Reel Eyes

higher ground: rafting the middle fork

Darren — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 07:27:06 +0000

A couple months back, after filming a promotional video for Higher Ground (a veteran rehabilitation program), I got a call from good ol Sean McEntee, Higher Ground’s Program Manager. ”Hey Darren,” he says, “we want you to film a five day rafting trip in the remote wilderness of Idaho… you want in?” Yes, yes I do. If this trip ended up being anything remotely close to my experience back in March I knew I was in for something special… and indeed I was. A couple jets, a 5 hour car ride, and a bush plane later, I found myself lodged somewhere within the Salmon River Mountains of Idaho. No cell service, no Internet… just the river and a clutch of great company. I couldn’t have picked a better group of people to share such an adventure with. Led by the Higher Ground staff and Mackay Wilderness river guides, six vets and their spouses structured the core of the group. Early on, I stopped responding to my real name as they quickly nicknamed me “Creeper” seeing as I was always spotted filming behind a bush or a tree. “Who’s that creep behind the bush?” Just me! Don’t worry bout it! It didn’t take long, however, for me to feel like more than just a creepy camera guy… they included me in all of their group discussions, camp fire talks, and every other activity. To me, that was the most satisfying part of the trip: getting to know these incredible people. Each had a unique story and I felt honored just to be with them. Mackay Wilderness River Tips made it easy for us to enjoy our time together and I can’t say enough about their professional service… talk about a plush camping experience. After rafting down the river all day, when we reached camp, our personal tents were already set up, food was being cooked, wood was being gathered, shower was ready, gear unloaded… they treated us right and a huge thanks goes out to those guys! Can’t go wrong with three gourmet meals everyday. Big thanks to everyone at Sun Valley Adaptive Sports (SVAS) for flying me out AGAIN to document their amazing program. A personal shout out to my good friend Haley Van Lieshout who works for SVAS and scored me this amazing vacation–er, job! Sean McEntee literally drove 830 miles around Idaho just to make sure I caught my flight back home. 830 miles! He could have driven from Sun Valley to Tijuana if he wanted! I would have. Bert, Kiersten, Laura, Jason, Gregg… you all rock. And of course, a HUGE thanks to our vets and their supporters! I can’t wait to share the video with all of you so stay tuned! Ta ta for now—

The Biggest Loser Wedding

Darren — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:02:45 +0000

This is one wedding I won’t forget. Stephanie Anderson and Sam Poueu of NBC’s, The Biggest Loser (season 9), tied the knot over the weekend (April 28th) and I was lucky enough to be the one behind the camera. I can’t thank them enough for allowing and trusting me to document their most treasured day. They are an awesome couple (understatement) and I wish them the best for years to come. Take a look at the articles below! The media does a better job than I at describing the wedding and their incredible story… they really do have an unbelievable story, most of which is not Biggest Loser related. Stay tuned for the highlight clip!

Take your pick! The media pretty much covered it.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20591310,00.html

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/the-biggest-losers-sam-poueu-stephanie-anderson-wed-2012274

http://www.eonline.com/news/biggest_loser_stars_sam_poueu_stephanie/312390

Higher Ground Experience

Darren — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:40:24 +0000

This past week was probably the most fun I’ve ever had filming a promotional video (the Houseboats.com shoot was pretty epic but that was a different kind of fun). The staff at Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, out of Sun Valley Idaho, were kind enough to fly me out there on short notice to film and document their Higher Ground camp which is a veteran rehabilitation program aimed at helping those who have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Check out their website to learn more, it’s well worth your time: http://www.hgvets.org/ I can’t say enough about the staff and how accommodating they were. They allowed me to work freely with minimal direction, and trusted that I would produce something that captured the essence of the camp. I can’t thank them enough for that! Skiing everyday, snowmobiling, and being well fed… it’s hard to call an experience like that a job. I made friends with every one of the vets and many I will stay in touch with. At first, I wondered what their reaction would be to some guy sticking a camera in their face while they tried to cope with their disabilities, but after hanging out with them on the first night I knew there’d be nothing to worry about. I couldn’t have asked for a cooler group of guys, each with their unique story. I’ve always respected our armed forces but this experience took that admiration to another level. Oh, and a shout out to my good friend Haley of Lieshout for referring me as a videographer… I obviously wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for you. Stay tuned for the promo video coming out soon!

Reel Eyes in the News

Darren — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:46:16 +0000

After winning Freebord.com’s Best Submitted Video competition of 2011, Reel Eyes has received some love from local newspapers. The Calaveras Enterprise of, you guessed it, Calaveras County, and the Union Democrat of Sonora both wrote terrific articles surrounding the story. Check it out here: Calaveras Enterprise & Union Democrat. Thanks to Kate Gonzales (Calaveras Enterprise) and Lacey Peterson (Union Democrat) for covering the story!

WE WON!

Darren — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:22:52 +0000

Freebord.com just announced the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for their annual Best Submitted Video competition. As one of only four US finalists, we won not only best overall video, but best film-making as well. Check it out here: http://www.freebord.com/bsv/ I don’t enter many video competitions for some reason (the only other one I entered was this same contest two years ago where we placed in the top 10) but this one feels good! I owe a lot of credit to my good friend Adam Stanton who fought through the sweat, blood, and occasional tears as he pushed his riding skills to the limit. Both Adam and I came up with the concept and filmed throughout the summer of 2011. Good times were had. Thank you Freebord, Adam, and all my classy friends who helped us with the project… you know who you are. In memory of Sam Trowbridge.

my first blog…

Darren — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:42:52 +0000

To be honest I’ve never been much of a blogger. Wasn’t sure what it was all about or why anyone needed it BUT with my new website and all I think it’s a great place to post what’s new with Reel Eyes, videos I find interesting or funny, or anything else that might intrigue you. Who knows, maybe I’ll throw in a few cooking or ping-pong tips if you’re lucky. For now, check out this very funny (yet accurate) video on why Uncle Charlie is NOT the way to go.