These are two sample episodes from a series I shot, directed, and co-produced for Ritchie Bros Auctioneers. I shot 10 episodes across 2 provinces with a Canon C100, 3 Canon SLR lenses, 1 Sennheiser MKH416 mic, and 1 Sennheiser EW100 wireless lavalier. I really pushed the one-man band production to its limits given the remote locations and limited resources. My only crew was Andrew who operated boom for interviews. Thankfully, the C100 had very good audio pre-amps so the audio from the footage files worked well. I was a light run-‘n-gun crew who also had to battle mud, freezing temps, and prairie winds. But that’s how it goes - me doing everything (shoot and post) made this entire series possible. How many industrial equipment companies can produce a show like this themselves? The series was well-suited to marketing the company’s auction services. It was essentially a reality/documentary series depicting how Ritchie Bros. puts on these events and how effective they are.

I wanted to bring out the emotional ups and downs that come with selling off a family’s life’s work in one day. The idea was to show that Ritchie Bros. empathizes with its customers in this monumental event. They’ll make it easy and successful. I’m still quite impressed that this multi-million dollar sale of hundreds of items happens so fast. The special Ritchie Bros. unit that travels the country doing this is just as down to earth as the farmers themselves. It’s a delicate time in their lives and people can be wary of corporate greed. The authenticity of Ritchie Bros. staff is the cornerstone of the company’s success in working-class industries.

There were many emotional moments. I kept my distance shooting candid scenes with a 200mm lens at a wide aperture. I followed the family hoping for as many teary-eyed hugs and reminiscences as I could capture. Not only does this make for sympathetic viewing, it also becomes a treasured souvenir for the customer. In post, the first act is underscored by a positive, upbeat set-up where the consignor tells his farm’s story. Then  we see the frenetic auction action get underway with quick-cut sequences that convey the bidding frenzy and price anxiety tormenting the consignor. By the time the last piece is sold, we’ve transitioned to somber music as family and friends say goodbye to an empty farm. The exhale of relief at the close turns upbeat again as the consignor looks forward to a retirement now punctuated with an eye-popping proceeds cheque. All in a day!