Hi Andre, Happy 150th to you and your fellow Canadians. What are some under the radar destinations people should explore in Canada?

What are you favorite drinking customs you've found around the world that don't involve being stuck between a bed and a wall?

Under the water in beautiful British Columbia!! Port Hardy, Vancouver Island. One of the most incredible places I've every been is diving on Browning Wall.

Drinking customs? When shooting Over the Horizon drinking Kava with the entire community of Muanaicake on the island of Fulaga. Its a communal bowl and you drink out of a communal coconut shell. There is an order of who drinks first, and who drinks last.

That is hands down my favorite Andre moment.

WHITEHORSEEEEEEE

My finest moment on television.

Do you still have contact with Justin? You know there will be questions about what happens next with Departures in this AMA! So...?

Had beers with Scott and Justin a few months ago. We are actively looking for another season of Departures. Looking for the right Network to pick it up. It all depends on if a Network sees value in it. As far as the three of us are concerned we are good to go if we get a green-light!

Are there specific networks we can contact or should this be a focused crowd effort when the time is right?

Netflix. We want to be on Netflix :)

Hi Andre! My husband and I are huge fans of Departures. The show is really special to us. We are always commenting on how incredible the footage you shoot is, as well as the editing. It is breathtaking and you should be really proud of your work.

I have a few questions (and am such a big fan that I am kind of freaking out at the thought that it will really be you answering!!)

1. Do you tend to stay silent while filming? It seems like we barely hear you talk...but I imagine it would be hard to stay silent with so much going on around you!

2. What is your favorite place you have visited while filming all 3 seasons of Departures?

3. Did you travel a lot before filming Departures?

4. How do you manage to be EVERYWHERE at once? It seems like you are able to film up close while also having a lot of far-away shots of the same scenes. Do you use a drone??

Thank you for bringing such beautiful sights and fun adventures to our lives.

Thanks for watching and supporting us! Answers to you questions!

1. I do give direction sometimes when it's needed but the editors cut that out. In Departures we show that I am there, but I am not meant to be a major character, I'm not that interesting :)

2. Hands down Antarctica.

3. I did! I used to work as a camera operator on a really old Canadian TV series called "Don't Forget Your Passport". When I started to travel it became an addiction.

4. The magic of TV and multiple takes! I run around a lot and in TV land the segment may be a few minutes long but we will spend hours filming. Now I have a drone and love what it does for our series!

Hi Andre! A few years ago my family and I went through the hardest moments of our lives and Departures was sometimes the only thing that kept us going as a family. My question is, did you ever believe that your content would enrich so many lives? I will never be able to express the thanks I have for you all; but to you, to Scott, to Justin, and all the wonderful crew involved, thank you so very much :) please, never stop creating!

Wow. I'm moved. When making Departures, I remember being 4 episodes into filming and thinking "who the hell is going to watch this crap?".. I had ZERO idea that people would be inspired by a few Canadians traveling the world. Im acutely aware now when producing new series the impact it can have. My biggest thrill is hearing that one of our shows has inspired someone to go travel, learned to scuba dive, or just been more curious about the world. Thank you so much for watching and I'm moved that the show has meant so much to you. I won't stop creating.

Will we ever see the pilot episode of Departures? I believe you and Scott filmed it in New Zealand before Justin was chosen to be on the show. You guys were down there for a friend's wedding and later pitched that footage with other materials to a network I believe. New Zealand: Adrenaline is my favorite episode (love NZ: Untouched as well) and I would love to see that pilot footage from NZ and delve into how it all began!

Hey! Yes there is a Pilot. Some of the footage is seen in Descending in the first episode. The pilot is terrible . Maybe in the future if we do a season 4 of Departures we can release some select scenes from it.

Hi Andre - when watching Departures it's difficult to gauge the production time frame. What was the schedule before going to each country? A certain period of pre-production and then how many days/weeks of actual production in the country?

From all your TV shows, which shoot/country was 1) your favourite and 2) the most challenging to film?

Thanks Al

I like to have a month in any one place. On Over the Horizon we aimed at a month per destination. Departures was less, the shortest was 5 days in North Korea. Amazing we got two episodes out of it. I would say North Korea was the most challenging in many ways because 90% of the time I was not allowed to film. My favourite place to shoot was by far Antarctica.

