Producer Rant #1
A lot of things go into the decision to produce a show. Most projects seem to start with a flash in the eye. If you turn and look a second time, and if it holds your interest, you begin to ask questions…to go a bit deeper.
In the beginning there was no “transition garden”. There was, however Transition Town, a movement based in the UK and there was Bob Cervelli connecting to it here in Nova Scotia. That was the flash in the eye. Obviously we looked a second time and one thing led to another. Before long, we had committed to filming a “year in the life of a community garden” and we began calling the garden Transition Garden.
It was always about more than the garden. It was about community empowerment. It was about food security. And mostly it was about transitioning from one way of being to another, moving from consumerism to self reliance, moving from “can’t do that” to a “can do” philosophy.
Now we have twelve, half hour episodes, that follow a year in the life of a garden. The shows typically have three parts; “In the garden”, “Connections”, and “How to do Something”. They are informative, useful and fun.
In the Garden gets down to the basics: it is about growing things.
Connections links the garden to the community, to neighbours, and to other gardens.
How to do Something is a surprise. Maybe a recipe for something that has just come out of the garden. Maybe how to use a new tool. Maybe how to get rid of hoofed rodents.
Going forward, we want to expand on the ideas that the garden represents. Bob will be the main voice going forward – your guide into a world with visits to the likes of Thoreau, Scott Nearing, and others who challenge the way we think.
If we can get enough subscribers, we will keep on going, pretty well with the same format, adding gardening tips, building a community at the same time.
All the while, I will be ranting about our process, trying to film things that matter.