Starting production 

This June 1-7th, Beyond the Salish Sea begins principal photography. 

That may sound like a straightforward production update, but for me it marks something much bigger. We are starting production. Up until now, I’ve really been finding my footing. Researching. Listening. Shaping the story. Figuring out what this film wants to be and what it needs from me.

Like a lot of documentaries, this project began with conviction before it had a full structure. I knew the subject mattered. I knew the stakes were real. But knowing something matters and being fully equipped to bring it to life are two different things. 

Now, with funding in place, the project is shifting gears. 

We are moving into a new phase. The machinery of production is starting to turn. The crew is coming on. Schedules are being built. Plans are becoming real days on the calendar.

That change is both exciting and sobering, because once principal photography begins, the film stops being mostly an idea in development and becomes a living production that demands focus, stamina, flexibility, and trust. 

This is a good thing. 

There is a special energy that comes when a film begins to gather people around it. Documentary filmmaking can be scrappy by nature, and I’ve spent plenty of time in that world over the years. You do what you can with what you have. You wear multiple hats. You chase a vision because you believe in it.

And that spirit is still very much part of this project. But now we have the benefit of real momentum behind us, and that allows us to approach the work with greater clarity and support. 

We’re no longer inching forward. We’re moving. 

It doesn’t mean everything is suddenly easy. It means the commitment is real. It means we have enough behind us to go do the work properly. It means I can begin bringing on crew and collaborators to help capture this story with the care and depth it deserves.

This matters to me because this is not a film I want to rush through or treat casually. The themes are too important, the place is too significant, and the larger questions at the heart of the story deserve more than a half-measure. 

The Salish Sea is not just a backdrop. It is the heart of the film. So as we head into production, I’m thinking not only about logistics and gear and crew days, but about tone, point of view, and responsibility. How do we tell this story in a way that is cinematic, honest, and emotionally resonant?

How do we honor the place while also confronting what threatens it? How do we create something that is not just informative, but moving? 

Those are the questions I’ll be carrying into June. 

Additionally, this stage feels like a threshold. For months, I’ve been laying the groundwork. Now we begin building in earnest. That’s energizing. It’s also clarifying. Once the cameras roll, the film starts revealing itself in a new way. You can plan all you want, but reality begins to push back, and that’s often where the best documentary moments live. 

So yes, principal photography starts in June. And yes, we are full steam ahead. 

I’m grateful to be at this point. Grateful for the support that got us here. Grateful to have a crew coming together. Grateful to finally be stepping into the phase where the film can begin to breathe on its own. 

Now it’s time to go make it.