Hey Andre, big fan of your work. I know you've had some close encounters with danger on your travels, but what's the scariest thing you've seen/done so far?

Ive had two scary moments. Both happened while underwater. The first was while shooting Descending, you can actually watch the whole thing happen in the South Africa episode. I was held down by a recirculating current on a wreck.

The worst happened while shooting my new series Over the Horizon. We did a lot of really deep dives (180') on the wrecks which were sunk by nuclear testing in Bikini Atoll. Lots of these dives were decompression dives. Even though myself and my dive buddy Edward Maddison followed very conservative decompression plans, I got the bends. We were really far away from a decompression chamber so our Paramedic Curtis Akitt took me underwater on pure O2 and we followed an in-water recompression plan. Luckily I'm 100% today.

How did you ever manage to fit all your equipment while filming Depatures, while also packing all your clothes, etc?

Do you think you or the others would ever consider publishing a photobook of your time with Depatures? I know I'd buy one for sure!

My backpack was filled mostly with equipment (I managed to squeeze a steadicam in there). I didn't have much room for clothes and so I was the grubbiest guy out of the three of us.

Appreciate the AMA Andre, the cinematography of your work is consistently gorgeous.

Can you tell us about one particular shot/scene that you were most proud of capturing in Departures, or one where the difficulties involved may not have been made aware to the viewer?

Hmmm. Greenland episode in Departures. So cold. Miserably cold. It is so difficult to convey that on a flat screen to an audience watching in the comfort of their living room. We all had to dig deep and work extra hard to shoot that episode.

What is the worst part of extended travel? How do manage conflicts that arise between you and your travel partners?

4SeasonsAndAMovie

The worst part is not being able to get home fast enough when emergencies at home arise. You miss family and friends. In terms of conflicts they are easily solved with happy hour. We had a daily ritual on the boat at sunset where we all just hung out, fished, had a beer.

Hi Andre! In an episode of Departures Scott says something to the affect of missing opportunities because some travelers spend too much time behind the camera lens and not getting a true experience. Do you find that throughout your travels in Departures that you didn't have as much of a meaningful experience because you had the job to film everything?

Awesome question....

Yes and no.. Most of the time my head is buried in the viewfinder and my mind on telling the story, so I'm sure I missed some things.. However, I'm a super introverted person so thanks to the camera it was a way for me to do crazy things because I HAD to film it. As a "film crew" this also opened doors and gave us access to amazing things we would not otherwise experience. I think overall photography has helped me to see more and experience more then I have missed.

Can you tell us where to view the new show please? I am sure it is spectacular. Thanks

Yes!

USA - OutsideTV Features (Canadians can VPN here if you're savvy)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PEOPLE - Australia, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Romania... Asia, North Africa & Turkey starting in September.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL - Brazil

CANADA - Im hoping to get this on air soon. Sadly there is not much support in the current TV landscape here. We are working on it!

How has tech changed the way you produce a show like this, from Departures to Descending a decade later?

Great question!

Drones have changed everything. While filming Over the Horizon, from the boat I saw this beautiful shot over a nautical mile away. Mist was pouring over this mountain in New Zealand. I thought to myself "Damn, gonna miss that one". But wait! Drone! Flew there in a few minutes, got the shot, flew back and landed on the boat. The shot is in the opening of the series.

Hi Andre! I just want to say thanks for all your incredible amounts of hard work you've put into creating your shows. You've inspired me to become better at photography and I see things differently now when I travel. Thanks for showing me the world!!

Question:. What was the scariest part of your journey when filming Over The Horizon? Was there any point you thought you were going to die?

Thanks for watching!!

The scariest part for me was when I got the bends after a really long decompression dive. But I think worse then that, although we never got to film it because I was too busy trying to save the boat, we almost lost her in a huge storm (with no working motor because it was full of salt water) in New Zealand. Bunji saved the day. That guy is a legend.

Hey Andre! Firstly, I want to say that Departures has had a HUGE impact on me as a person. As a photography enthusiast, your cinematography combined with the 'realness' of the relationship between you, Scott, and Justin really captured my interest and attention from the first episode!

