Former DVS student Yurun Wang involved in MS Bike Across Canada documentary Pedaling for Hope
Former DVS student Yurun Wang worked as the videographer and editor for a recent documentary which tells the story of Johnathan Allenger’s MS diagnosis and his impressive cross-country bicycle journey to raise funding and hope for the MS community.
Wang was recruited for the project when DVS professor Michael DeBraga sought to recruit a videographer to document the journey. Wang, who had some experience with commercial projects, applied for the position and was selected. May 7th, he and Allenger’s team left Vancouver for the cross-Canada journey.
Wang reports that, “In my previous internships I wrote video scripts or edited and produced videos using existing footage. This is the first time I would work on a documentary that required me to work independently, so I was excited and a little nervous.”
When asked about the challenges of making the documentary, Wang reported that the rigorous scheduling was a challenge. “During the trip, we needed to wake up at 6 or 7 a.m., and after a simple breakfast, we needed to hit the road.” The day was then rigorously scheduled: “After Jonathan's 100 to 200 kilometers of riding we would rest and sleep at the RV campsite, which was a daily routine that needed to be maintained for almost two months.”
He also faced a particular challenge around shooting in unruly weather conditions. “The second challenge was how to shoot in some bad weather conditions. Since my camera is not equipped with waterproof equipment, shooting in heavy rain and windy weather became difficult. I therefore used a small umbrella or clothes to cover my camera and shoot the footage”. This, in addition to some mechanical challenges made an already tremendously courageous trip even more difficult. But, as Wang tells us “luckily these problems were overcome in time and we arrived in St. John's on time. This journey for me was incredible and memorable.”
The result, a stunning hour and a half documentary (link below), details the challenges and joys of the trip, in addition to emphasizing the emotional impact that the project has had. Pedaling for Hope can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/876690985