Will you ever get back with Justin and do another season of departures?

For sure! At the moment we have a few other passion projects in the process of being green-lit. We would love to revisit Departures in the future for an epic season 4! We have one rule, if we are going to do another season it has to be better than season 1,2 and 3 combined :)

How is Yoshi doing these days?

He's good! He lives happily with Justin.

Can you expand upon how much time you spent in some of the places on the show(s)? Was there anywhere in particular you wish you had more time in which to spend? Anywhere you were happy to leave? Why?

P.S. - Scott: Just wanted to add that I appreciated all of your Simpsons references in Departures.

We spent upwards of a month in some countries. The shortest was in North Korea where we were only allowed to stay 5 days. It's amazing to think we got two full episodes shot in such a short time, but everything we were allowed to film was so fascinating.

Most of the places we went to we wish we had more time to explore. It was great to revisit some places when we filmed Descending, to see them again but from a whole new perspective.

The NK episode of Departures always bothered me a bit. In most of the places you guys go, you do a really great job of discussing political and historical issues (for instance in Rwanda, Japan, Vietnam), but in the NK episode, there's basically no mention of any of the political issues at all and it feels like a bit of a whitewash to me. Was there a particular reason that you seemed to avoid talking politics when in came to that episode? Was it simply a time/resource/access constraint? The contemporaneous nature of the issues there? Or maybe something else entirely?

We were closely monitored and moderated. We were only taken to the places that were part of the "tour", places that they wanted to show us. This is what its like to tour DPRK and that experience we had was 100% accurate. If you look closely at the episode and read between the lines, you can see the "real" DPRK, again, anything we were allowed to put on camera we did.

Rwanda, Japan, and Vietnam you can talk about those things with the people and they are willing to talk about it. In DPRK, people are unable or un-wiling to speak about these things at this time. So we decided to show the experience the locals presented to us and try and connect in a human way with those we met. We felt this was being a respectful and responsible traveler. We also got to show a different side of the DPRK that is not normally shown on the news, in docs etc.

We are always true to showing OUR experience within a country.

The people we met and the friendships we forged with our guides were genuine. Even Nick who as been visiting there for 20 years has never seen foreigners connect like that before. If thats true then we feel we did something right.

You visited Libya shortly before the revolution. Were there any indicators at the time that change/unrest was coming, or was it a total shock to you when you found out?

Also, you visited some places that have a reputation as being "unsafe" for travelers. Which places surprised you the most for feeling safe or unsafe?

There were no clear indications while we were in Libya that a revolution was imminent. However, after spending weeks with the people and making new friends, you could get a sense that most were unhappy with the leadership.

Absolutely, ironically some of the most "unsafe" places made us feel the most welcome and were the most rewarding. Some that come to mind are, Libya, Sudan, North Korea, Papua New Guinea.

Thank you so much for creating your shows, they got me through some very hard times. I even ended up getting a departures tattoo!

I know that there is not going to be a fourth season, but if there was, where would you go?

Never say never! D4 would be amazing! Some of the places we had on our list but were unable to get to were:

Iran, the "stans", Mali, Mauritius/Reunion, Peru, Argentina, Pitcairn...

Its a big world and after 3 seasons we still only barely saw it.

Scott and Andre, first of all I just want to say thank you. Departures is hands down the most life-changing TV show I've ever been introduced to. It taught me so much about both the diversity and similarity that exist across human culture, with hosts I felt I was travelling along with, and some of the most breath-taking cinematography I've ever seen. Departures and Descending have fuelled my travel-bug more deeply than I can explain, and as a matter of fact here's a picture of my friend and I in our Departures shirts visiting Ha Long Bay. Anyway, for my question:

After travelling to so many places and immersing yourselves in completely new environments for such a long period of time, in what ways have your day-to-day lives in Canada been improved, and in what ways have they become more difficult? In my much more limited experience, the tolerance and understanding you gain from travel can completely change your mindset and your outlook on life - but at the same time "regular life" must get boring and tedious if all you can think about is the world you could be experiencing out there.

PS: Departures inspired me to try my own hand at travel cinematography - these are all filmed on my iPod (can't even zoom haha…), but it would mean more than I care to admit if you saw even one of them: Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Istanbul.

Thank you for Watching!

Travel certainly has given, as you have said, a greater sense of patience, tolerance, understanding of the world outside our backyards. It also has given us a better appreciation for "home" and how good we have it here. That being said, travel can be a bit of a curse in a way, once you've gone around the world it easily becomes an addiction. "Where can I go next?". By the time you've had a chance to "see it all" once, the world has already changed. You can go back to the same places years later and have a completely new experience.

You'll never actually "see it all", and thats one of our favourite things about travel.

