This is how I planned and visualized I Drank The Water At Johnston Canyon.
I began by browsing through my library of banked footage. Most of the footage is a random assortment of adventures and activities from the past year. A lot of it isn’t substantial enough to tell a proper story.
For instance, I shot many things over the weekend with my sister and brother-in-law visiting, but not enough to tell the story of the entire weekend. I was left to craft a story of this hike because it’s all I shot from start to finish.
Even then, there are many more shots I wish I had. But it was a good exercise to work within the constraints of the raw materials. I had to be creative in making the story fit with the visuals. Adjusting both the story and the shots to keep things moving along. It wasn’t perfect but it’s done.
The next time I’m capturing a casual hike, I’ll be better because I made this video.
Act 1 is setting up the angle, introducing the conflict, and beginning the hike.
[sip water] This is a story about drinking the water at Johnston Canyon.
[B-roll - map, photos, hiking shots]
Johnston Canyon is a popular tourist destination in Banff National Park. It’s a family-friendly hike that carves through limestone bedrock overhanging lush forests and waterfalls below. It attracts thousands of visitors through all 12 months of the year.
[B-roll - smoky sun fade. freeze frames or slow shots w/ labels.]
I visited this wonder of nature on a smoky afternoon in August 2021 with my girlfriend Sarah, my brother-in-law James, and my very-pregnant sister Lana.
We arrived around 4pm and somehow found a spot in the main parking lot. We joined the crowd and started walking.
Act 2 is hiking, crowds, Lana needing rest, and reaching the waterfall.
[transition montage]
The hike started casually with a smooth, wide trail. We took our time and enjoyed the views. When we got to the catwalks, things got a bit more chaotic. The path was narrow and had a constant stream of people going both ways. There weren’t many places to stop and rest.
We made it back onto the path and found a place for Lana to sit down with a view of the lower falls. I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it to the top, but to her credit, she kept going.
After a few more stairs, we made it to the top, to the summit of the Upper Falls!
Act 3 is filling the water bottle, hiking back down, and wrapping the story with the smoky sun shot.
I followed James down to the water where he began filling his water bottle. He took a sip and offered me the bottle. I hesitated. I almost declined. I didn’t want to risk some mysterious sickness. But James was confident it would be fine.
So … I drank the water. And I’m glad I did. It tasted like rocks but it made the moment a memorable one.
Before I sipped the mountain water, I was focused on what I decided were negative things, like the smoky sky and all the people.
As we made our way down the trail, I wasn’t worried about the crowds. I wasn’t worried if it would be too much for Lana. I was just happy to be outside, enjoying the sites and sounds of nature.
[hike montage]
We made our way back to the parking lot, snapped a photo of the smoky sun, and went on our way.
The journey is the destination. Drink the water.
[Fade out - end buttons - bloopers]
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