Surviving isolation with dear old dad
Activity guide video created by actor-director Sanders and son an online hit
Going stir crazy yet? As easing of COVID-19 regulations is phased in, many are reacting to being able to dine on a restaurant patio again like it was the best thing that ever happened.
But for others, the realities of the pandemic are not near over yet as they must manage their lives in a much more cautious fashion.
James RH Sanders is the founding artistic director of Realwheels Theatre, whose award-winning work Skydive has toured across the country.
Seen in the key role of Mr. Sipple in the Apple TV+ series Home Before Dark, the Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program recipient has written for TV as well as theatre.
A part of the active Hollywood North community that has all but stopped working since mid-March, Sanders is also the father of an eight year-old named Max.
Unlike the majority of those in the industry, Sanders is also quadriplegic.
He has developed an inclusivity awareness program for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students with the Vancouver school board, and is the University of B.C. Wingspan artist-in-residence.
Most recently, the Christopher Reeve Award-winning artist directed and hosted The Power of Disability Concert, a cross-country live Zoom broadcast showcasing disabled artists.
During this event, Sanders and Max premièred a short film they had made. Titled A Father and Son’s Guide to Surviving Isolation, the under three minute video took off on social media.
Sanders describes the project as proof of what happens when an out-of-work actor home schools his eight-yearold son.
Postmedia News talked to Sanders about the project and other issues around handling isolation under COVID-19.
QA Father and Son’s Guide to Surviving Isolation is a hoot. How did it come about?
A
The novelty of extended spring break wore off pretty quickly, as did pyjama days in front of the TV, and we were — to coin a phrase — bored tired. So we sat down and made a list of everything that we thought we should do the next day to have a better and more creative mental health day, and a lot on that list made sense. My son had been watching Home Before Dark and really getting into it, reading the scripts and comparing what made it onscreen off the page, and he was getting really passionate about all the aspects of making films. So I thought, ‘Why don’t we make a film about what’s on our list?’
QThat’s a pretty awesome home-schooling assignment. What was the process?
A
We did a script and then set about doing test shots. Just the two of us coming up with ways to get the best image and mapping it out was a really great learning experience and made such a positive result. We were really happy with it.
QWere you using some pretty fancy equipment to film the video?
A
We used an iPhone 7, a plastic toy tripod Max got for his seventh birthday from a friend, and a really old version of iMovie. At the time we were doing this, I was thinking if the pandemic doesn’t get me, waiting for the slow rendering using this program will.
QDid you expect it to be a popular video online?
A
Not at all. It was originally for us, school and maybe friends and relatives. But then the Power of Disability Concert in celebration of Al Etmanski, a real advocate for Canadians with disabilities, came up. In programming and curating the show, I felt there was a place for the video. We also were asked to submit to the Isolation Short Film Festival in Toronto. After those two screenings, I put it up on my Facebook page and made it available. I went to bed, and the next day there were over 1,000 shares, and the same the following day.
QTalk about how to turn a pandemic into a productive learning experience. Do you have more projects planned?
A
I feel very fortunate to be able to have been able to do this with Max, but he’s also an eight year-old kid with other interests. Before this pandemic happened, I had a pitch in to CBC and the Canada Council for a podcast about artists with disabilities in different disciplines that could be put up on several platforms to make it universally accessible. I’m intrigued by this online world.