Stunning New Video Puts You “On the Canal”

Want to get a very realistic idea of what it’s like to ride the legendary
Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal?  Go no further than getting your hands on a
wonderful new video from Virginia videographer John Urman.  Then go and ride the
C&O!
Produced first as a gift for family and friends, the 30-minute
travelogue/documentary caught the attention of professional travel television
broadcasters, and has since been broadcast on seven public access channels from
Alexandria, Va., to Washington County, Maryland.  Along the way it earned local,
national and international awards for videography.
Urman’s crowning achievement was wrangling a broadcast on Maryland
Public Television, thus reaching the entire state of Maryland and all of the
Washington, D.C. metro area.
“On The Canal” is a cyclists’ view of the 184.5 mile C&O from Georgetown
inside Washington, D.C., to Cumberland.
The video features practical information about what to see, where to eat
and stay, along with historical facts and footage of the Canal’s romantic and turbulent past.
“Most people tour the first 22 miles of the canal,” Urman recently told
SPOKES.  “They miss out on the friendly faces and quirky places; the magic
beyond the suburbs. It is quiet out there, but it’s not a wilderness; it’s a
good mix of peace and civility. I think of a canal ride as a ‘master reset
button’ for my life.”
Urman’s first full-length ride of the C&O in 2004 included soaking rain
for two of three days, and a good beaning by hail on the third.  But he still
says it was the best ride of his life.
Maryland born and now an Arlington, Va., resident, Urman drew upon his
background in news photography to create this homespun video. In the process, he
got a chance to polish his documentary producing, writing, editing, acting and
voice-over skills. In addition, his brother, Tom Urman, assisted with a portion
of the camera work.
One of the best aspects is the riveting visuals, which make you feel as
though you are going along for the ride.  To visually recreate the cycling experience, Urman invented his
“simulated steadicam.” In addition to his camcorder he used a helmetcam borrowed
from a friend.
“A helmetcam doesn’t necessarily have to be on your helmet,” Urman told
SPOKES. A lightweight tripod, closed like a stick, was utilized to shoot back at
himself. Angling the helmetcam to hide the crook of his arm made the shot appear
to be held by someone else.
“This combination of riding, holding the tripod out and tracking in an
arc while ignoring the camera sometimes required more coordination than I
actually have. I crashed some.”
After an overwhelmingly positive response to the broadcasts, Urman has
produced a DVD edition for sale.   In addition to the 30-minute main program and
an out-takes short (see a few of those crashes), the DVD includes the original
“Down the Old Potomac” from 1917. These 12 minutes of historical footage feature
another intrepid photographer who actually rode on the waterway part of the
canal 90 years ago from Cumberland to Georgetown. See actual canal barges in operation a full
seven years before the C&O’s last days.
This version of “On the Canal” will be available in local bike shops,
coffee shops and other retail outlets from D.C. to Cumberland. Also check out
Urman’s website at www.onthecanal.org

Spokes Magazine   Neil W. Sandler