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BLAST
OFF!
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BLAST OFF! Filming Days
BLAST OFF! is a children's cartooning show being filmed around Cochrane and the Calgary area. When we shoot in public, this page tells you where we'll be, when, and what to expect if you walk into the frame.
Schedule
Last updated: September 11, 2026
Times and locations are as accurate as we can make them, but weather, permits, and small children on set all have opinions. If something moves, this page moves with it.
Upcoming
September 12, 2026 (Saturday)
Timings: 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
What we're shooting: Two parts. First, the booths and vendors as things get set up and doors open. Then the performances and general festival atmosphere, plus plenty of crowd footage. Reactions, families sharing food, kids taking it all in, the whole feel of it. I'll also be pulling folks aside for a short on-camera question: if you could only bring one thing with you to live in space, what would you bring? Totally optional, and I'll make sure anyone who takes part knows where the footage is going before we roll.
Expected footprint: I'll be moving through the booth area early on, then working around the performance space and food areas once things are in full swing. I may drift between different parts of the venue to catch different acts and moments. I'll have signs posted in the immediate filming area letting people know shooting is happening. For those individual interview I will have releases on hand.
Rough duration on site: Roughly one to two hours.
Heads up: This is a busy public event with a lot going on in one space, so the usual marked-zone approach only goes so far. As always, if you'd rather not appear on camera, wave me off when you see me and I'll do my best to keep you out of the shot.
September 7, 2026 (Labour Day Monday)
Timings: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
What we're shooting: Two parts. First, the parade float setup and staging beforehand. Then the parade itself, plus plenty of crowd and spectator footage. Reactions, families, kids on shoulders, the whole feel of it.
Expected footprint: I'll be moving through the float staging area early on, then posted up along the parade route in the area of the Rockyview Hotel and the chicken lady statue once things get rolling. I may drift a bit up and down the block during the parade to get different angles. I'll have signs posted in the immediate filming area letting people know shooting is happening.
Rough duration on site: Roughly four hours, including setup and pack-up on either end.
Heads up: This is a big public event with a packed crowd, so the usual marked-zone approach only goes so far. As always, if you'd rather not appear on camera, wave me off when you see me and I'll do my best to keep you out of the shot.
September 5-6, 2026 (Saturday and Sunday of the Labour Day long weekend)
Timings: Throughout the day both Saturday and Sunday. I'll be moving between Cochrane Discovery Days events in the historic downtown, Cochrane Ranch, and the Cochrane Lions Rodeo at the Lions Rodeo Grounds (109 Fifth Avenue).
What we're shooting: B-roll from both events and a series of one-off interviews with attendees, performers, vendors, riders, and organizers. I'll also be set up outside Mackay's Ice Cream asking a quick fun question on camera: "If you could make your own space-inspired themed ice cream, what would it be, and what would you call it?" Come by, make something up, get weird with it. That's the whole point.
Expected footprint: Roving. I won't be locked to one spot. I'll be bouncing between the rodeo grounds, the downtown Discovery Days footprint, and Mackay's throughout both days. If you spot the camera and the vest, that's me. Stop me and say hi, I'd love to catch up.
Rough duration on site: Two full days, with setup and pack-up on either end of each day.
Heads up: These are large public events across a big footprint, so the usual marked-zone approach doesn't apply. If you'd rather not appear on camera, wave me off when you see me and I'll do my best to keep you out of the shot.
August 30, 2026
Timings: 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Main Street, Historic Downtown Cochrane (between 1st Street West and 5th Avenue, the closed race course).
What we're shooting: The full Cochrane Outhouse Races, from team check-in through the final heat. I'll be capturing the race itself and grabbing short interviews with racers, organizers, and spectators along the course.
Expected footprint: Roving along the Main Street race course and through the crowd. I won't be set up in one fixed spot, so if you see the bright orange vest and camera, that would be me.
moving through, that's me.Rough duration on site: 4 hours, including setup before the noon team check-in and pack-up after the 3 PM finish.
Heads up: this is a large public event, so the usual marked-zone approach doesn't apply. If you'd rather not appear on camera, wave me off when you see me and I'll do my best to keep you out of the shoot.
Being on camera
Here's the honest version, no legalese.
If you walk through an area we're filming in, you might end up in the shot. We try to keep our footprint small and clearly marked, but public sidewalks are public sidewalks and we can't rope off a whole block.
Footage from BLAST OFF! is used for the episodes themselves, which will stream on Telus Optik TV and be shared on social media, at screenings, and in promotional material for the show and its funders. Once an episode is out in the world, it stays out in the world.
If you don't want to be filmed, the easiest thing is to step around our marked zone. Our crew wears bright orange vests and we set up sandwich boards at the edges of the filming area so you can spot us from a distance.
If you want out
If you or your kid ended up in a shot and you'd rather not be in the final cut, email dan@blastoffstation.ca with the date, location, and a rough time. A photo helps if you have one. I'll pull you from the cut before the episode airs.
I don't ask why. If you want out, I will do my best to take you out.
What our setup looks like
So you know what you're walking toward.
Signage. Sandwich boards at every entry point to the filming zone, marked "FILMING NOTICE." Each board lists the shoot end time and a QR code to this page.
The crew. Everyone (usually just me) on the production side wears a bright orange hi-vis vest with "Filming" on the back. If someone approaches you with a clipboard, they're probably asking whether you're okay being in the shot.
Sidewalks and roads. We do not close roads and we keep sidewalks open. If you need to walk through the marked zone, flag me down and I'll pause. Parking near the shoot is unaffected.
Appearing in the show on purpose
If you want to be in the shot, or you're a parent whose kid wants to be part of a scene, here's how that works.
Adults: download and sign the appearance release below, then bring it to the shoot or email it back before the shoot day. If you show up without one, I have copies on a clipboard.
Kids under 18: a parent or guardian has to sign, and I'd rather you sign in advance so we're not doing paperwork with a five-year-old waiting to draw a rocket. Same form, extra section for guardian details.
[Download the appearance release (PDF)]
Signing a release doesn't guarantee you make the final cut. Editing is editing. But it does mean I can use the footage if you're in it.
About the show
BLAST OFF! is a cartooning show for kids, hosted by Dan Barnfield, made in and around Cochrane and Calgary. Each episode pairs a hands-on drawing lesson with a visit to someone doing interesting work in the community, from animal rescues to astronaut-adjacent science.
It's produced by Barnfield Studios and funded by TELUS STORYHIVE.
Get a heads-up before we film near you
Check back here for the current schedule. I also post shoot notices on [SPECIFIC FACEBOOK PAGES, E.G. COCHRANE NOW, COCHRANE COMMUNITY CHAT] a few days ahead of each shoot day.
Contact
One inbox for everything: filming questions, removal requests, appearance releases, media, whatever.
Email: dan@blastoffstation.ca
Response time is usually within 2 to 3 business days.