Hey guys! I wanted to start by thanking you so much for making such an impactful show. Since the get go I've been getting more and more friends into it - especially when they need a quick fix for their travel bug! Your interactions on screen and Andre's cinematography really created the spark to how I go about travel and since then I've lived in Japan and China and (even if in a small way) I credit you guys with some of the ways I tackled that.

My question is with all the amazing footage you captured, did you have sort of mental notes on what sort of scenes you wanted to capture to tell each country's story or was it much more of a play-by-ear thing?

Even if you don't answer, thanks again so much. You made my favourite show and I think I speak for a TON of people when I say I hope to see you guys on screen again soon!

We definitely had a loose plan when going to a destination (as you often do). We knew the main things we wanted to see and do, but it wasn't uncommon for those plans to go out the window. The best moments always ended up being the random people, places, the little surprises around every corner. Racing the wooden cars in Madagascar, being among the first to see a WWII wreck in Gizo, the fermented yak-milk-bender we went on in Mongolia, running into Eroni (the man who saved J.F.K.) in the Solomon Islands, you can't plan for this stuff.

I have been a fan of the show since it first aired on OLN. SE1 of Departures had a major impact on my life in terms of how I see myself in the world and what I want to do. Since then I've obtained a degree in international development studies (I will begin a master's in a similar field fall 2015) and have travelled across Canada (Ocean to Ocean, but not up North, yet) and backpacked Europe. My next adventure will begin spring of next year; I hope to visit S/E Asia.

I understand that you, Scott, have hinted at wanting to continue down the path of Departures (with Andre and Justin of course), but that there have been issues with the networks (i.e. OLN). Could you expand on this or bring us up-to-date? Have you given thought to other media outlets such as Netflix?

Also, how do you react to people when they designate entire regions of the world as "off-limits" to (Western) travellers due to some fear or another (e.g. conflict/ crime & poverty/ disease etc.). When I discuss my plans about going to x country, I often hear a response something like "oh, don't go there it's dangerous." For instance, travelling to Jordan, Israel or Saudi Arabia is often considered "dangerous" (I'm not saying there are no risks involved) by virtue of being associated with the Middle East, which is in turn often associated with instability and violence in the media.

Anyway, I'd just like to thank you all for your hard work and dedication on both Departures and Descending, as well as for fundamentally changing the lives (or at least perspectives) of thousands upon thousands of fans worldwide.

Next time you do another cross Canada episode, come back to Ottawa and we can all have a few drinks (I can't believe it's been over 6? years since SE1EP1!).

All the best.

I think it would be really cool if they did a show similar to the cross Canada episode but across the US. They could travel on motorcycles and show the US from a Canadians perspective.

Scott: We love riding in the US. We've been lucky enough to ride Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia. One of my bucket-list rides is across the southwest United States.

What about "Rickshaw cross' Merica'" with Justin?

That would be amazing. Especially if we supercharged the rickshaw and gave it a lift kit.

Out of all the countries you've visited, which one has the cheapest beer?

Zimbabwe was pretty cheap. 10 cents a bottle, and it was good!

Hey Scott and Andre,

I just wanted to say first off, I've been a fan since Departures first aired. When I first saw it, it's like something went off in my mind and I needed to travel. Though I am still in university, you guys have inspired me to do a few trips in the past 5-6 years that I don't think I would have done otherwise. Any chance I get to tell someone about the shows you do, I take it! Not to mention I'm from Toronto, so that makes it even cooler.

I mean, I have a lot of questions, but the three questions that are on my mind right now are:

1) I've seen the shows that are on OLN today, and needless to say, I'm pretty upset with the direction of the "Outdoor Life Network". I cannot turn on the channel without seeing shows like Storage Wars and the Liquidator.. You don't have to comment on that, but.. What could be done to get shows like Departures more available and visible to the public? Are networks really not wanting to pick up more travel shows?

2) How do you guys manage to be away from your friends and families for years at a time? Obviously Departures took place over the span of three seasons, and Descending over one so far. I would really love to do a year-long trip once I graduate, but I feel the ties back home are what would stop me from doing so.

3) What was your favourite place you've travelled to and would recommend to anyone (does not have to be on either program).

1) We can absolutely comment. We find it very disappointing to see the decisions the networks are making for TV content these days. Scott and I and our Distributor are approaching many new networks to find a home for our brand of television. Frankly the kind of TV that we love to watch. Unfortunately it seems that lately "real-travel" is something the networks don't want. Unless it has "WILD AND CRAZY" characters, scripted and acted "drama", or some game-show-like hook, they are un-interested.

