CAPE BRETON: After 35 years of collecting sea glass along the beach in Inverness, Beth Ryan has seen an evolution from a lonely, enjoyable pastime to a craze that brings people from around the world to find that perfect treasure.
Ryan never dreamed her daily beachcombing at the Inverness Beach would be the topic of a television series, but nonetheless, it soon will be just that.
As one of the founding members of Cape Breton Film, she added her idea at a creative meeting, and the rest sort of just snowballed.
“I think we were talking about exploring life’s daily rituals as possible film ideas, and one of mine is searching for sea glass, so I put it in the mix,” Ryan said.
Little did the others realize, was how intricate the process is or how vast the expanse of sea glass collecting there is, which allowed her to share some of her own stories and those of others: why they do it, how far they’ll travel, what they do with the glass, how helpful it can be for the mind – coincidentally, captivating the other creatives in the room, simultaneously.
The idea then became a reality after Director Vivian Sound and Producer Patrick Lanctot developed it and submitted a proposal to FIBE TV1. It wasn’t long after Lanctot found himself pitching the show to executives that he received the news that Cape Breton Film was green-lighted to produce six episodes of SEA CLASS for FIBE TV1, which is expected to air sometime in the late fall of 2024.
“The show’s host and co-producer, Beth, will be the thread that connects all the stories, starting with her origin story of beachcombing; subsequent episodes will have her seeking out sea glass enthusiasts willing to share what drives their obsession with this worldwide phenomenon,” Lanctot said. “We’ll make our way along all kinds of beaches in Cape Breton and no doubt meet some interesting people with great stories.”
There’s going to be a lot involved.
“For boutique productions on limited budgets, you need a cohesive team willing to wear many different hats, and once you find that perfect mix of people, you want to stick with them and grow together,” Lanctot said, who also happens to be the DOP, production manager and editor on the series.
Land use permissions are being secured by the location manager and set photographer Jaime Beaton, who will also co-manage publicity and social media with First AD Cindy O’Neill.
It’s also noted that you may see Tom Ryan Sr. (Beth’s husband) making cameo appearances in a few episodes, but he is also the production coordinator and helps with transportation.
Every production needs a field producer/fixer, and there’s no better than Bonny MacIsaac. Mike Ryan of Town Heroes is signed on to compose the show’s music; this is his second composition for Cape Breton Film, and Garrett Mackinnon, who started off as a trainee on the set of the company’s first film, Bocan, in 2018, is now a graduate of the NSCC Screen Arts program and joined the production crew as a camera operator.
“It’s a good feeling when you can help someone reach their goals, and having Garrett on set with us makes us feel like we are fulfilling our mandate,” Cape Breton Film’s President James Ryan said, who is also the key grip/gaffer for the show.
Sound is also in charge of audio from start to finish and wants to see more sound women on set and in audio post-production; and leading by example is what Cape Breton Film is all about.
“This is what I love about our team; we are all so diverse as people, and what we all bring to the table is genuine and valuable,” Sound said. “Some of us are here just for the love of it, albeit it’s hard work; others do it for a living, but everyone is a critical part of the process and completely invested. I feel like I won the lottery as a director.”
Pre-production for SEA CLASS is underway as they are set to film throughout spring and summer all over the island. The expected release date is late 2024, and it will be available on FIBE TV1, Channel 1, and the FIBE TV app. SEA CLASS is being produced with the help of the Screen NS Content Creator Fund and the Nova Scotia Film Incentive Production Fund.