If So, Do So
60 Minute Documentary
Full Movie on youtube
About The Film
Being a three-time Olympic bobsleigh pilot isn’t easy for anyone, but Christopher Spring does it while living out of his van. As we follow Christopher in this elite sport we learn that success isn’t just about scoring that podium spot - it’s about finding happiness. Christopher's refusal to live by and accept society’s norms while performing at the highest level of sport is truly inspiring.
If So, Do So uses a mix of cinema vérité and interviews to tell Christopher Spring’s story as he embarks on his journey to compete in the 2019 World Championships hosted in Whistler, British Columbia. Christopher’s professional bobsleigh career is beginning to wind down and this 35-year-old champion only has a few competitions left to show the world what he can still do.
The film observes Christopher at the championships, showing what it takes to compete at the highest level of the sport. The film goes behind the scenes to show what goes into being a world-class bobsleigh pilot; how the sport is not only physically demanding but mentally as well; and requires the unconditional trust of your teammates. Christopher competes in both the two-man and four-man races with his long time teammate, Neville Wright, who will retire at the end of this competition. With these races being the last time Neville will be going down the track, Christopher feels the extra pressure to pilot the sled to the best result for his team.
The audience sees the ups and downs of Christopher’s World Championships experience and learns how winning isn’t always everything.
Our journey
The journey for this film started back in the Summer of 2018 when I was visiting my brother in Whistler, British Columbia. I met Christopher through my brother and thought it would be fun to shoot a short interview and Christopher messing around with his paddle board in the water. It was just supposed to be a small video, but as I started editing this first footage from the summer I realized I couldn’t make a film about a bobsleigh pilot and not include any bobsledding. I also thought the film could be much more than it was. Christopher mentioned the bobsleigh World Championships that coming season were being hosted in Whistler, the second time they’ve ever been in Canada. I partnered with my friend Rachel and we flew to Whistler for two weeks to follow Christopher during the championships. We ended up capturing not only the exciting World Championships, but also an inspiring story about living free, following your dreams, and how sometimes not succeeding is okay. It’s been a long time coming but worth it every step of the way and we are excited to show the film to the world soon!
Jonah Blaser (Producer and Director)
Christopher’s Career
Originally from Darwin, Australia, Christopher has lived in Canada since 2006 and began his bobsleigh career in 2008. Christopher competed in his first Olympic games for Australia in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Following that season, he began competing for Team Canada and became a Canadian citizen on July 1st, 2013. Christopher has competed in the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, and he has two gold medals from the 2016 and 2017 Whistler World Cup, 2-man bobsleigh competitions. As an avid explorer and lover of the outdoors, Christopher decided to take on the van life to encourage himself to slow down and live with less.
The Crew
Jonah Blaser Producer/Director
Director and creator of "If So, Do So", Jonah is a 24 year old independent documentary filmmaker with a passion for telling real life and inspiring stories. Jonah brings his experience creating various documentaries such as his first about Unity Charity, his second, "Captain Cowboy and the Moneymaker"(2017), that won him the Short Film Festival Directors award at the Toronto Independent Film Festival, and his third that he produced about one of Toronto’s busiest restaurants, Hong Shing. Professionally, Jonah works as a sound recordist and in post sound being able to bring his expertise of sound to his films. He has worked for clients such as Mercedes Benz, Philips, Loreal Paris, as well as the successful feature length documentary, "Before the Plate" (2018), and the short film "Glitters Wild Women" (2018) that was shown at TIFF 2018. Jonah’s longstanding passion for making movies still runs deep, and he hopes to inspire and share "If So, Do So" to young audiences everywhere.
Rachel Siegel
Producer/
Cinematographer
Rachel is a Canadian Filmmaker and Producer from Toronto. After graduating from Ryerson University in 2015, she has developed her passion for documentary filmmaking and sharing personal stories. She moved to London, England to focus on making films for the third sector, working with major UK charities, multinational brands and universities to create videos with a strong message. Upon returning to Canada in 2017 Rachel has been motivated to tell important Canadian stories and has contributed in the making of “One Leg In, One Leg Out” (2018) which won the LA Film Festival’s Best Documentary Short award. Working alongside companies including VICE, HGTV, and CBC, Rachel has fostered a strong sense of visual storytelling. Rachel strives to keep sharing stories and challenge herself with each new project to continue to grow as a filmmaker.
Rick Bartram
Editor
Rick is a Toronto-based film editor. He is passionate about making films that challenge, inform and entertain audiences. Originally from Nova Scotia, he developed a keen eye for story early in life. He attended The University of King’s College in Halifax, where he developed his understanding of story structure and cinematic language. He graduated with a B.A. in History and English Literature with a minor in Film Studies. His continued need to progress as a visual storyteller led him to Toronto, where he attained a B.F.A in Film Production from Ryerson University and went on to graduate from the Canadian Film Centre’s Editor’s Lab in 2019. His work with short and feature-length films have garnered multiple awards and positive recognition from around the world.
Morgana McKenzie
Colourist
Morgana McKenzie is a cinematographer based in Toronto, Canada. Though Morgana works in a range of genres, she specializes in dark narrative subject matter and vérité documentary. Her short films have garnered over 40 awards from international festivals, including Best Director and the Canada 150 award for Best Film from TIFF Jump Cuts Next Wave. Most recently, Morgana was awarded an ASC Vision Mentorship with Oliver Bokelberg, ASC (Scandal, The Station Agent), and received two nominations from the Canadian Society of Cinematographers for her work on Wild (Dramatic Short Cinematography), and Lost Time (Robert Brooks Award for Documentary Cinematography). Her decisions on set are heavily informed by her experience as a colorist, which closely aligns with her holistic approach to creating images. Morgana is currently working on a number of short and long format narrative and documentary projects in Toronto, Kentucky, and Los Angeles.
Michael Ferguson
Composer
A graduate of Ryerson University’s Film Studies program, Michael Ferguson is a composer dedicated to crafting unique orchestral arrangements and producing tailored music that will heighten any film or project. With a love for combining unconventional sound design and orchestral writing, Michael hopes to bring to life the stories of creatives whilst also finding new and exciting ways of telling his own story through his work. Some notable works include "Before The Plate" (2018 Feature Documentary) and "The Magic Lantern" (2018 Short Film).
Posters
Contact - ifsodosodoc@gmail.com