2) Skype and Facebook are amazing for keeping in touch. Its not easy by an means, especially if your very close with the people back home. We are lucky to live in an age where we can be more connected then ever, and if you keep a close eye on flight deals, its not impossible to have loved ones grab a cheap flight and meet up with you somewhere. I know of some people who are working abroad and their family loves the opportunity to visit them.

3) SCOTT: I have no favourite. Sounds like a cop-out but every country I have visited is amazing for different reasons. However, based on fan feedback some popular locations we have been to are Jordan, New Zealand, Iceland.

What's next for you lads, TV-making-wise?

We have a number of series in the works. While we can't say too much at this time, they all involve travel. Motorcycling the world certainly has become a keen interest of ours and Andre and Ellis completed filming a sailing adventure from New Zealand to Tonga. As soon as we can say more we will be sure to post on Facebook and Twitter.

I love your shows and I loved Ewen McGregror's Long Way Around. I think you could do an awesome version yourself.

Totally. Long Way Round is a great show by itself.

We both love Long Way Round. Meeting Charlie Boorman was very cool and we also got to meet the cinematographer Claudio von Planta while in PNG. That show was a huge early inspiration for Departures. We had filmed a pilot and were so un-sure of ourselves that we sat on it for 2 years. Once Long Way Round came out we were inspired to finally send the pilot into the networks. They called us in for a meeting the very next day. A week later we were green-lit and within a month we were driving across Canada.

Made my reddit account for this

Have you kept in contact with any of the people you met while travelling? The man in Chernobyl? Cook Islands? Nick who took you guys to DPRK

Scott have you bungee jumped for Justin since he missed it in NZ?

At the mausoleum of Kim Il Sung, what kind of things did you see? You were not allowed to bring cameras in.

Wish I could ask you guys more but I don't want to take up anyone else's time.

SCOTT: I originally started my Facebook account in order to keep in contact with the amazing people we were meeting around the world. Ibrahim from Jordan visited me in Canada last year, I just met up with Tomoko in Japan last week. I took Nick from DPRK to Niagara falls when he visited Canada. It's an unspoken travel rule, they showed us around so I like to show them around.

SCOTT: Yes, I was able to bungee jump off the bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia over the Zambezi river during filming of the show in Zambia. (the bungee cord was a frayed mess... Kind of added to the suspense).

ANDRE: I wish we could have filmed in the mausoleum in DPRK. I wish I could have filmed many things in DPRK. We were very monitored with what we could share with the world. In the mausoleum was the body Kim Il Sung laying in state in a glass coffin. There was thousands of people from all over the country who were there to "pay their respects". The place was HUGE. There were moving sidewalks to get around the different wings of the building and I remember people stepping onto them as if they had never seen something so futuristic.

Will you be doing more work with Ellis? Will Andre ever get more screen time? (I want to see you buddy!) P.S. I'm 21 and you two (and a littel bit Justin) are the only idols I have ever had. Love Departures and decending. You have changed my life, I'm so greatfull. I love to travel!! Saw the show for the first time when it aired in NZ, but live in Denmark now. Please come to Denmark or just scandinavia!

ANDRE: Thanks for watching! Ellis and I recently shot pilot for a series about sailing around the world. We are currently pitching it to broadcasters and there as been a good amount of interest. We are also looking to do a season 2 of Descending with Ellis.

The cinematography in Departures and Descending was far superior to that of "Long Way Around". Are there any plans on a Motorcycle adventure series?

We're not, NOT, thinking of filming a motorcycle show.... :)

Do you guys plan on doing a season 2 of descending?

We have interest from a few broadcasters for a second season but a few more things need to fall into place first. We would love to do an episode diving the deep wrecks on Bikini Atoll (they were sunk in a nuclear bomb test). Diving Antarctica with leopard seals and around icebergs would be pretty amazing too. Filming blue whales in the Azores would also make a pretty awesome episode. We're keen for a second season, so much more to see!

I hear when you travel in the Azores, you can see blue whales swimming from your front porch. That's the word on the street.

ANDRE: I was just there a few months ago and this is true.

Always wanted to know how on earth you managed those aerial shots. For example, of your car driving in Cuba. Drones? Renting helicopters? You can fly? Seems so difficult to coordinate renting a chopper for so many places!

I would love to see a 3rd season of departures and have the 3 of you go to Bhutan, one of the least talked about places in the world. It is highly inaccessible to tourists and it looks stunning.

ANDRE: We have a really small budget so once in a while we got to rent a chopper. Sometimes it was a fixed wing, Cessna or otherwise. Sometimes a hot air balloon, ultralight etc. I love getting up in the air to film. Today with drones its way easier.

SCOTT: Bhutan has certainly been on our radar in the past. Would love to finally see it!