The show has really inspired me to travel with friends whenever I have the means to do so. I'm really looking forward to the new show!

Now, for my question: what was the most photogenic location or environment that you've gotten a chance to capture in all of the shows?

Thanks to you, Scott, and Justin for sparking my wanderlust! :D

Hey! Good question....

Photogenic - India. But I can't really use India because it's so beautiful you don't even have to try. You don't really even need to look through the lens. Just point and click and its awesome. I'm gonna say Iceland.

Hi Andre! The cinematography along with the music choice in Departures and Descending was phenomenal and really had an effect on my own personal life goals. Your work has given myself and countless others I've met inspiration to travel and explore this wonderful world of ours, thanks for that!

1. I met a very talented 19 year old from the UK last year while I was backpacking Malaysia and his sole reason for getting into a careeer in videography was because of the work you did on Departures. What advice can I pass onto him from you to help him thrive in the field?
2. On my second date with my partner, I convinced her to watch an entire episode of Departures and she tells me that this was the exact moment she decided that we were a match. She couldn't take her eyes off the screen! Can you say hi to her so I can pass it on?
3. Some of my favourite parts of Departures were when you appeared on the screen for a split second and we were reminded that there was this awesome dude behind the camera. Will we get some of those scenes in Over The Horizon?
4. What moment was your absolute favourite to film in Over The Horizon that I should look most forward to?
5. What has been your most challenging scene you've ever directed/shot, with respect to what you wanted to show the audience on screen?

Hey thanks!

1. Best advice I can give is to do what you love. If you love it you will put in the countless hours it takes to keep getting better. Whats that saying? It takes 10,000 hours to become a master at something?

2. Hello Arsypoo's girlfriend!

3. I make no cameos in Over the Horizon. But if you follow the official Instagram and Facebook we are posting a bunch of behind the scenes content.

4. My Favourite moments in Over the Horizon... so many... Check out episode 5 - Marshall Islands. This is a story that needed to be told.

5. Over the Horizon Episode 5 - Marshall Islands... The story about the people of Bikini Atoll who are still to this day displaced due to the nuclear testing on their home in 1946. I really felt a responsibility to get this one right. Meeting and interviewing the few elders who are still alive today was an incredibly emotional experience.

Is it true that Scott is doing a series about traveling by motorcycle? If so, are you interested in joining him?

Yep! This is a series we are currently developing! I would certainly be there filming it!

Andre! Being on the road for extended periods of time can be physically and mentally draining, how do you stay mentally fresh whilst moving from place to place?

Travel keeps me going. If I'm not filming I'm photographing. Its not hard to stay inspired. I also consume a disgusting amount of coffee!

Hi Andre!! Love your work!! How cumbersome is your camera and equipment? It seems you handle it all so well, even in physically demanding situations. How do you manage it all? Also, do you have to stage or set up a lot of shots, or are they mostly candid and you are just in the right position at the right time? Seems like you get shots from different angles and cut them together? Or are there other cameras? Looking forward to your current and future creative endeavors!

Hey!

As I've taken on new projects my camera gear list has been growing and so has the size of my crew! On Over the Horizon there were 5 of us onboard, which is a very small crew for a National Geographic Production. At anytime, everyone's backpacks were full of equipment.

I try my best to get things in the moment, or as they happen. Sometimes for technical reasons or creative reasons we have to stage the odd shot. I try to keep shooting so I catch the serendipitous moments more often then not.

We usually just have one camera rolling and crew working around that one camera. Sometimes if there's something that will happen only once we will use 2-3 cameras to cover it (the South Indian Fire Walking Festival we filmed in Fiji for Over the Horizon we had multiple cameras rolling). My crew is multi-talented so I can hand anyone a camera at anytime and they can shoot if needed.

Watching Departures and wondering how long filming each episode took? And what was your favorite adventure/thrill experience you got to do on that show? I love your work, you were my favorite part of Departures. I have a soft spot for the people behind the camera. Thanks for this!

