In Development

It’s been a lot of fun over the last few days to immerse myself in the creative cauldron that is the Manitoba media creation community. (sounds nice and warm, doesn’t it?)

Last Thursday, New Media Manitoba (with partners the Graphic Designers of Canada, the International Game Developer’s Association, On Screen Manitoba, and Flash in the Peg) hosted an IMAX screening of terrific profiles of a handful of its very talented members. It was awesome as always to discover what people are up to (such as creating apps and games and interactive brand sites and colouring comics and…). Talking with people afterwards, it was clear the profiles were just the tip of the iceberg. (perhaps a more apt Winnipeg metaphor, non?) Congratulations to Blink Works who put the video together.

That video should make Destination Winnipeg very happy. It was fantastic to hear so many people echoing my own feelings that Winnipeg is actually a great place to live and create, with the low cost of living providing the opportunity to take risks and have the time and energy to focus on personal projects.

Friday morning I met up with a gaggle of graphic designers for Winnipeg’s first LikeMind meet-up, spearheaded by GDC Manitoba. The organizers assured me they want to see folks out from all disciplines, so I will help spread the word when the next one is scheduled.

Friday night, the Winnipeg Film Group screened the results of the 90 Second Quickie. The range of themes, formats and styles was impressive, as was the ability to tell an entertaining story in 90 seconds. (Yes commercial-makers, I know, you do it all the time in a third as many seconds…). Outstanding work! And then we ate, drank and were merry at the holiday party.

Yesterday was the Annual General Meeting of On Screen Manitoba. It’s been a hard year in the industry here, as it has been across North America. But seeing the list of projects that have been completed this year (including of course Black Field!), it’s clear that we will definitely keep going. And to do that, I agree with OSM that we need to make more Manitoba-based productions and we need to partner from our friends at NMM and other interactive digitial media creators.

As On Screen Manitoba begins putting more resources into helping its members think about and collaborate on projects for smaller screens (yay, new apps and guidelines are up for Access to Markets and Professional Development!), hopefully the wall between the communities will begin to crumble. We’ll need to respect each others’ strengths and specialties and unique talents. We certainly can’t assume our skill sets will automatically be transferable, but I hope that both communities can be open to people from other disciplines exploring our traditional realm of influence and output, and help each other figure out how we can learn from each other, help each other and collaborate together. I can’t wait for these conversations and resulting collaborations to pick up speed in the coming months and years.

On a similar note, I’ve just taken a role at the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, to get the word out about Guild services and events, as well as member publications and readings. On my not-so-secret agenda will be helping to cross-pollinate writers, screenwriters and writer/directors. Again, let’s tear down any walls that may have been created!

And of course we have the amazing Manitoba music scene to draw on!

So how do we learn more about each other’s work?

• Throughout the year, NMM features the work of members and offers training. Get on their mailing list to hear about upcoming events.
• The Film Group has frequent member screenings at Cinematheque, and offers workshops throughout the year. The e-news posts calls for submission and assistance.
• Video Pool also screens member work and offers classes in video and sound production.
• I’ll be tweet-casting upcoming readings by local writers, and posting a calendar on the Guild website (will post link when it’s up)
• Game On Manitoba has links to and news about the amazingly cool people and projects that are rocking the province
• Listen to MMR to soak in some of the fab local talent
• Come out to LikeMind and other networking events – and initiate new ones!
• Friend each other on Facebook and Twitter, so we hear what everyone’s up to
• Check listings at places like Wpg2Nite and try out events you might not usually go to (and let them know when you’ve got something going on!)

Any other suggestions? Any concerns about the merging of the screens?

I love Karen Walton’s brainchild Ink Canada, a web-based gathering spot for Canadian screenwriters of all levels to mix and mingle.

Through InkDrinks, InkCanada also advocates taking time periodically to step away from the keyboard, get out of the house and meet each other live and in person. It helps to know that there are others in the same city working through similar issues, and it helps to share ideas and resources with each other.

InkDrinks have taken place in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and even LA. But never before in Winnipeg! To correct this, with the help of writer-director Danishka Esterhazy, we brought the event to the Peg last night.

