Jared Robinson of Nebulus Entertainment didn't set out to produce an emotionally charged video about the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s certainly what the Moose Jaw-based producer shared with his audience after all was said and done.
What began as a marketing project for local businesses quickly evolved into a more emotional look at the strength of human connections, said Robinson, based entirely here in Moose Jaw.
“It kind of took on a different shape, to highlight bits of people's positive human spirit,” said Robinson. “There’s hope out there, I think, and I definitely wanted to focus on some of those pieces of hope.”
The video, titled “The Human Spirit,” was released on April 30 on the studio’s social media, and features Moose Jaw families and front-line workers in a series of moments meant to resonate with anyone struggling through the current self-isolation measures.
Robinson’s goal was to capture a realistic look at how people are being affected by the pandemic, while also showing the resilience of the community in coping with those same realities.
“People are smart. They don't want a candy-coated version of something that they don't feel they're a part of,” said Robinson. “(But) I think it's important for people to see the real side of this thing that everyone's facing together, and that there are positives that are coming out of it.”
He also wanted to focus on how well Moose Jaw specifically is doing at staying connected, which is why all of the people and locations featured in the project are local.
“I think we've got something here in Moose Jaw that a lot of communities don't have,” said Robinson. “I'm so proud of the community that I live in, and for me to be able to feature some of that (positivity) close to home is really, really important for me.”
Robinson filmed, composed, and produced the entire project himself — which was a new kind of challenge thanks to all of the physical distancing requirements.
“It ended up being a project unlike anything else I've shot before,” said Robinson. “It kind of stretched my abilities a little bit, but that’s okay.”
Everyone on set wore protective masks throughout the whole project, while maintaining their distance off-camera, and Robinson filmed using a camera attached to an extended metal arm and lenses he normally wouldn’t have to use.The extra safety measures changed the dynamic on set, said Robinson, but hardly dimmed the excitement for the project.
Robinson received lots of enthusiasm when he first reached out in his creative circle to put the idea together, which he admitted was surprising.
“I expected a little bit more hesitancy from people,” said Robinson. “(But) it seemed like being involved in something that shows pieces of our community and what we're going through together, that was something to get excited about.”
Following the release of the video, Robinson received plenty of great feedback as well — so great that he is already looking ahead at a number of new projects that have stemmed from this one, including a potential feature on frontline workers.
“It’s been wonderful as an artist, to be able to flex some artistic muscles a little bit and continue doing a lot of the things that I love doing,” said Robinson. “I think there's a lot of great things, a lot of great opportunities to be explored and so I'll keep staying busy as I always have.”
As part of Phase Four of the reopening plan, he’s unsure of when exactly he’ll be able to reopen his studio and get back to work with local artists, but in the meantime, Robinson hopes Moose Jaw will be open to a few more projects like this one.
Because ultimately, the message Robinson is hoping to share through his most recent video and those on the way is quite simple.
“We’re all in this together,” said Robinson. “There's going to be an end to this thing and I think we're going to rise out of it, out of the ashes as if we're a phoenix, rather than crawling out. I think people are going to look back and feel like we're a little bit better for some of the things, rather than just coping with the negatives.”
“The Human Spirit” is available to view and share on Nebulus Entertainment’s Facebook page, as well as on Jared Robinson’s YouTube page.