Hey! Thanks for watching! On Departures my biggest thrill would have been bungee jumping the 134m Nevis in New Zealand. That was by far the scariest thing I did shooting that series. My favourite thrill however has been scuba diving the Atomic Fleet (the wrecks sunk to the bottom of Bikini Atoll during the nuclear testing by the United States). This was the most challenging scuba diving I have ever done. Being inside a wreck like the USS Saratoga 160' below the surface was an incredible and eerie experience. Especially knowing that this ship was sunk by not one, but two nuclear blasts.

Hi Andre!

I loved both Departures and Descending! When it came to Descending, how did you guys pick where to film? Were there restrictions to filming dives in any country?

Hope to see your new show soon in Canada!

For Descending, Scott and Ellis chose a big list of destinations they wanted to explore (their own research). It's important that the hosts go where they are interested to go rather the production telling them where to go. From that list we shortened down to our 13 episodes based on budget and logistical restrictions. In terms of restrictions mostly just film permits and park fees when applicable. Canada had the most paperwork!!

Hi Andre. How do you pronounce your last name??? I have been saying it wrong (I think) for years!

Doo-Pwee It's French.. But I'm half Italian.

Have you ever been to the sunshine coast near Vancouver, BC? If not you need to come asap

Not yet but its on the list!

Hey Andre!

1. You seem to have a life that has constantly been full of travel and adventure... How do you manage the time away from "home" and how often to do you spend on the road vs home?

2. Do you participate in editing or do you have a stand alone team for that?

3. Where did the name Echo Bay Media come from? Is it from Echo Bay Ontario?

The last few years I’ve found that “home” is wherever I’m at. I’ve been lucky enough to spend a great deal of time in New Zealand working on this project. I just finished traveling through Europe and Ive found a number of places I would be pretty happy to call home as well. As the director I give notes on rough cuts and fine. There are a number of people who oversee the edit from the editors themselves (we have an amazing team at Suede Productions) to our producer Jennifer Howe, to the Network Execs. I like to be pretty hands-on at every stage. The name Echo Bay Media does not actually come from Echo Bay Ontario but we ended up taking a selfie there anyways. Scott and I just came up with it after some brainstorming. We like the appeal to nature.

Hi Andre,

How was living and shooting onboard a sailboat? The confined space must have made things challenging. How did you deal with charging and electricity when gone for so long? Was this ever an issue?

Hey! Living on the sailboat was awesome. Shooting on a sailboat was difficult but we made it work. One of the cabins we converted to an equipment room. We had a locker wired up to charge all of our gear / batteries etc. In terms of gear we had doubles of everything, double battery chargers, backups of cameras, drones, hard drives. Somehow we managed to fit it all on the boat! In terms of electricity we have huge battery banks for the boat, a massive inverter, genset, solar and wind.

Hello Andre Huge fan of Departures and Descending here, but haven't seen Over the Horizon yet. I'll throw you any easy one then: where can I watch it if I'm not in north america?! Your work is truly amazing, still can't get over how good the videography in Descending was, specially from someone who wasnt formally trained in underwater camera work. How much time did it take from the moment you decided to do descending till actually starting to shoot it. And what did it involve beyond being scuba certified in terms of learning how to do underwater work?

Cheers Mate and keep on with the good work!

Hey! Thanks for the support!!

Where to watch Over the Horizon :

USA - OutsideTV Features (Canadians can VPN here if you're savvy)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PEOPLE - Australia, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Romania... Asia, North Africa & Turkey starting in September.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL - Brazil

CANADA - Im hoping to get this on air soon. Sadly there is not much support in the current TV landscape here. We are working on it!

In terms of training for Scuba Diving I OBSESSED over it. I trained in the challenging dark and cold waters of British Columbia and the Great Lakes for a few years. Cold dark water, with a drysuit, and a camera. I knew that diving had to be second nature to me, we were all underwater and we had to take care of each other. We did not want anyone to get hurt. There's so much to deal with directing, framing and exposing shots, plus watching your dive plan... I just trained and trained and trained in very challenging conditions.

Hi Andre! Big fan of Departures, Descending, and now Over the Horizon. I’m a few episodes into Over the Horizon and loving both it and your stellar cinematography. I’ve got a ton of questions, so feel free to pick and choose as you like!

1. As far as travel shows or nonfiction documentaries go, are there any others, current and past, that you respect and recommend? Why?