Hey guys, I am a huge fan of departures and descending, thanks for doing this! I have a few questions for Andre! After all of your travels, where has been the most inspiring scenery or landscape that you've shot, and what about it was so awe-worthy? Second, what equipment would you recommend (for both stills and film) for an amateur that wants to take quality images home from their travels?

Thanks again guys!

Andre: Most awe inspiring place for beauty? Antarctica. I remember looking at most of the mountains and thinking to myself "I bet no one has stepped foot there". Antarctica had so much untouched beauty. I would say a very close second would be Greenland. We went at a time of year that had nearly 24 hours of sunset. The light was incredible.

In terms of gear, every week there's something better than last. When I travel for fun I shoot on the sony a7r. Amazing quality, small full frame camera, very light. There are better options for "video" like the GH4, but for stills I love it.

Gents - new viewer of your Departures show via Esquire. Phenomenal work. Love the narration from Scott and the camera work from Andre has to be one of the best travel shows ever filmed. And Justin - he's just a funny dude. Good match up. I have only one question - if you guys could snap your fingers right now and go anywhere in the world - could you tell me where and why? Also Machu Picchu & Hong Kong should be on your lists for the Season 4. Best wishes. Jeff

Wanted to add one other thought. I'm fairly well traveled - just not to your level but I love how you show every day life. Where people, live, eat, shop. Really lets you get a feeling for what it would be like to live there. I'm not sure I've ever seen a show capture that before. Hope you continue to give that kind of perspective.

SCOTT: I would snap my fingers and be in the Kerguelen Islands. They are incredibly remote mountainous islands in the South Indian Ocean. The pictures look stunning, but as you can imagine, incredibly difficult to get to.

ANDRE: Im a bit the same as Scott, I have not heard of the Kerguelen Islands until just this second. I often look at google maps and find these crazy small places uninhabited places out there in the Ocean. Henderson Island comes to mind. There are so many little corners of our Earth that few have been to (or no one has been to if your willing to go under the waves). I want to see them all.

I just want to say thanks. I'm a huge fan of your show and you guys had a deep impact on my life and deeply influenced me to live abroad for a while. So, I have a quick question. Which idea or advice from a person or people that you guys met on your journeys that left the biggest impression on you?

A wise man named Filiberto on Chiloe in Chile told us:

"Live life to the fullest! It's the best way. Live every moment intensely. Because life is too short, and the moment comes when we are going to die, and we'd wished to do so many thing we didn't. Thats why we have to enjoy every moment. One must enjoy life.

Try not to acquire so many things, but instead have experiences. Accomplish everything you want to do, no matter the effort that it deserves. Life is too short and one must relish it."

Hey Scott, Justin, and Dre!

First off thank you for doing this AMA and catering not only to the departures/descending crowd but also the reddit community. I first found out about departures about five years ago while scanning through channels. Without a doubt Departures has had a significant impact on my views and outlook for life. As with most, Departures was a serious catalyst for my urge to travel. Two summers ago I was able to travel to Vietnam and visit one of my friend’s extended family in Ca Mau province. The show for me went beyond a travel documentary; it was almost therapeutic watching you three discover a new country. The cinematography not only was astounding but the soundtrack, editing, and entire production of the show seemed flawless. After having to order a second set of DVD’s because I had worn through the first, it felt as if I had a personal and deep connection with the show. I hold extreme gratitude for each of you. It is rare to see travel in such pure and organic form – totally immersed in the culture and surroundings. Not be a big softy but Departures has provoked intense emotions I never knew I could feel from TV. Countless nights I cried my eyes out just due to the unadulterated beauty of what I was witnessing.

1) As a big music nerd I’ve always wandered if you guys had any choice/preference in the soundtrack selection/production? I understand Ryan Latham composed tracks here and there but sounds from Glen Porter and even Boards of Canada (Descending) fitted remarkably well with both shows.

2) I understand Scott and Andre both attended Sheridan College prior to starting Echo Bay Media but what were your opinions and goals prior to college? In highschool did you have ambitions document your travels?

Thanks for doing this AMA and I hope OLN figures it shit out and dumps ghost hunters/storage wars/swamp people/duck dynasty … for more time slots that include something REAL like departures.

1) We love the music in the series too! Scott and I created a disc of music we both loved and handed it off to the very talented Ryan Latham. He then took our samples and composed many hours of tracks based on our style guide and also found many great artists who wanted to be part of the series. Same goes for Descending, we worked with another talented composer, Sandeep Bhandari.

