The Story of Elevation Media...
Matthew riding the Kettle Valley Steam Railway
…begins back in the early months of 2007, just after the West Coast Railway Association had announced that steam locomotive #2860, The Royal Hudson, would make her grand return to steam after an extensive restoration.
Matthew Robson, who recently had graduated from British Columbia Institute of Technology’s railway conductor program and working as a brakeman on the Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY) , began to dream of creating a documentary aiming to capture the Royal Hudson’s return to steam. With a vivid interest in the Royal Hudson since he was a child (his family would ride on the Royal Hudson steam train every summer between North Vancouver and Squamish) and a passion for filming and photography, Matthew decided that he would pursue his dream.
Matthew Robson, who recently had graduated from British Columbia Institute of Technology’s railway conductor program and working as a brakeman on the Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY) , began to dream of creating a documentary aiming to capture the Royal Hudson’s return to steam. With a vivid interest in the Royal Hudson since he was a child (his family would ride on the Royal Hudson steam train every summer between North Vancouver and Squamish) and a passion for filming and photography, Matthew decided that he would pursue his dream.
The crew after filming The Royal Return
On April 1st, Elevation Media was born as it was registered as a sole prioporitship based in Vancouver with the motto “to elevate our standard from the rest” and soon after, plans began for the documentary of the Royal Hudson’s first run in 8 years. Once Matthew assembled a team with the same passions he shared, filming of the event was successfully completed. The documentary itself was released on DVD in November that same year and was titled “The Royal Return”. With the overwhelming positive feedback, the DVD was extremely popular and Matthew’s dream for Elevation Media began to expand…
Elevation Media Today
Today elevation media has several different DVD titles and is continuing to grow. Focusing on the railways of Western Canada, Elevation media is capturing the railway action that YOU want, whether it is mainline freight, or a historical steam railroading event. Not only is Elevation Media bringing you the best in DVDs, but also in photography.
Elevation Media Gives Back
Elevation Media is actively involved with the railway community yearly donating a margin of profits from their DVDs to the following organizations:
· The Kamloops Heritage Railway Society (Home of #2141)
· The Kettle Valley Steam Railway (Home of #3716)
· The Nanaimo Train Station Project
· The West Coast Railway Association (Home of the Royal Hudson #2860)
· The Kamloops Heritage Railway Society (Home of #2141)
· The Kettle Valley Steam Railway (Home of #3716)
· The Nanaimo Train Station Project
· The West Coast Railway Association (Home of the Royal Hudson #2860)
The People
As mentioned before, Elevation Media is a sole proprietorship which is owned and operated by Matthew Robson. He does all of his work from home since there is no store location for Elevation Media. Practically everything is handled by Matthew, from the editing of the production, to creating the DVD cover. With this being said, there are a few people who continuously help and support Matthew and Elevation Media whom shall not go unnoticed:
Matthew’s partner, Nicole, constantly keeps him on track and is quiet often the light that leads the way. She continuously offers her support in any possible way she can, and also has a keen eye for photography as well. Her picture of the Royal Hudson was featured on the TRAINS 2010 promotional poster.
Gregory Mostardi has an extreme love and passion for trains all together. When not out on an Elevation Media assignment, he can be found at home working on his layouts, HO and G scales. His love of model railroading comes from filming and photographing the real deal. He is a key camera man in a few documentaries’ providing his essential services.
Fellow railroader and older brother, Fred Robson, is the glue that keeps the pieces together in the hectic times. He is always there to lend a helping hand when he isn’t occupied working as a locomotive engineer for Canadian Pacific.
Matthew’s partner, Nicole, constantly keeps him on track and is quiet often the light that leads the way. She continuously offers her support in any possible way she can, and also has a keen eye for photography as well. Her picture of the Royal Hudson was featured on the TRAINS 2010 promotional poster.
Gregory Mostardi has an extreme love and passion for trains all together. When not out on an Elevation Media assignment, he can be found at home working on his layouts, HO and G scales. His love of model railroading comes from filming and photographing the real deal. He is a key camera man in a few documentaries’ providing his essential services.
Fellow railroader and older brother, Fred Robson, is the glue that keeps the pieces together in the hectic times. He is always there to lend a helping hand when he isn’t occupied working as a locomotive engineer for Canadian Pacific.
The Equipment
The video cameras Elevation Media features are a fleet of Panasonic DVX100B which record onto Mini DV. The quality of these cameras deliver a profesional look featuring amazing sound and a clear crisp picture. To read more about the Panasonic DVX100B click here. The majority of the DVDs have been filmed with these cameras, but other cameras used in the past include the Canon XL-2 and Canon XH-A1.
HD Hero Go Pro mounted to #3716
Recently added to the Elevation Media fleet is GoPro HD Hero, a small camera giving us a chance at capturing some new and unique views. The GoPro HD Hero captures video in a variety of resolutions and frame rates up to and including 1080i full HD, as well as still photos. The Hero has a large selection of mounting options and replacement parts. The polycarbonate shell is submersible and shockproof.
Click here to read more about the GoPro HD Hero.
Click here to read more about the GoPro HD Hero.
Elevation Media Tomorrow
Tomorrow brings a bright and exciting future for Elevation Media. Still working fulltime at SRY, now as a Conductor, Matthew is always looking for new ideas. The sky is the limit as the standard and passion for railroading across Western Canada contines to elevate…