2. Are there are cinematographers that have influenced your style over the years? Also, are there any currently active camera and/or directorial professionals whose work you enjoy?

3. Do you have any say in the music selection on these shows? I was consistently impressed with how well the music fit the images in all three series.

4. Are there any projects you’ve been involved in that you would like more people to know about? For example, IMDB tells me that you were a director and cinematographer on UpRooted with Sarah Sharratt, which is a show I know nothing about.

5. Can you tell us about “Don’t Forget Your Passport” from 1999? I see that Ellis is credited in that. How long have you two known each other?

6. If money wasn’t an object, what sort of project would you love to do and why?

7. I see that you are planning to film Scott’s motorcycle trip coming up, and that you are in talks with both Scott and Justin about a possible next season of Departures. Are there any other upcoming projects you can speak about?

8. If you could choose any country to live abroad in for an extended period of time, which would you choose and why? Living abroad is a very different experience from traveling, and I'm curious where you would choose.

9. Other than the projects you actively pursue yourself, what sort of projects do people ask you to take part in?

10. And last, a more difficult question. From a directorial and cinematographic standpoint, what were some moments from your previous projects where you had a disagreement with someone (either the hosts or otherwise) over how certain images or scenes were being filmed, or how they were being edited during post? I'm guessing the North Korea episodes of Departures may come up here, but how about anything else?

Regardless, thanks for providing hours of beautiful entertainment for fellow travel enthusiasts! I know I've been inspired to visit at least one or two places thanks to your work. Keep it up!

Hey Bunchesofgrapes !!

Thanks for watching the new series! Ill try to answer as many of these as I can...

1. Salt of the Earth... Amazing documentary about an incredible photographer, Sebastiao Salgado

2. Cinematographers: Jordan Cronenweth, Robert Yeoman, Darius Khondji

Directors: Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson.

1. Music, I give a mix-cd to my music supervisor Sandeep Bhandari and then he curses me because they are all amazing artists and we can't afford them, so he has to go find artists who have a similar sound. I often listen to music while filming to get inspired. My directors notes to the editors are usually annotated with what track I want for the scene. Music is huge.

1. Uprooted! Yes! Travel + Food my favourite things. I filmed a travel cooking show in France with the talented Sarah Sharratt in 2016, a project which was brought to my production company. We get a lot of pitches but this was a series we really wanted to take on. Check out Uprooted on Cooking Channel US and Gusto in Canada!

Still going through these....

If money were no object? I would film Elon Musk's Mars mission. Is he on this thread? Elon, I'm your guy.

Of all the places you have been, where did you find the happiest/most care free people?

One of the happiest people I met was Tai in Fulaga, Fiji. You will meet him in Over the Horizon. I found the people of his village all seemed so content with life even though they had so few material possessions. They had fish in the sea, coconuts in the trees, and they had their community. What more do you need? (Kava?)

Hi Andre, I'm a big fan of departures and I was wondering if you have a favorite place you have traveled too?

Hands down Antarctica. Take me back!

Hey, Andre. Thanks for bringing such incredible cinematography to a Netflix near me. A few questions:

What's it like it carrying all your camera gear around the world?

If you were going on safari, what camera lenses would you use?

When filming Departures & Descending, were you given coin prior to your destinations or did you get reimbursed for costs?

What's an average week look like for you?

Top three lenses?

I love gear questions:

Carrying camera gear: On Over the Horizon we had lots of room to store our toys on the boat. At any given time we would carry what we could with our crew of 5. Usually this meant choosing between what tools to bring or leave behind.

On Safari I would bring my Sigma 150-600! On the new series we had:

Canon 11-24 F4. Sigma ART 24-35 F2.8 Sigma ART 35 F1.4 Sigma ART 50 F1.4 Canon 100 macro F2.8 Ziess 135 F2.0

In terms of funding Departures, Scott and I used our student loans to film the pilot. Luckily the show got green-lit and so we had a small Canadian budget to do the series.

Average week at home? Drink coffee, work out, plan my next trip.

Top three lenses. The Canon 11-24, Sigma ART 35mm 1.4 and I LOVE my Zeiss.

Hey Andre,

Remember Sampson's Corner? Congratulations to you and wishing you only the best.

LOL ! YES! Blast from the past.