We had over 20 people at our very first event. It was a fantastic night. From both a writer and producer perspective, it was great just to find out who is out there writing. Everyone met at least a couple of new folks. We’ll definitely do it again in February or March so if you’re interested in coming out, watch for it on facebook by  joining Ink Canada.

See pictures and attendees of our Winnipeg event at the facebook event site.

I was lamenting a couple of weeks ago that I didn’t have a chance to talk much with my fellow filmmakers about the process of making artistic choices. Looks like that will be turning around. Last night, I met with some great folks from the Winnipeg Film Group, many of whom I haven’t had the chance to work with yet, and I’m excited by the possibilities in our new monthly gathering. If you’re interested in coming out for the discussion and sharing our own work, contact Ryan and Shira who are organizing things.

I’m helping Conrad Hoy make a short film this weekend. So it’s been a few weeks of making plans and visiting sites and grabbing crew. Great to have lots of talented people helping us out – will be fun to be on set again.

Will have to miss day two, as I must take advantage of an amazing opportunity to learn from Patricia Rozema, who will be in town all weekend. Tomorrow night, she’s introducing Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter, which I’ll have to miss as we’ll be shooting in the woods. But then Saturday, I’ll be taking a day-long master class with her. Can’t wait to hear her thoughts on writing and directing, and her artistic choices!

Cinematheque will be showing two of Rozema’s beautiful films this weekend as well: Mansfield Park and I’ve heard the Mermaids Singing. So all in all it should be a most excellent weekend of film!

Spent an interesting afternoon talking with IT teachers from across Manitoba who are teaching or looking into teaching film in their classrooms.

It was a great chance for me to do some thinking about my own knowledge and opinions regarding filmmaking. Their mandate is to teach the technology of filmmaking – how to use the software and equipment. I titled my talk for them “The Art and Fun of Filmmaking” and tried to provide another perspective – that of examining and making film as an artist rather than a technician.

What makes film so fascinating to me is that intersection between technology and art. I am in awe of each professional involved in making a film – each must be a technician and an artist – the gaffer, the DP, the sound designer, the props master, the make up, hair and wardrobe departments…

We required certain technology to make the earliest films, and technology is changing what stories we tell now — for example James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar with its 3D CGI mixed with “regular” video. According to Cameron, 3D is how all the big movies are going to go now. But there are still stories that can be told on a cheap video camera. The next few years will be a real experiment!

What I talked to the teachers about were the artistic choices – the importance of story, of actors, and the details like what angle to shoot from, how close to be to the actors or the action, the impact of colour and props and sound, and how a story can be told with many other tools besides dialogue. We brainstormed fun projects the students can do to experiment in each of these areas.

It struck me that it’s too rare that I have these conversations with my fellow filmmakers away from the pressures of making decisions on a production-in-progress. The Winnipeg Film Group and Cinematheque are starting a film/maker discussion group and I hope that we’ll be tackling some of these issues.

I am honoured to be one of Jamie Ridler’s first interview subjects in her podcast series Creative Living with Jamie! Jamie is an amazing self-development coach and artist. She offers weekly Wishcasting, monthly Full Moon Dreamboards, a book club, in-person workshops, and electronic resources.

We had a great time talking about creative process and finding harmony between the act of creating and the administrative aspects of getting your creations out into the world, which is a challenge I definitely face in my work as a writer/producer! We also talked about my new blog Be Softer, as I believe being softer with yourself generates space and energy for creativity.

You can listen at her site, or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or other software.

I’m happy to report that Black Field, the feature I line produced this spring, will premier at the Vancouver International Film Festival next month.

It will screen October 13 at 9 pm and October 14 at 12:20 pm at the Empire Granville.

The current issue of Reel West has Black Field as its cover story. Great pics and quotes from cast and crew.

Thanks to my involvement with the NSI Features First program, I was able to attend TIFF on an industry pass this year. I was inspired and encouraged by the people I met and the films I saw. By far the most valuable aspect of attending TIFF for me was having the opportunity to meet with producers, directors and writers, of all levels. I had a good chance to talk with NSI and CFC alumni.

