hikes the East Coast Trail and shows you some spectacular geological wonders like sea stacks and The Spout. From the high cliffs on the trail, Rodney gets a great view of whales and Icebergs.

Click here to watch the full episode – Newfoundland Part III – East Coast Trail

Join us in this three part series as we explore this wonderful island.

To see full episodes download the follow the links to Trekkit TV below:

Newfoundland Part I – Hiking, Eating and Icebergs
Newfoundland Part II – Hops and History
Newfoundland Part III – East Coast Trail

Trekkit on Windows Devices Blog

Ryan Groom

We tweeted out a few pictures from the Iceland trip to Nokia and they liked them so much Windows Devices Blog did an article on Trekkit’s adventure to Iceland.

This was super exciting and was a great way to get the word out about the project.

If you get a sec take a look at the Trekkit Article on Windows Devices Blog.

Safe and Happy Trekks,

Ryan Groom

Return to Katahdin

We head back to Mount Katahdin located at Baxter State Park, Maine in the latest Trekkit TV episode. Last season the whole video crew did not make the Trekk across the Knife Edge so check this season’s successful crossing.

gang flyer S1Kat Climb-5

We filmed this last Aug 2013 and this August 5th we are heading back to enjoy the vista and challenge once again. You can view the episode on Bell Aliant Community One by clicking here.

Also here is map and images from the climb. The images are from 2012 and 2013.

Hopefully cya on the edge!

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Safe and Happy Trekks,

Ryan, Paul, Peter, Rodney, Ian and Yan

Iceland and Nokia Lumia 1020

Iceland

Off to Iceland we went with a bunch of camera gear and an idea to film a few episodes for Trekkit TV. The footage for the show was mainly filmed using a Canon 5D Mark III, but we wanted to also demonstrate what could be done with a smartphone. So the team’s choice of phone was the Nokia 1020 (three out of four of us have one as a daily phone) so much of the behind the scenes footage and photos were taken with the 1020.

One of the Iceland episodes that will be airing this fall, all 29 minutes will be done with photos and videos taken with the 1020.

The map below is the Trekk we built using pictures just from the 1020.

To see all the photos click here.
Click here for the full screen of the map.

Safe and Happy Trekks,

Ryan

Special Thanks

First I would like to thank my fellow adventures and travel companions; Paul, Peter, and Rodney for taking the time from their daily lives and accompanying me on this “most excellent” adventure. Your presence and assistance was truly an enchantment to the experience. I cannot wait to show the world what we captured!

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To all my Facebook and Twitter friends, thanks for sharing our experiences and stories with your friends, it is much appreciated. Stories without an audience are just whispers, thanks for helping to build the whisper into a roar.

Thanks to OrangeSprocket (Bill and Jeff) and shout out to Kirk and his talents to take my vision of the expedition badge and to make it a reality. You guys rock!

Thanks to Ganong Bros for the Chicken Bones which we gave to many locals and international travelers. The name “Chicken Bones” was a great conversation starter and it was awesome to give away something from home.

Badge          Chicken Bones

Thanks to Sterling at Massive Graphics for helping make “Happy” our Land Rover look the part. It was a sweet ride and the visuals opened up many conversations everywhere we went.

Ryan Groom and Paul Archer

Thanks to Microsoft BizSpark and their introduction to Microsoft Iceland (Microsoft Íslandi). MS Iceland connected us with Nokia Iceland and Opin Kerfi which they all gave us a warm welcome when we got to Iceland. They broadcasted our adventure on their social media, plus arranged interviews with local media. We even had invite from the Canadian Ambassador to Iceland because he heard about the trip.

Nokia 1020
Thanks to the Microsoft Azure Go-To-Market team and the MS Partner twitter handle for tweeting the adventure to over 350,000 followers!