How big of a crew did you have with you on your sail boat?

Hey Phil!

On the boat, 5. Ellis was the captain and the rest filled production roles. We all had various levels of training sailing the boat.

Hey Andre! HUGE fan of your work, your camera work is second to none in my opinion, and I am looking forward to any and all projects you have coming up in the future.

My questions are:

1. what inspired you to get involved with your line of work? was it a nature show or a travel show of some kind, or even a movie or documentary that made you want to get into cinematography?

2. what is your favorite beer?

Thank you!! I hope you get a chance to check out Over the Horizon

1. I wanted to originally be an actor. So I got a camera and started filming with friends and acting in my own little films. Eventually I just gravitated to behind the camera and stayed there :) I was super lucky to get a (non-paying) job as a camera assistant on a Canadian travel show called "Don't Forget your Passport". Scott and I both worked on the series and we were inspired to try and make our own!

2. Depends. Mostly Belgian beers, but in the winter I hit up Porters. BEST BEER OF ALL TIME: Maui Coconut Porter.

I love sailing. I believe its one of the few remaining true venues of adventure. Did you you enjoy sailing on Over the Horizon?

I love sailing. Ellis and I trained for over a year to become certified captains. Before that I had taken a coastal skippers course and had some experience at sea when shooting the pilot some 4 years ago. I love it out there in the open ocean. One of the last wild places on Earth?

Hey Andre, Any plans to get Descending on Netflix?

PS. Departures was a huge inspiration for me, I'm planning on doing some traveling next year because of the show.

Yes! The rights were not yet available for Netflix, but they will be soon. We will post about it on Facebook if they pick up the series.

Thrilled to hear it! Where are you going?!

Hi Andre! I have followed you guys from the beginning. I remember when you went from 1 repetitive "trade in your gold" commercial during Departures to a Chevrolet commercial and I was like "they made it".

I have two questions:

1) When did you start lifting?

2) Would you ever go back to the DPRK, and what are your thoughts on the escalating tensions between the US and DPRK?

Thanks!

Edit: forgot the K's

Hey! LOL When Departures started airing the commercials between were horrible! Glad we moved up the ranks. Better yet, glad to be on Netflix with zero commercials! To answer your questions:

1) 5 years ago.

2) I would not go there now as a film crew in lieu of recent events. I had a friend just visit a month ago and all was fine. I worry deeply about our friends in DPRK should things escalate, as you can imagine there is no way to really communicate with them.

Hi Andre! What are the top contender for countries for a potential Season 4 of Departures?

Great question... I let Scott and Justin choose the places... BUT:

1. IRAN
2. BHUTAN
3. we HAVE to and fix our mistake by bypassing NEWFOUNDLAND in Season 1 episode 1. To the people of Newfoundland.. We are SO SO Sorry and we will make it up to you!! :)

Where would you guys recommend?

Hi Andre, big fan of your work. What are you shooting on now? Whats a typical video rig that you use to shoot all this fantastic footage?

Hey Chris,

My principal camera is the Red Dragon on a Steadicam-like rig with a remote follow focus (I mostly pull my own focus). On Over the Horizon, we had a number of cameras for various reasons, a7sii for low light shooting, BMmicro camera for go-pro-like shots (not a fan of the quality yet on go-pros) and of course my drones, Inspire 1 Raw for the safe stuff, Phantom 3 pro for the risky flying.

Hey, huge fan of departures and descending.

What was your favorite country to visit so far and what country is still on your bucket list, can we expect to see it on the next season if you make one?

Well favourite was Antarctica but thats not a country... Just recently I visited Turkey and it would definitely make it to another season of Departures, incredible country, amazing people. Another top pick would be Iran, I know that's at the top of Scotts list.

Hi Andre, possibly a basic question but I'm new to filming. Your shows feature a lot of slow motion shots. Do you film these specifically, or shoot at a high speed all the time?

I love slow motion. On Over the Horizon I was drones and slow-motion all the time! But... I was told by someone higher up to tone it down. You will have to wait for the Directors Cut.

Your recent travels with Kristin looked amazing consulting with each other what was your top 3 locations?

BERTAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

We visited 11 countries... Best 3:

1. Turkey
2. Spain
3. Switzerland

Hi Andre!

