Experienced local freelancer brews up a storm

Feb 16, 2018 | Arts

David Hodge at Green Suite 209. (Amy Chen)

Amy Chen

The Great Lakes Brewery celebrates its 30th anniversary with a documentary made by Studio Manager and Director of Photography David Hodge.

“I investigated every aspect of its history and I wanted to show them in the good and bad light as well, because everybody makes mistakes,” Hodge said.

Great Lakes Brewery is one of the oldest and most fiercely independent craft breweries in Ontario. They’ve won two consecutive gold medals at the eleventh and twelfth annual Canadian Brewing Awards.

“I didn’t want to make it into a promotional video. I wanted to make it into a real documentary about the struggles that they went through, ‘cause I think that’s what it is, in the end.” Hodge said.

Much like his documentary, 30 Years of Great Lakes Beer: The Journey of Great Lakes Brewery, the freelancer and entrepreneur world is in constant motion for Hodge.

He has filmed episodes with Erica Ehm for the Yummy Mummy Club, interned for the then-called SkyDome when it had its brand new television studios, been a cameraman at the Canadian Brewing Awards, but has never stopped investing in his business, Green Suite 209.

David Hodge at Green Suite 209. (Green Suite 209/David Hodge)

“Whenever I get paid for a job, I’ll always add to the studio, like buy a new light, or buy another tripod, or something like that,” Hodge said.

Hodge also finds success by staying positive and being proactive.

“Even now, I’m 48 years old and I’m still constantly making my resume and sending it to people, because I don’t have a full-time job. My job is to keep getting jobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ryan Frampton and Drew Mortensen are international development and political science students respectively at the University of Guelph. They are taking a dip into the entrepreneurship world together with Lendr Inc.

This month, they released an Android beta for their peer-to-peer renting app.

“The most challenging aspect of starting our business was not having too much experience in the business field,” Frampton said.

“Neither of us come from an official business background and had no idea what to expect turning an idea like this into reality,” he said.

Hodge studied television and film production at the University of Windsor and does not have a business background, either. Yet with several years of experience and success, Hodge advises new freelancers and entrepreneurs to just make something with the equipment they have, and be open-minded in learning new skills.

“I would encourage anybody just to borrow a camera if you don’t have one, and just shoot something and try editing it together – try making your own videos, because that’s what where you start and that’s where you learn,” Hodge said.

Green Suite 209 is just about a 15 minute drive from Humber College North. It’s in a large building, up one flight of narrow stairs, down a long hallway and past a pair of welcoming, big, green doors.