Buick to the Future: 10 Years Later

It can be difficult to look back at past work and think about what you would've done differently or how it could've been better. That's not really the case with Buick to the Future, a series of short episodes I made a decade ago with my friend Tyler. They were obviously loosely inspired by the Back to the Future films, but really they were their own kind of weird.

10 years ago I was taking some classes over the summer at film school and had just started the Editing Luke website. It was around this time in 2007 that YouTube had really started to explode, however there wasn't nearly as much strategy behind putting videos online back then. There was also nothing particularly surprising about two film students, however amateur, wanting to experiment with our own content on this brand new platform.  

Let me just say that my friend Tyler and I knew from the start how ridiculous the idea was, but with my old '89 Buick and a love for Back to the Future, we at least had a great title! YouTube was really the wild west back then, and it was pretty clear that it was transforming the kinds of content that people were watching. Ironically, I'm not sure we mused much about the future when making these videos, we just wanted to give it a go!



That summer the Buick to the Future episodes were watched over 10,000 times, which in my 2007 mind probably felt like the whole world. I know the videos circulated with our friends around the university and I remember people telling me at dorm parties that fall that they thought they were hilarious. It all seems so innocent now.

I can't help but be nostalgic for these cheesy videos, not because they're all that great themselves, but because the experience of making them and sharing them online radically influenced the direction my career took. In the decade that I've shared my film related experiences on this site, it's kind of amazing to look back at such a humble beginning and see the thread of how it lead to my media company, numerous, bigger projects, and the ability to reach wider audiences.

I sometimes have to remind myself just how quickly the online video world has changed - YouTube wasn't HD or widescreen in 2007. Facebook videos were barely even a thing yet, and cell phones shooting video was cutting edge. The technology has come a long way, and naturally so have we in how we use it. As it turns out, the only time traveling we'd be doing with Buick to the Future would be while reflecting on how much time has gone past since it was made.

 

Medicine Hat, Alberta Then & Now: Part 1

It's fascinating to look at the evolution of a community over the span of a century, especially when that community is your hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta. I've explored comparison photography before through my ghosting series, however there's something far more direct about trying to match up exact shots for side by side "then & now" examination. 

What buildings have survived, how has the city grown, when was that built, and are there any hidden clues revealed by comparing? I love how looking at these images actually leads to more questions about the how, why, and when behind things changing. The history of this prairie city is still very young, and while it's easy to be nostalgic or sentimental about what's been lost, I also see these images as proof of the many ways this community has flourished. 

1886 & 2017 - Downtown View

The archival image is of Medicine Hat in 1886, only 3 years after the railroad arrived and the settlement was officially founded. Notice the CPR Bridge is only single track in 1886, but was eventually upgraded to a double track as it looks today (however it's mostly obscured by trees from the same view in 2017). You can see a glimpse of Finlay Bridge in 2017 as well, but in 1886 it was still 22 years away from being built.



1906 & 2017 - Train Station

You can't really tell from this archival image, but the train station is actually half the size as it is in the modern image. It was doubled in size (by twinning the look of the station) in 1912.

1910s & 2017 - 2nd Street

On the left side of the archival image you'll notice Medicine Hat's old city hall and post office, which have since been replaced by BATUS Park and the Bank of Montreal. You can also see the Beveridge Block near the centre of both images. On the right, the Bank of Commerce was obscured by trees, but is still standing today.

1917 & 2017 - Corner of 1st Street and 6th Avenue.

This is the modern day location of Medicine Hat's City Hall, however a century ago it was where the Medicine Hat News and Empress Theatre stood.


1912 & 2017 - River View

The wider modern day shot showcases not only how much the city has grown over a century, but also how many trees were planted.

1920s & 2017 - Five Roses Flour Mill

The archival image shows the Five Roses Flour Mill after its largest expansion. The warehouse was downsized in the 1970s when the location was renovated into an inn and restaurant.

1912 & 2017 - Train Station

Separated by 105 years, the archival image shows the train station just after it was expanded that year. I like how even the trucks are in the same spot in this image.


1946 & 2017 - Intersection of 3rd Street and 6th Avenue.

The archival image is of the South Alberta Regiment returning from Europe after WWII. Despite a few changes, the intersection is still easily recognizable in both images.

1950 & 2017 - Assiniboia Inn

Prior to being renovated into the Assiniboia Hotel / Inn, the archival image shows what the Hooper-Huckvale Block looked like in 1950. Today, despite the hotel having been closed for years, the old neon sign and early 1950s exterior remain.

California and the Pacific Coast Highway

With Washington and Oregon behind us, we continued our road trip into California along the Pacific Coast Highway. With the views still as incredible as ever, the transition from north to south became fascinating to observe as coastal redwoods eventually became palm trees. 

From Crescent City to Eureka to San Francisco to Morro Bay to Los Angeles to San Diego, the imagery captured through California was some of the most epic of the entire road trip. The variety on a journey like this is tough to summarize, and I remember feeling almost overwhelmed at the end of each day because of how rich all of the visuals were. These are a few of the in-between shots captured on the open road that connect several thousand other images shared in my Roadside California series. Here are a few more slices from an unbelievable adventure!

Oldest operating McDonald's in Downey, California.