The social events were fun opportunities to connect with old acquaintances and make some new ones. The Manitoba Party was one of the hottest tickets, and an awesome night of networking with Manitobans and expats.

I took in about 18 features. My biggest impression was that the chances people are taking in making films on very low budgets are paying off. I was inspired to hear stories of producers and directors taking on low-budget projects and making them happen.

The audience response to Canadian films like The Trotsky, Gun to the Head, Chloe and Passenger Side was gratifying to witness. I was completely impressed with the reach of Ruba Nadda’s Cairo Time, especially as a second feature, and the calibre of actors she was able to attract to the project. The shorts were definitely worth watching to get a feel for the breadth of Canadian filmmaking, especially as it incorporates landscape.

Three non-Canadian films I loved: Bright Star, Un prophète, and An Education.

On a personal creative level, I was inspired by the films as both a producer and as a writer. I have new lists of ideas, research, connections and applications to carry out this fall/winter!

Matthew Etches has been running a radio show called Focus on CKUW, talking to other local filmmakers about their own films, and films that have influenced them.

A few weeks ago, he interviewed me. We talked about my films, and my progression from a writer to director to producer. Not that I’m only one of those now! That interview aired on Monday, but you can go to the archives to hear it, as well as the last several interviews.

Focus airs on CKUW (95.9) in Winnipeg on Mondays at 3 p.m.

And in case you’re wondering, the three films I gave him were:
- Room with a View
- Groundhog Day
- Lost in Translation

Well it’s been an extraordinary few weeks!

Danishka Esterhazy’s first feature, on which I was proud to be line producer/production manager, is officially in the can. And since we shot on film, that still means something!

This was my first feature-length, and I learned sooo much. The sheer endurance required to shoot day after day, for one thing! And a different kind of endurance for the producers Two Lagoons, wrestling with the complexities of financing a film in Canada!

But it was all worth it. From the dailies, I can assure everyone that it will be GORGEOUS. Paul Suderman, the DP; Ricardo Alms, the Art Director, and Danishka have once again merged their talents into an incomparable alchemy of beauty:

Maggie (Sarah Canning) and Rose (Ferron Guerreiro) toil in the black field. Photo Rebecca Sandulak.

The amazing crew persevered through every conceivable weather: snow, sleet, rain, wind storms… We thank everyone for their hard work, and their incredible energy and enthusiasm.

Now on to post-production, hoping to have a reasonable edit in time to get VIFF or TIFF to bring it to their festival-goers this fall.

If you are interested in bringing more television to Manitoba, come out to On Screen Manitoba’s All Access event, March 12 and 13. Broadcasters and funders will be in attendance, and hopefully good conversations will result regarding what it will take to bring more series to Manitoba, to keep our crews and creatives busy all year long.

Announced Guests are:

• Patrice Baillargeon (Executive Producer, OLN)
• Tom Hastings (Executive in Charge of Production, Drama for CBC Television)
• Anton Leo (Creative Head of TV Comedy for CBC Television)
• Andra Sheffer (Executive Director of The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund “Bell Fund”, Cogeco Program Development Fund and the Independent Production Fund)
• Gary Maavara (Vice President and General Councel, Corus Entertainment)
• Charlotte Engel – Production Executive, Documentaries & Alternative Programming, BRAVO
• Chantal Leblanc-Everett – Head of Production & Development, Lifeforce Entertainment
• Desiree  Single – Manager of Programming, Central Region, APTN
• Cam Bennett (Executive Producer, MTS TV)
• Ira Levy (Breakthrough Films)
• Sarah Constible (Writer/House Party)
• Matt Kippen (Writer/House Party)
• Melissa Kajpust (Manitoba Creative Development Representative, Super Channel)
• Al Rae (Writer/Producer/Comic)
• Valerie Creighton (President and CEO, CTF)
• John Gill (Media Consultant)

The Schedule and Registration form is available online. Contact Cheryl at OSM for more info.

Hope to see you there!