2) Both Scott and I knew we wanted to get into the film industry prior to Sheridan. While in college Scott and I were lucky enough to work (for free) on another travel TV show. We were total newbie travellers and it really opened our eyes and ignited our passion to see the world. We loved it so much that I actually dropped out of college and pursued making Departures a reality. (stay in school kids)

Hey guys! Hello from Vancouver :) I made this account just for this AMA... I guess I am going to sound like a broken record here, but first I have to say that I LOVE Departures and that it changed my life, and I'm a big fan. I like Descending too but something about Departures really struck me and now travel has gone from being something I don't even think about to being a big dream of mine. In particular my top bucket list items include PNG (if I could only go to one other country in my life, it would be there), Greenland, the South Pacific and Scotland/Ireland. Also Andre you are a creative genius, and Scott you are my hero! Seeing all the stuff you've accomplished in my life inspires me to go out and chase my dreams :)

It's so amazing to hear you are working on getting another series on the air!!! I saw the Departures Ustream with Justin a while back and it kind of gave me a taste of what a new season/series might be like. Aside from great ideas, the format/editing/music/filming of the show is second-to-none, and one of the reasons I started watching in the first place. :)

A few questions (that may not have definitive answers, but I thought I'd try anyways): -What did you guys do (if anything special) in order to save up $$ before you started traveling? -Are there any places you went where you could say for sure that bringing a camera along made it easier/harder or allowed you more privileges/limited what you were able to see? Are there any situations/places that come to mind that are more suited for solo travel, or any that are better with a group?

-I know it's hard to maybe come up with something, but is there any advice you could offer to someone who is a) female, and b) vegan/vegetarian, about travelling?.....Should I even consider travelling solo to Saudi Arabia? Aside from the obvious India/Buddhist countries of the world, are there any countries where there was a lot of vegetarian cuisine to choose from?

Even if you don't answer my questions, but do read my message, I just want to say thanks! Thanks for getting travel on airwaves, thanks for choosing off-the-beaten-path locales, and thanks for being so available to fans online!!!!!! Love you guys!!!

Regardless of whether your male or female, traveling with a buddy/partner always enriches the experience. We found when someone is down theres always someone who's up. Or when your all down you have each other to get through the tough times missing family, being sick, getting out of a bad situation. There are things that never made the show, as much as we portray our experiences in the episodes, no one really will understand our adventure like the three of us.

It's nice to know that in 50 years we will be able to rejuvenate those memories with each other.

Vegetarians often struggle with some travel destinations. "Oreos" tend often to be the only things you can eat. Our friend Ryan who is vegetarian had to bend his rules a number of times in his world travels. Try and be flexible if possible and don't expect the same choices at home (We don't tend to eat yak entrails but in Mongolia thats all that was for dinner).

Hi Scott and Andre. Long time fan. Just wanted to ask if you guys will ever end up going to Iran? As a half Iranian, I've always wanted travel shows to go to Iran and show the world the beauty of the country and people.

We would love to go to Iran. It was a top choice for season 3 of Departures but unfortunately it never panned out. It still remains a must see destination for both of us.

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The experience shooting Departures and Descending were certainly very different. Descending required more crew, more equipment, and more time. We had better technology for Descending in terms of camera gear, and we did a very intensive hands-on colour correct, the result is a really awesome image we are all very proud of. We hope to one day be able to show it off in the full 4K it was shot in.

You are correct, Descending required a lot more planning. Every dive had the potential for danger and we had to make sure we all came back to the surface safely. At 4-5 dives a day this was pretty exhausting and time consuming.

"Wheres Justin?" Your the first person to ask that! ;) We get asked that all the time. We are stoked to see that the Scott/Justin combo made such an impact on so many people. He is certainly an unforgettable character.

ANDRE: Yep I was in Munich for Oktoberfest. Amazing time!

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ANDRE: Awesome! Was it in the Hippodrome tent??

Which country that you have visited has the worst bathrooms? Which has the best?

Worst... Siberia... At the end of a long and cold winter the 6 foot deep hole in the outhouses tend to become...how shall we say this.... a frozen stalagmite of human waste.

Best? Japan. The bathrooms there are from the future. More electronics then an iPhone.

Hey Scott and Andre,

Scott, you've done traveling, diving, flying and motorcycling what's calling you next? Karaoke singing? Llama stylist? Pink dolphin trainer? Beetle fighting? Bull racing?

Andre, If you could melt down Departures and Descending videography (separately) into one core message or statement, what would it be? What was your vision you were trying to show viewers?

SCOTT: I think applying these new skills to travel is the next step. Much like we did with diving, motorcycling and flying allow access to new parts of the world and new adventures that have otherwise been closed off to me. Besides, llama stylist requires far too many years of school.

ANDRE: My goal with the cinematography of both shows is to do whatever I can to make you feel like you are there with us. TV is flat and we have 43 min every episode to get our story told. You can't feel the wind on your skin, or get the smells of a market, feel the painful cold of siberia, so I have to do whatever I can to convey this with framing, camera movement, colour correction, editing, music.

