Welcome to Pine Point
Encyclopedia
Welcome to Pine Point is a 2011 interactive web documentary
by Michael Simons and Paul Shoebridge, collectively known as The Goggles, formerly creative directors of Adbusters
magazine. The website explores the memories of residents from the former mining community of Pine Point, Northwest Territories
, as well as how we remember the past. The project was produced in Vancouver
by the National Film Board of Canada
.
s when they happened upon a website called Pine Point Revisited, created by ex-Pine Point resident Richard Cloutier. Cloutier, who had been known as something of a bully in the community when younger, had since developed multiple sclerosis
and was dedicating himself to keeping the memory of the now-vanished community alive.
Simons had a personal connection with Pine Point, having visited it at the age of nine to attend an ice hockey
tournament. They met with Cloutier who put them in contact with other former residents, known as "Pine Pointers." Welcome to Pine Point was their first interactive media project.
Welcome to Pine Point was produced by Rob McLaughlin, Adam Neilson and the NFB's head of English-language digital content and strategy, Loc Dao.
wrote and performed the soundtrack
for Welcome to Pine Point. The collaboration came about when band member Jace Lasek
was approached by Simons, a high school friend. The soundtrack includes their reworking of the Trooper
single, "We're Here For a Good Time (Not a Long Time)." On September 20, the group will release their score for Welcome to Pine Point as a twelve-inch EP entitled You Lived in the City.
or Yellowknife. In May 2011, the web documentary won two Webby Awards, for Documentary: Individual Episode in the Online Film & Video category and Netart in the Websites category. As of June 2011, Welcome to Pine Point has been viewed over 150,000 times.
)
Web documentary
A web documentary, interactive documentary or multimedia documentary is a documentary production that differs from the more traditional forms—video, audio, photographic—by applying a full complement of multimedia tools...
by Michael Simons and Paul Shoebridge, collectively known as The Goggles, formerly creative directors of Adbusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
magazine. The website explores the memories of residents from the former mining community of Pine Point, Northwest Territories
Pine Point, Northwest Territories
Pine Point was the townsite built at the Pine Point Mine in the Northwest Territories, Canada, which was an open-pit lead and zinc mine.The first buildings were erected in 1952 during the original exploration and development campaign, and even before that a number of log cabins had been built in...
, as well as how we remember the past. The project was produced in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
.
Production history
Simons and Shoebridge had planned to do a book about the decline of photo albumPhoto album
A photographic album, or photo album, is a collection of photographs, generally in a book. Some albums have compartments which the photos may be slipped into; other albums have heavy paper with an abrasive surface covered with clear plastic sheets, in which photos can be put...
s when they happened upon a website called Pine Point Revisited, created by ex-Pine Point resident Richard Cloutier. Cloutier, who had been known as something of a bully in the community when younger, had since developed multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
and was dedicating himself to keeping the memory of the now-vanished community alive.
Simons had a personal connection with Pine Point, having visited it at the age of nine to attend an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
tournament. They met with Cloutier who put them in contact with other former residents, known as "Pine Pointers." Welcome to Pine Point was their first interactive media project.
Welcome to Pine Point was produced by Rob McLaughlin, Adam Neilson and the NFB's head of English-language digital content and strategy, Loc Dao.
Multimedia
Welcome to Pine Point combines photographs, sound and video clips, interviews, music, and narration by Simons.Soundtrack
The Besnard LakesThe Besnard Lakes
The Besnard Lakes are a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Formed in 2003 by the husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas, two of their three albums have been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize.-History:...
wrote and performed the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for Welcome to Pine Point. The collaboration came about when band member Jace Lasek
Jace Lasek
Jace Lasek is a Canadian musician and producer living in Montreal. He and his wife Olga Goreas are the principal songwriters for the Montreal-based indie rock band The Besnard Lakes. Lasek plays guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. He is also the band's lead vocalist.Furthermore, Lasek runs...
was approached by Simons, a high school friend. The soundtrack includes their reworking of the Trooper
Trooper (band)
Trooper is a Juno Award winning Canadian rock band that developed from a group formed by vocalist Ramon McGuire and guitarist Brian Smith in 1975...
single, "We're Here For a Good Time (Not a Long Time)." On September 20, the group will release their score for Welcome to Pine Point as a twelve-inch EP entitled You Lived in the City.
Release
The creators presented the web documentary, using pre-recorded sound for the narration, at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. As of February 2011, there were plans to present the site in Hay RiverHay River, Northwest Territories
Hay River , known as "the Hub of the North," is a town in the Northwest Territories, Canada, located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, at the mouth of the Hay River. The town is separated into two sections, a new town and an old town with the Hay River Airport between them...
or Yellowknife. In May 2011, the web documentary won two Webby Awards, for Documentary: Individual Episode in the Online Film & Video category and Netart in the Websites category. As of June 2011, Welcome to Pine Point has been viewed over 150,000 times.
External links
(Requires Adobe FlashAdobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
)
- Welcome to Pine Point: An interview with The Goggles, National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of CanadaThe National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
blog - Pine Point Revisited