Thanks to Cooke Aquaculture for their gracious financial sponsorship of the trip and the great swag to keep us warm in the chilly Icelandic climate. Without your support we would have been down an important team member. Also, thanks to a Cooke Aquaculture associate Kjartan Ólafsson (KO for short) for dinner and adding great local guidance and knowledge to the trip.

ko
To the Bell Aliant Community One family, especially Csaba and Brad for your support of Trekkit TV. Your support is the major reason the “Wonders of Iceland” will see the screen. Hats off to you.

Finally, special thanks to my family for the many hours I robbed from family life to plan and head out to bring everyone this adventure. Kristy deserves another medal and the children are troopers.

What’s next?
The next few months of massive editing then planning for the next adventure will start. Where off to next … not sure yet but the next destination has to be epic to top the Iceland adventure.

 

Safe and Happy Trekks,

Ryan Groom

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Icelandic Twitter Folks to Follow

iceland road

As we adventure and film in Iceland this June, we have reached out to a few of the leading Icelandic Twitter folks. The response has been very friendly and we can’t wait to start showing our audience and the world the ‘Secrets of Iceland’.

Check out these folks:

Inspired by Iceland
Inspired by Iceland – @icelandinspired
Come and be Inspired by Iceland
 
Iceland Naturally
Iceland Naturally – @IcelandNatural
The best photos, news and culture from Iceland
 
Visit Reykjavik
Visit Reykjavik – @visitreykjavik
Home to an impressive collection of interesting attractions and places of historic significance!
 
Guide to Iceland
Guide to Iceland – @guidetoiceland
Talk to locals, learn about Iceland, see videos, documentaries and listen to music.

Iceland Bound

Trekkit is kicking off Season 3 of Trekkit TV by filming in Iceland.

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As we film, we will be very active on our Iceland Expedition Page and be bring you behind the scenes photos, videos, bloopers and stories as Rodney, Peter, Paul and I bomb around in a Land Rover to bring you the sights and sounds of Iceland’s unique country side.

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I hope you follow us along with us on this journey. Does not start until June 13th, but lots to plan between now and then.

Safe and Happy Trekks,

Ryan

Photography by David MacVicar

Filming Katahdin: The Challenge

Trekkit TV ventured to Mount Katahdin, Maine for our second annual climb. This year one of the challenges was to film the climb without bringing professional grade video cameras or a video equipped DSLR, I found climbing with so much gear just too heavy.

Last year I lugged a Canon 60D and filmed the first part of Tale of Two Mountains on Katahdin. Bringing the camera, microphones, various lens, and tripod was too much to carry for this “out of shape” computer programmer.

So this year I decided to make the trek lighter by using a hand held camcorder, Go Pro Hero 3, and my Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone.

To add to the challenge, I had an extra Nokia Lumia 800 and a couple of 800s on loan from the Fredericton Developer User Group, which they got from our local Nokia Ambassador. I gave these phones to our team and ran a little contest to see who could get the best video clip from the hike with their phone. The prize was a $100 gift certificate to their partner’s favorite restaurant. Those video clips and the winner will be subject in another blog.

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The video from all the various cameras will be part of the Trekkit TV Katahdin episode airing on Bell Aliant Community One this fall. The episode will also be available on the Internet on Trekkit TV soon after its airing.

Below are three teasers videos:

Teaser One: Hike summary using the Nokia Lumia 920

Teaser Two: Hike using the camcorder

Teaser Three: Mount Katahdin Knife’s Edge using the Go Pro Hero 3

Please note: These videos have not been color corrected or sound adjusted, just clipped raw footage for now. I cannot wait to make the full 29 minute episode with soundtrack, narration and lots of tweaks.

I am excited about going on more strenuous hikes and taking lighter video equipment.

Do not get me wrong, a video capable DSLR shoots awesome video which you can’t get on any smartphone but many times you just cannot carry one with you.  Now that I have seen videos produced on my small camera trio, it will be easier to explore new places and travel light.

Going to be interesting when I get a hold of a Nokia Lumia 1020 and use the newer camera/video software.

It is not always about the technical quality of the video, but the content and the story it tells. Grab a camera, go an adventure and tell us about it.

 

Safe and happy treks,

 

Ryan