I always ask myself "how can I put you there?". This is especially true for Descending. The underwater world is so alien to anyone who has not dived before. Breathing underwater is weird, being weightless is weird, the way light works underwater is different to how we experience it in air, so we had to work extra hard to try and place you in the deep with us.

Hey Scott and Andre. Thank you for creating that show. It really made my girlfriend and me want to see the world. She has been to Cuba and Japan already and is going to Hawaii this year.

Next year we plan to go to New Zealand. Is there anything you would consider must see there?

PS: we are from Germany. So we are going around the world once ^{^}

Make sure you visit Ellis!

Give yourself nearly twice as much time for the south island than the north. (a month overall is a good start).

See Milford Sound and explore Fiordland. Its one of the best parts of the country. If you can swing it, take a helicopter tour of the mountains and Fiords.

Any chance you guys would be open to the idea of putting old or new episodes on Netflix?

We would love to! We have approached them and its up to them if they want it!

Travel TV tends not to be a big need for networks. They are currently looking for shows about buying other people stored stuff, Duck Dynasty or knockoffs of Duck Dynasty, and other such TV that has a contest being the "hook" or something where someone at some point gets "voted off".

Ultimately your the viewers, let your voices be heard with the kind of TV you WANT to see. Networks seem to think no one wants Travel TV anymore, but the response we have always had from our fans says otherwise.

I love departures! I've watched all of the episodes and I must say that you all have produced an amazing show. My favorite episode has to be Vietnam. Or Cambodia. Or any of them really. They're all fantastic. My question is: Are there any great moments or stories that didn't make the show? -A fan from California

There are tons of great moments! We have so many deleted scenes that you can see on the dvd's and blu rays that didn't make the episodes for various reasons.

There are also a lot of moments which we never captured on camera (often for technical reasons). There were also some moments which we decided were just going to be for us.

Hey guys, I'm a big fan of the show. Every episode manages to give me a sense of wanderlust. My question is how did you get the show off the ground? What barriers did you face pitching the show to networks? Me and some friends are interested in producing our own show and your insights would be priceless!

We worked on another travel tv show before Departures as crew. From that experience we were inspired to do things differently and film a pilot (using our student loans) for "Departures".

The biggest barrier we faced was total self doubt that anyone in the world would want to watch us travel. We sat on an edited pilot episode for 2 years before we had the courage to send it into the networks. So for us the biggest barrier was just believing in ourselves that we could do it. Even when we sent in our demo disc we felt the show would never get picked up, we would never get a call, and that this silly time in our lives when we wanted to create a travel show was over. To our surprise we got called in the following day.

Hey Guys! Huge fan of Departures and Descending. Departures gave me the motivation to travel and since watching the show I've been able to see, explore and experience over 20 countries & cultures! Descending motivated me to get my open water cert and I can say I'm now an open water diver and able to explore the waters!

My question for you is what are your favourite dives in Ontario? I'm always looking for suggestions (live in SW Ontario) on where to dive! And do you ever need a dive buddy??

SCOTT: Congrats on your OW! Some of my favourite dive sites in Ontario are the Katie Eccles near Kingston, in fact there are a number of great dives just off the Duck Islands. Another favourite of mine, although hard to get to, is the Northwind up on the north channel of Manitoulin Island.

ANDRE: Hands down my favourite wreck is the Arabia in Tobermory Ontario. I eyed it up for a good year before I felt confident enough to dive it. Its not deep but there can be currents and it can be very cold. In Kingston I loved diving the Comet paddle wheeler. What a cool wreck! Remember to dive within your limits. Scott and I are working towards getting tech certified and one day perhaps diving the Gunilda. We are far from there yet...

What was the scariest moment that you guys had filming departures?

ANDRE: While filming Descending I watched Scotts airplane circle out of the sky and smash into the ocean. For an hour me and his brother Jeff (our field producer) searched the shores, asked villagers if they saw where the plane went. It sucked. After an hour of not finding him I thought he was dead. Most awful day of travel in 6 years.

SCOTT: Similarly, I think watching Andre get caught in a deadly up-draft current in South Africa was frightening. It looked like he was on a vertical zip-line, he went up so fast. As any diver knows, thats the worst thing that can happen. For 4-5 min. (seemed like hours) he was getting bucked around the top of a jagged metal shipwreck, hanging on for dear life (and the camera too of course!) Diver training, says to not put yourself in danger to save someone else, but that's nearly impossible to do when you see that sort of thing happening. That day could've ended much worse than it did.

