What social group, whose presence is ubiquitous in any city, remains largely excluded from its privileges? What group can exist simultaneously inside and outside the fabric of urban life? The documentary short, Phantom Couriers: Ghost in the Machine, works on several layers, combining stunning film images, with a compelling narrative and a look at a subculture that many feel curious about, but few are able to access.
This documentary tells the story of Vancouver's longest-running independent courier company. Mark Huggan—owner, dispatcher, storyteller extraordinaire—tells the story of the company's humble beginnings, while bike messengers Brandon, Sarah and Dan describe the fast-paced life of a courier.
CREDITS:
Written, Produced & Directed: Gregory Gan
Featuring: Mark Huggan, Brandon Woodworth, Sarah Corsie and Daniel Adams
Editing: Gregory Gan, with consultation from Nico Collins, Jonathan Schatz and Eliot Piltz
Colour Correction: Eliot Piltz
Music: "A Venus Flytrap"; Original music & sound mix: Solomon Riby-Williams
Shot on Canon 7D DSLR video and 16mm film on a Krasnogorsk-3 silent windup film camera.
Film stocks: Kodak Vision 2 250D, Kodak Vision 2 500T, Kodak EXR 100T
Processed at Niagara Custom Labs, Toronto, ON & Transferred at Frame Discreet, Toronto, ON
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Joao Carlos d'Almeidia & Ace Martens at the Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver
Diana Sanderson at Silk Weaving Studio, Vancouver
Daniel Materna at Materna Ceramics Studio, Vancouver
Federico Mendez-Castro at Dalbergia, Vancouver
Marian Gilmour at Heritage Hall, Vancouver
Suzanne and Geoff Watt
Phantom Couriers: phantomcouriers.com/
Gregory Gan: theoryofhappiness.com/