What is the best place you have travelled to and why?

PS. I think your work is amazing. Can't wait to see Over the Horizon!

ANTARCTICA!! Because so much of it is raw untouched nature. I want to go back.

where do you want to travel next?

Im going back to the boat and sailing to Tokelau in the Pacific!

Hi Andre! Love your work and I'm already looking forward to seeing 'Over the Horizon' when I soon return home from a trip.

What is your favorite food that you have come across while traveling?

I filmed a travel-cooking show in France with cook Sarah Sharratt called "Uprooted". She used to live in Switzerland and I was just recently passing through there. Sarah recommended a place... Best food I've had:

Handmade Tagliatele in a Bolognese, when plated - smothered in sage infused butter.. Seriously.

Hey Andre!

My name is Santiago Trugeda and I am an filmmaker in Ottawa. I'll begin by saying that I really admire your work and what you've done with Echo Bay Media. I can proudly say that watching your work (starting with departures) was the inspiration behind me pursuing a career in filmmaking. I've also been following yours and Kristin's adventures via Instagram. I'm curious in learning about one or more of your favourite failures (if any) through the years. Has there been any particular failures or struggles that you have managed to turn around in your favour? Something in which you have learned from the failure than you would have from the success of that situation in the context of your work.

I would really appreciate your response and opinions on overcoming difficulties and struggles in the world of filmmaking.

Thank you for everything you've done and I can't wait till "Over the Horizon" reaches Canada.

Cheers,

Santiago Trugeda

Hey Santiago!

Great question... I felt the entire project of Over the Horizon was about overcoming failures. Our engine filled with salt water TWICE. We had our main sail rip and it took a day to hand stitch it together. I got the bends scuba diving in the middle of nowhere with no recompression chamber for 400 miles.

Often storylines we would chase led to dead ends and we'd have to think on our feet how to turn it around. We brought with us a massive amount of gear to make sure the show looked beautiful and somehow managed to pull it off with a very small crew. It was an ambitious project to take on with a very small budget.

Over the Horizon was the most challenging series I've taken on to date.

Thanks for watching! Let me know what you think of the series!

Hey Andre! So cool of you to do another AMA :D

I've been dying to ask, what was it that really sparked the idea for your Over the Horizon quest?

And what are your most favourite things you've learnt from your travels to those remote islands?

Hey Lonnydon !

I love the road less traveled. We tried very hard to find these kinds of places when shooting Departures. On Descending we found them underwater. The logical step forward was to get to all those little dots you see in the Pacific Ocean when you zoom in too far on Google Maps.

One of my biggest takeaways was how people can live happily with very little. On the island of Alofi we met Atelemo, a man who lives by himself, just him and his dogs and his garden. He is the most fit 70 year old man I've ever met, and one of the happiest.

Hey Andre - Huge fan of all your work including Departures and Descending. Your shows have inspired me to travel and obtain my scuba diving certification. Coincidently, I've also just taken my first CANSail I course when I heard that you were working on a sailing related show. I'm really excited for it to be available in Canada.

My questions are:

1. What sailing experience did you have when you decided to take off on this adventure with Ellis? Did any of you know how to sail? What did you do to learn/practice before setting off?

2. Have you been able to do any sailing back home in Ontario? Any bucket list sailing destinations around home?

3. Any idea when Over the Horizon will be available in Canada on DVD/Blueray? Need to add this to my collection!

4. Can we go for a beer sometime?

Love hearing when people are inspired to travel, dive, sail from watching our shows. Seriously love it !

1. I had little sailing experience. Ellis and I dreamed up the idea when shooting Descending. "know what would be cool? theres tens of thousands of islands out there in the middle of no where, lets do a show about that". Ellis and I shot a pilot and over 4 years picked away at learning how to sail. We went all out in the year leading up to the start of principal photography. We had to learn as much as possible in a very short time. We still have much to learn.

2. I got my coastal skippers ticket training in Georgian Bay!

3. Canadian airdates to be announced soon. Some people have had success using a VPN to see it on OutsideTV in the US. I really hope you can see the series soon. Blu-ray, iTunes, netflix will all happen but it will not be for a year or more.

4. Sure!