I think its always much easier being the one "caught in the moment" than being the one watching your buddy "caught in the moment".

Any plans for descending merchandise like shirts? Love my departures shirt by the way.

As a matter of fact the Descending T-shirts should hit departuresstore.com next week! Stay tuned!

HI Scott and Andre. I am a Huge fan of departures. and I just started watching descending.

I am from the US and I learned about your shows through people talking about it on Reddit. I don’t know a single person here in the US who has heard of your shows. Have you guys made any attempts of getting departures. or descending to an American audience? I feel that if you were able to contract with OLN to make departures available to the U.S., that it would open up many more opportunities and money, like perhaps a 4th season or even a whole new type of travel show.

departures. seemed to focus on not well known destinations and stayed away from the major countries in Europe. Also, you didn’t have much interaction with other travelers. Have you put any thought into doing a travel show about the backpacking culture and the major destinations they visit. I am thinking Europe and S.E. Asia. Even a mini series would be alot of fun.

If given the opportunity, and at this stage in your life, would either of you be willing to put everything on hold and travel for another year. Not just for a show but for pleasure. Also, do either of you feel you are getting too old for the travel lifestyle?

Andre, Would love to see you in front of the camera a bit more perhaps talking about some of the technical challenges and observations you have. I really enjoy hearing your stories on the commentary because it is kind of a behind the scenes take on everything but by the time you record it, I am sure alot of your impressions are lost.

Thanks for making great shows and hopefully you guys will keep the content coming and maybe move into the U.S.!

Currently Departures airs in the US on Esquire TV. Descending should be following suit later this fall. We are currently looking for other broadcasters to pick up both shows to air in the US.

Scott and I both love travel in Europe. The more off the beaten track destinations did make for better television while shooting Departures we found. We have filmed a few pilot shows in the past year, one was based in France, its being shopped around to broadcasters as we speak.

We don't feel you can ever get too old for the travel lifestyle! Scott and I still travel extensively for fun. Drop everything and travel for a year? For sure we would! But we would definitely bring a camera and try and make it into another series :)

I think it was possibly on a UStream Q&A that you guys said something about a season of Departures jokingly ending with you walking towards a rocket.

If you were genuinely given the chance to go explore the stars how would you feel about it and would you want to?

P.S. If any of you ever end up in Liverpool, England then the pints are on me. Departures got me through a really tough break-up and was shot beautifully.

ANDRE: I think a travel show documenting an everyday person living on the international space station would be amazing. I hereby volunteer my services to film it.

Hey Scott and Andre! Is there any point during the whole journey where you had an awful or frustrating experience where you just thought that you were done at that moment? Like let's just pack our up our bags and get the hell out of here? Big fan from Malaysia btw!

ANDRE: At one point during the India episode I was having an awful time with bad things going on back home. It was incredibly difficult and I missed home so much. On top of this I had food poisoning, and altitude sickness. If I wasn't able to lean on the guys I was traveling with I probably would have called it quits.

Hey guys, I used to watch your guys show 'Departures' religiously when it was first coming out. I think I still have every episode saved into the PVR and will fight off anybody looking to remove it.

Andre, as a cinematographer myself, I know it can be a challenge to stay light/ mobile with a ton of camera gear.

• a) Can you expand a bit on your strategy for bringing all that gear with you on such remote trips?

• b) Did you ever feel like you were missing out on some of the experiences by worrying about how they were captured/ documented?

a) We had a half ton of gear for Descending. It was very expensive to fly it around the world. We had maximum carry-ons between 6 people. Theres no way around it, we felt like we were constantly moving house from location to location. Departures was easier. We had a rule, one bag each. My bag had the Stedicam and various other gear. I learned to pack very very light.

b) For sure. I saw the world through a lens. For most of the filming of both shows I feel like I had experienced the country only after it was edited. That being said, theres so many experiences I would never have had the courage to do unless I HAD to film it. (bungee, skydive, swimming with sharks). The camera was a buffer to reality.

Out of all the Countries you have travelled to, which Country would you make your second home?

SCOTT: New Zealand, Japan or Poland

ANDRE: New Zealand, Japan, or Italy

How did you guys come up with funding for your first season? was it from investors, family, friends, or your own personal money? Or maybe a combination of the few, me and my mate were always admirers of you guys and a response would make my day! :) Cheers!

We funded our pilot with student loans. But once the series was picked up it was funded by a (very small) Canadian TV budget from the Outdoor Life Network in Canada.

Did you post descending in 4K? If so, any chance we could see it in 4K on Netflix?

4K exists with Descending and its awesome. In the future if we sign a 4K broadcaster we would LOVE for you to see Descending as it was shot.

