A Life as a videographer｜Part 2

—Before I knew it, I was being guided by filmmaking—

~ A New Life in Canada, and an Unexpected Turning Point ~

Living abroad for the first time in my life, everything I saw in Whistler—a town filled with nature—felt new. It was like living in a dream.

But amid those not-just-fun days, a major injury quietly shifted the path I would take.

I had planned to “just snowboard, have fun, and go home.”

This is the story of how I encountered the new world of filmmaking.

In Part 2, I’ll share the first half of my life in Canada, and the unexpected encounter with video editing that followed.

1. A Free Life That Began in a “Locked Room”

In the summer of my 33rd year, I moved to Whistler, Canada.

But the exciting “start of life abroad” I had imagined never came.

—It was the middle of the pandemic.

My first two weeks were spent locked in my room.

Alone in an unfamiliar place, unable to talk to anyone, I simply stared out the window.

“What am I trying to find here…?”

That question lingered in my heart until the day I finally stepped outside.

The moment I breathed in the air of Whistler, something shifted inside me.

Towering mountains. Five lakes. A stylish townscape intertwined with nature.

“This place just feels so good.” A quiet thrill rose up from deep within.

2. A New Joy, Hidden Beyond My Original Purpose

I originally came to Canada for snowboarding.

But in reality, it was the summer activities that brought me the most joy.

Especially mountain biking, which I tried for the first time in my life.

At first it was terrifying, and I fell countless times.

But the feeling of clearing a trail I couldn’t ride before—

It reminded me of the thrill I used to feel snowboarding.

Like, I was really alive.

What surprised me even more was learning that Whistler is one of the top mountain biking destinations in the world.

I began to feel as though the things I loved were slowly starting to connect with this place.

3. An Unexpected Injury, and One More Year That Had to Happen

But the good times didn’t last forever.

In my first winter, I fractured my hip snowboarding.

The moment it happened, I couldn’t move my leg at all.

I still remember the fear—

“What if I injured my spine?”

Thankfully, I could just barely wiggle my toes.

But nothing else moved.

—My first time in an ambulance.

And due to Canadian policy, I wasn’t hospitalized.

I had to spend weeks bedridden at home.

It was devastating.

The season had only just begun—was it already over?

I still couldn’t speak English. Was I going to go home like this?

“…I’m not done yet.”

So I made the decision to stay one more year and continue school.

—That choice led to an encounter I never saw coming.

4. I Had No Experience. But I Wanted to Try.

In the spring of my second year, the school principal asked me:

“Would you stay on as an intern and create YouTube videos for the school?”

I was happy—but I had zero experience filming or editing.

Still, for some reason, I didn’t feel like running away.

I picked up my phone and started filming the town.

Opened the editing software. But...

I didn’t know how to add text. I couldn’t even zoom properly.

I knew what I wanted to do—but had no idea how.

Time just kept slipping by. Even so, I couldn’t give up.

I spent over 10 hours crafting a single video.

There was no sense of accomplishment—only exhaustion.

But the one moment where I made something with my own hands stuck with me.

5. Long, Painful Days—and a Strange Obsession

For over a year, I edited one video a week.

After school, I’d go to work. After work, I’d edit.

It was tough—mentally and physically—at age 35.

Honestly, I didn’t have the energy to “enjoy” making videos.

It felt more like a grind.

But strangely—

There were certain parts I just couldn’t compromise on.

The motion of the captions.The timing of the cuts.

The way the music came in.

Looking back, maybe that was my way of expressing myself.

6. The One Skill I Had Left

As graduation approached, I asked myself:

“Why did I come to Canada?”

I hadn’t achieved anything in snowboarding.

My English hadn’t improved dramatically.

…But there was one thing I had gained.

"The experience of being able to make videos."

I didn’t know how I’d use it yet.

But if I went back to Japan and got a job “just because,”

I felt like I’d return to my old self.

So—I wanted to choose something that could change me.

That’s when I started a YouTube channel.

At that point, it wasn’t cinema—just “videos.”

But in that moment, I took a real step forward—To take charge of my own life.

"Next Episode"

Thank you so much for reading.

This blog is Part 2 – Chapter 1 of my series “A Life as a Videographer”—a reflection on my time in Canada and how I unexpectedly discovered the world of filmmaking.

In the next chapter, Part 2 – Chapter 2, I’ll share:

How I started my YouTube channel with just a smartphone, what it was like entering a video contest on a whim, and how I finally got my first mirrorless camera.

As I dove deeper into the world of video, my desire to “communicate something meaningful” also began to grow.

If that sounds like something you’re struggling with too—If you’re wondering how to turn your passion into something real—

Please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Whether it’s about video or your career path, I’d be happy to talk.

▶︎ [Contact Me Here]