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Carla Sinclair & Colin Burwell

@emptycupmedia

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We are award winning filmmakers, photographers and educators in #nelsonbc

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Empty Cup Media is now over 20 years old and it has undergone many changes. Since we have moved to Nelson, Carla has become the driving engine behind its continued progress and evolution. She works with the Kootenay Screen Based Industry, maintains clients in Ontario, applies for grants to make local photo competitions and is crushing it with a new Burger Month TV series that is going to permanently going to impact the burger month culture here forever.
She shoots, edits, writes, produces, directs, designs, plans events and a ton more while raising a child and maintaining a household.
The world needs to know she is the woman behind the business and she's going to take ECM into its third decade of operation and make it grow in the Kootenays.
It makes a lot of metaphorical sense for Carla to be holding the Cup since she loves mugs and warm drinks.
@ladyravenflies
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#nelsonbc #womenentrepreneurs #womenbusinessowners #femaleentrepreneurs #femalebusinessowners #kootenay #kootenaylife by @emptycupmedia

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a year ago

Omg these portraits of @thoughtsailor are 🔥
Shot and edited in under an hour. I love our centre field split diopter filter.
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#nelsonbc #kootenaylife #portrait #model #modelphotography by @emptycupmedia

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15 days ago

Nine local young people. Nine career journeys. One thing in common: they're building their futures right here in the Nelson area.

For many young people, it can feel like leaving home is the only path to a successful career. But these nine stories show a different perspective.

Over the next few weeks, we'll introduce you to local young people who have built meaningful careers in health care, skilled trades, technology, child care, media, entrepreneurship, film and more, all while choosing to live and work in the West Kootenay.

Through Greater Nelson Economic Development's Youth + Jobs initiative, you'll hear honest stories about the different paths they took, the challenges they faced and the opportunities they discovered along the way.

These videos are also the result of a unique youth mentorship program, where five local youth worked alongside filmmaker Carla Sinclair, co-owner of @emptycupmedia, to develop their interviewing, filming, editing and storytelling skills while helping bring this project to life.

Whether you're a student exploring what's next, a parent supporting those decisions, or an educator helping guide the next generation, we hope these stories inspire you to see what's possible close to home.

Visit the Youth + Jobs hub to explore all nine videos, discover local career pathways, and connect with education, training, employment and support resources: www.greaternelsonecdev.com/youth (link in bio)

Thank you to the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC) for partnering with Greater Nelson Economic Development to help make this project possible.

#GreaterNelsonEcDev #NelsonBC #Kootenays #WestKootenays #Youth #LocalYouth #YouthJobs #Jobs #Career #Careers @selkirkcollege by @emptycupmedia

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2 months ago

That's a wrap with the Selkirk Youth Film Camp for 2026! We hade 35 films with kids aged 8-18 over a 4 week period. This the team that made it happen. The 6 of us worked with roughly 80 kids and helped them take their ideas and turn them into short films. Thanks for another successful season everyone ✨️🎬
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#nelsonbc #kootenays #filmcamp #selkirkcollege #youthfilm by @emptycupmedia

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2 months ago

Call me mutha

Putting together this music video took a lot of time and effort. Producing and designing while making my visions come to life used to be stressful but this was one of the most fun and easiest shoots I’ve ever done !

@emptycupmedia
@ladyravenflies taken in Nelson, B.C. by @emptycupmedia

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4 months ago

🎬 SELKIRK FILM CAMP IS BACK THIS JULY! 🎬

We’re excited to announce that the Selkirk Film Camp is returning for THREE different week-long camps this summer — and this year, Colin is stepping into the role of coordinator after several years as lead instructor!

This is a hands-on filmmaking experience where kids get to actually MAKE movies using professional camera gear, lights, microphones, editing software, and more.

🎥 Kids can: ✨ Bring their own movie ideas ✨ Join another crew and collaborate ✨ Learn acting, filming, directing, editing, sound, and storytelling ✨ Work with real filmmaking equipment ✨ Gain confidence and creative skills ✨ Have their finished films screened on Friday for friends & family!

At the end of each week, we celebrate with a movie screening and certificate presentation for every participant.

No experience necessary — just creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to have fun!

📅 3 separate camps running this July
💲 $375 for the week

Spots fill quickly every year, so keep an eye out for registration details!

♥️ Registrarion link in bio ♥️

#nelsonbc #kootenay #kootenaylife #castlegar #trailbc by @emptycupmedia

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5 months ago

DRIFF Rewind 2019: Celebrating 10 Years of Storytelling
🎬✨

“From documentary and animations to community-driven storytelling, these alumni exemplify the impact of DRIFF well beyond the screen…”

Visit the link in our bio and read the full article. by @emptycupmedia

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6 months ago

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6 months ago

The 2026 Lip Sync Battle hosted by @intuit.mvmt was absolutely electric! Congrats @dashamorningstar for taking home the prize and bragging rights for her Lady Gaga performance and tie breaker. Nelson is a hot bed for talent. There are so many top tier performers in this city. It has been an honour to photograph it for the last 3 years ♥️
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#nelsonbc #kootenay #kootenaylife #ladygaga #performer by @emptycupmedia

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6 months ago

The end of an era. After an incredibly meaningful chapter, Colin is moving on from his role at the Nelson and District Youth Centre.

After moving to Nelson in 2023, Colin stepped into a period of major change — including beginning a new role at the Nelson and District Youth Centre. The decision to work with youth came from a desire to become part of the community, build meaningful relationships, and create opportunities for his own child to connect with kids outside of school. It was also a chance to learn new skills about working with young people in order to become a better father, while gaining a deeper understanding of how youth think, create, and express themselves.

During his time at the Youth Centre, Colin helped lead a period of growth and renewal. He contributed to improvements across the facility, including painting and redesigning multiple spaces, creating a dedicated programming room, refreshing the dance studio, building momentum with rentals, and leading a team of youth workers. He helped run summer camps, developed new programming, and had the privilege of working with over 200 young people. The relationships built during this time will be deeply missed.

Colin set out to immerse himself in the community, learn as much as possible, and contribute meaningfully — and feels grateful for the opportunity to have done so.

Now, he is returning his focus to his video production work. Colin is planning to become more active with his cameras again, offering filming, editing, and creative workshops in Nelson. He is excited to continue building connections through storytelling — whether covering events of all sizes, documenting music and rave culture, producing corporate and promotional videos, or teaching photography and videography skills to youth and adults. He is also exploring opportunities to offer workshops through the Nelson Public Library.

Time for the next phase in Colin's Nelson journey. Colin is currently available for hire and looks forward to collaborating on new creative projects.
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#nelsonbc #kootenaylife #thankyou #journey #newpath by @emptycupmedia

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6 months ago

Found some old artistic light paintings of Carla's motorcycle that Colin shot before moving to Nelson. These were taken with an external flash and an LED dance whip with a 30" shutter speed.
Which one is your favorite? Do you have a hot piece of gear that'd look dolled up with a light painting?
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#longexpo #longexposure #lightpainting #nelsonbc #kootenaylife by @emptycupmedia

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6 months ago

Huge congrats to Luke Mason and his band 'Revelry' for putting on their first concert this month. They played two sets of 90s and 2000s dance rock at the @nelsonanddistrictyouthcentre where all proceeds went right back into programming. This man loves music and believes it's a human right to have access to it.
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#nelsonbc #kootenaylife #livemusic #localband #fundraiser by @emptycupmedia

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7 months ago