Day 0: A Prelude

I've attempted to write blogs before. But each one fails after a few post because I'm far to obscure with my subject matter and I make myself bored and confused just writing them. Not this time. Because this time I've got a clear goal, a designated schedule and an awesome subject for which to write about.

Tomorrow I leave for Nova Scotia. I'll be driving out with two friends as we attempt to make a documentary film about the Nova Scotian Lobster industry called Lobster Inc. (you can find a link to the trailer here). We'll be looking at how big fishing companies are responsible for placing a stranglehold on local fishermen and their families, by buying hundreds of individual fishing licences and then, in turn selling those off to the locals, taking a huge cut off the top. It's a complex issue, one that we'll be exploring deeply over the next 12 days as we go out to shoot, but the end result of it is hundreds of families being forced to leave the fishing industry because they just can't afford to stay. While we're out there we're going to talk to many fishermen and their families as well as industry professionals to find out what's really going on. We're also going to have the opportunity to stay with many of these people and really get to know their stories first hand, we're even going to get to take to the open seas to see what goes into catching lobster and bringing it to your table, which will be both awesome and probably induce seasickness for those of us less experienced with being at sea (read: all three of us).

So that's what this blog is. I'm going to take some pictures, and some video along the way, as well as writing lots of posts, but at least once a day they'll be something up here, so you can keep up to date with what's going on with us as we try to tell a story that no one else has before. We're going out there with limited funds, a small amount of equipment and a huge passion for an issue that effects hundreds of Canadians every year. It's not going to be easy, but nothing great ever is. From adversity comes art and I have no doubt that we're about to face some adversity as we embark on this journey, but hopefully that translates into something amazing.

But I don't know what's going to happen, I'm just along for the ride like the rest of you.

Buckle up.

-Matt.