Hi Scott and Andre! Huge fan of Departures and Descending, I even went to the premiere screening of Descending in Toronto! I plan on doing a cross Canada road trip hopefully in the Summer of 2015 or 2016. I would be starting from the east coast all the way to the west just as you guys did. How long did it take and any tips, advice or anything you can share on the trip?

If your going to cross Canada, give yourself a TON OF TIME. We did it so fast I wish we spent 2 months. We specifically regret not being able to show off Newfoundland one of the real gems of this country. Have an amazing trip! Driving across Canada is such a classic rite-of-passage.

Hey guys,

Big fan. I feel like you guys are like my family after watching so much Departures.

Easy question. You guys had a lot of fun nights out, thinking of the carnival in Cuba, and the Mongolian yak milk booze.

Specifically, Andre, how did you manage not to feel blaze blaze from the partying the night before? And then get up and film the next day?

ANDRE: You assume I didn't feel blaze blaze? So many times I may have been a little slow on the focus.

The very worst day was in India. We had tried to film at the Taj Mahal, but were not allowed to. So we snuck a camera in and it was such crap unusable stuff we basically wasted the day. We were so bummed out that we drowned our sorrows in a bottle of some whiskey called "HE-MANS" (it was for sale to military personnel only), and butter chicken. We all got sick from the chicken, the worst hangover from the HE-MANS, and the next morning we flew to 16,000 feet in the Himalayas and all got horrible altitude sickness. Can't recall ever feeling worse.

Andre this question is for you! How did you get started in cinematography? I would love to know as I am trying to get into the television industry myself!

ANDRE: I started by playing with cameras and my interest and hobby became an obsession. I think if its a passion you will want to put in the hours it takes to get good at it.

What kind of pre-planning and pre-production did you guys do? In terms of planning a tv shoot, and just visiting another country.

For both Departures and Descending we would sit in a room with a big map on the wall and start kicking around ideas of where we would want to go and what we would want to see. From there we would get help with our researcher and our producers to see what would be possible to do within the limited budgets we had. Some things we ended up doing were spur of the moment ideas we had while in the country itself or things which just fell in our lap. Lastly we would always try to connect with someone from the country who is a friend or a friend of a friend to get the real local experience.

Do you guys think about your experiences from departures and descending these days? In other words, do you lay in bed at night sometimes thinking back to certain memories?

ANDRE: I lay in bed at night looking on kayak.com for flight deals to anywhere. Every night. I can't stay home for long.

Departures and Descending are both great shows, i have Departures on Blu ray and Descending is on my Christmas list, so ya know big fan.

You guys have created such great shows my question is do you have any new seasons in the pipeline for either show or either or perhaps another great show?

We would love to travel the world on motorcycles, circumnavigate the oceans by sailboat... and maybe go to space.

2 of the three of these ideas we have shot pilots for and are in front of broadcasters as we speak.

We love travel tv and won't stop making it so long as we have people who want to watch our stuff!

Any regrets?

SCOTT & ANDRE: Too many places, not enough time.

Your show changed my life. Whats your number one piece of advice for a student who is getting ready to travel the world?

1 Book your ticket, and don't look back.

A broad question, but was there any location that you visited which just left you speechless for any reason? (in awe of something you saw, dumbfounded by something that didn't make sense)

Did you avoid PEI on the cross Canada trip because of the bridge toll? It's okay to admit it.

Loved the shows guys. The personality of you two and Justin, the way it was shot by Andre, edited by the rest of the crew. Just amazing. Also loved how Andre was not purely behind the camera. It just added a dimension to the show which pushed it above other travelling shows.

Sadly we missed PEI and Newfoundland due to the absolute lack of time we had to cross the country (only 10 days!). Its one of our biggest regrets. We will make it right next chance we get, we promise. We love the east coast!

Hey guy! I think you guys are amazing. I love both departures and descending. I think in both shows there is great chemistry between all of you. Both have inspired me and gives me a lot of insight on places I want to see and experience. I got PADI certified a few years ago. Where would you recommend that is a great dive site for still a relatively novice diver that could also be incorporated into a trip?

Also, I live in Ontario and wonder if you guys ever travel around and give talks. Or ever come hang out in Ottawa? :)

Turks and Caicos had some amazing warm water dives that would be perfect for a novice diver.

If your keen to go far, Lembeh Straight in Indonesia was shallow, warm and full of amazing creatures. While your down there, go to Raja Ampat, pretty much the most beautiful dives we did all year.

SCOTT: I often give talks around the country. Follow me on twitter for updates: @scottdescending

Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?

We have deliberated on this for several hours and it seems that between Scott, myself and Justin, we could kick the crap out of a horse sized duck. But 100 duck-sized horses? Forget it. Thats the stuff of nightmares.