Visions Shared
By Uncage the Soul in News
Happy almost-New Year!
The new year always seems to arrive to us at Uncage the Soul about 25% planned, the rest an unexpected adventure. Sure it’s a tad uncomfortable, not knowing how the months ahead will shake out (or how the bills will be paid …), but the truth is we love the exhilaration of not knowing exactly what’s ahead on the trail, or better still, what discoveries await when there is no trail at all!
We went in to 2018 knowing a few things. We knew we would film a group of multiple myeloma patients trekking to Everest Base Camp. But we couldn’t have predicted the thrill of a helicopter flight through the Himalayas. We couldn’t have anticipated such intimate and raw moments as a patient crying into his doctor’s arms at 17,000′. We knew we would release a documentary about Tim Leatherman. But we were surprised at how captivated we were by the real-life, human stories that centered around Tim’s innovation. We knew we would produce a regional tourism campaign for Travel Oregon. But we had no idea how delighted (and inspired!) we would be getting to “meet the neighbors” in the quaint and welcoming small towns around Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge.
We droned in Iceland, we reconsidered wildfire in Oregon, we struggled with how to organize, archive, and securely back-up our 100s of terabytes at Uncage the Soul World Headquarters. We built and strengthened relationships in the film industry and with friends whom we love because of their vision, talent, and ambition. We cared more about the quality of our message and purpose, and cared less about quantity and feeding the content machine.
So here we are at the end of the 2018 trail, with switchbacks and elevation gains and bushwhacking behind us. Looking forward at 2019 is like inspecting a map: navigating the year before us is easier with the tools of experience, community, and confidence. But there’s so much the map can’t yet tell us, and that’s what we’re looking forward to the most! Thank you for following along and being a part of the Uncage the Soul journey. Please reach out and let us know if there’s a story of yours we can help you share in 2019.
Here are some of our favorite photo moments from 2018, as well as videos from projects completed this past season.
Happy Holidays!
John Waller
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Video Projects
As our good friend Jenn Byrne so aptly said, “The Pendleton Round-Up is so much more than a rodeo. It’s a festival, family reunion, and gathering of folks from many walks of life. I’m proud to be a small part of the annual event with such a deep and rich history of tradition.”
And we are honored to be a part of a remarkable team in gettin’ er done, including the quick-edit-slingin’ team, Happy Pixel, who shares space with us here at Uncage the Soul World Headquarters. This year’s commercial is simply stunning. We hope you love it, too, and that we’ll see you next year in Pendleton. Let ‘er buck!
Congratulations to our friend Paul Kuthe of Tributary Coaching LLC on the rollout of a new website and the launch of a book to which he’s contributed called “Activate Your Life”! We were so honored to produce this video for Paul, and we can say with full confidence that there’s no rapid (literal or figurative) that this remarkable human can’t handle with clarity and finesse. Paddles in and moving forward!
Maybe we got lucky. The low angle of the sun on a bright and crisp autumn morning, glinting across an orchard of cider apple trees, the “fog log” still hovering over the Columbia River just on the horizon. The warm welcome from Kelly and Rob of Runcible Cider, a tour of their cidery served with a side of smiles, stories of friendship, and a pure passion for handcrafted cider. The spirit-filled, local vibes of Mosier’s community living room, Mosier Company, in good company with owners Nate, Jordan, Isaac, Tiffany, and their friends, family, Mayor Arlene, and Goose, the happiest doggo this side of the Cascades. Maybe we got lucky. Or maybe, that’s just what happens when you #meettheneighbors in Mosier, OR!
Watch, share, and go say hello to our new friends in Mosier!
The Ford Family Foundation is close to our heart. In fact, John Waller received a Ford Family Foundation scholarship decades ago when he graduated high school in Glide, OR! We were honored to produce a short film about their current scholarship program, and were delighted to meet current and former scholarship recipients, thriving and engaging community members and future leaders. We encourage all Oregon and Northern California high school students to apply for this incredible scholarship opportunity!
The Ford Family Foundation is close to our heart. In fact, John Waller received a Ford Family Foundation scholarship decades ago when he graduated high school in Glide, OR! We were honored to produce a short film about their current scholarship program, and were delighted to meet current and former scholarship recipients, thriving and engaging community members and future leaders. We encourage all Oregon and Northern California high school students to apply for this incredible scholarship opportunity!