March April 2013: Reel West Magazine by Ron Harvey

MARCH / APRIL 2013

$5.00

DISCOVERY CHANNEL RIDES A SECOND SEASON OF

FI LM em

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH

THE MAKING OF CAL BRUNKER’S

AV EB C

FORMATS HEATING UP THE WEST

CANADIAN MAIL PUBLICATION SALES AGREEMENT NUMBER: 40006834

HIGHWAY thru HELL

CONTENTS

14 HIGHWAY MAYHEM

Vancouver’s Great Pacific Television is back on B.C.’s treacherous Coquihalla Highway for a second season of doc series Highway Thru Hell.

5 BITS AND BYTES

18 FORMATS ARE HOT Western producers are cashing in on the popularity of Canadian versions of popular US and international series.

20 UNITING TO FIGHT Save B.C. Film is not only rallying for more government support for the B.C. film sector. They also want to get the industry PST exempt.

22 NO-BUDGET MARKETING

PRODUCTION UPDATE

BC INDIE SCENE

LEGAL BRIEFS

10 BEGINNINGS 12 BEHIND THE SCENES 29 PROFILE 30 FINAL EDIT

How ingenious filmmaking teams like Carolyn McMaster and Robert Cuffley, and Jen and Sylvia Soska, are promoting their films without spending bundles of cash.

25 THE MAKING OF MARLENE Anna Valine sets out to make her first feature, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene, with Denys Arcand as her mentor.

26 TAKING THE LEAP

Cal Brunker’s diary on making the Weinstein Company’s animated film Escape from Planet Earth.

COVER: JAMIE DAVIS OF JAMIE DAVIS MOTOR TRUCK AND THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S HIGHWAY THRU HELL; PHOTO BY ED ARQUEL. CONTENTS: PHOTO BY ED ARQUEL. REEL WEST MAGAZINE IS A WHOLLY OWNED ENTERPRISE OF REEL WEST PRODUCTIONS INC. IT EXISTS AND IS MANAGED TO PROVIDE PUBLICITY AND ADVERTISING THAT SUPPORTS THE GROWTH OF THE WESTERN CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY. EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER: SANDY P. FLANAGAN. EDITOR: CHERYL BINNING. PUBLISHER: RON HARVEY. SALES: RANDY HOLMES, ADAM CADDELL CREATIVE DIRECTOR: ANDREW VON ROSEN. ART DIRECTOR: LINDSEY ATAYA. PHOTO EDITOR: PHILLIP CHIN. CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: NATHAN CADDELL. ALAN S HALE. REEL WEST MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED SIX TIMES PER YEAR. SUBSCRIPTIONS CANADA/US $35.00 PER YEAR (PLUS $10.00 POSTAGE TO USA). REEL WEST DIGEST, THE DIRECTORY FOR WESTERN CANADA’S FILM, VIDEO AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY, IS PUBLISHED ANNUALLY. SUBSCRIPTION $35.00 PER YEAR (PLUS $10.00 POSTAGE TO US). BOTH PUBLICATIONS $60.00 (PLUS $10.00 POSTAGE TO USA) PRICES INCLUDE GST. COPYRIGHT 2013 REEL WEST PRODUCTIONS INC. SECOND CLASS MAIL. REGISTRATION NO. 0584002. ISSN 0831-5388. G.S.T. # R104445218. REEL WEST PRODUCTIONS INC. SUITE 114 – 42 FAWCETT ROAD, COQUITLAM, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, V3K 6X9. PHONE (604) 451-7335 TOLL FREE: 1-888-291-7335 FAX: (604) 451-7305 EMAIL: INFO@REELWEST.COM URL: REELWEST.COM. VOLUME 28, ISSUE 2. PRINTED IN CANADA. TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 1-888-291-7335 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT REELWEST.COM. REEL WEST WELCOMES FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS, VIA EMAIL AT EDITORIAL@REELWEST.COM. ALL CORRESPONDENCE MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER.

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

PRODUCTION UPDATE

What’s coming. What’s shooting. What’s wrapped.

The Hallmark Channel’s Cedar Cove starring ANDIE MACDOWELL is currently shooting in BC. PHOTO © CROWN MEDIA

Screen Siren Shoots German Copro

rish Dolman of Vancouver’s Screen Siren Productions is shooting Hector and the Search for Happiness, a German/Canadian co-production with Egoli Tossell. Based on the best-selling book by Francois Lelord, the story follows a psychiatrist in crisis, played by Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) who searches the globe to find the secret of happiness. Rosamund Pike (An Education, Wrath of the Titans) plays the psychiatrist’s girlfriend and AcademyAward Winner Christopher Plummer (Beginners, The Last Station) stars as the leading guru of Happi-

ness Studies at UCLA. The film is directed by Peter Chelsom (Serendipity, Shall We Dance) and executive produced by Dolman and Tossell, with Christine Haebler as producer. The production manager is Michael Williams, the location manager is Michael Gazetas and the production coordinator is Corine Buffel. Hector shoots until April 20. Another feature that landed in Vancouver is the romantic comedy Words and Pictures, directed by Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Six Degrees of Separation). Set at a New England prep school, the film stars Clive Owen (Hemingway and Gelhorn) as an English teacher and Juliette Binoche (Chocolat) as an

art instructor, who complicate their work lives with romance. The film is written by Gerald DiPego (Phenomenon, Message in a Bottle) and executive produced by Nancy Rae Stone and produced by Curtis Burch. The production manager was Mary Anne Waterhouse, the location manager was Tracey Renyard, and the production coordinator was Jill Christensen. Words and Pictures shot through May. On the series front, a new American show has landed in Vancouver – Lifetime Channel’s Witches of East End. The drama is based on the book by Melissa de la Cruz and follows a mother (Mad Men‘s Julia Ormond) of two grown daughters

(played by Rachel Boston and Jenna Dewan-Tatum), who have no idea they come from a family of witches. The executive producers are Maggie Friedman, Erwin Stoff, and Mark Waters. Shawn Williamson is the producer. The production manager is Paul Lukaitis, the production coordinator is Melissa Crich and the location manager is Ritch Renaud. Witches shoots through to August. Hallmark Channel is shooting its first commissioned prime time series Cedar Cove in B.C. The drama stars Andie MacDowell as a municipal court judge and Dylan Neal as a reporter and her love interest. Stargate veteran Carl Binder is showrunner on the series, which is exec produced by Dan Wigutow, Ron French, Binder, Caroline Moore and Steve Hartmaty. The production manager is Brad Jubenvill, the locations manager is Terry MacKay and the production coordinator is Lukia Czemin. Another new series, King and Maxwell is based on the popular series of books from author David Baldacci and stars Jon Tenney (The Closer) and Rebecca Romijn (X-Men) as former Secret Service agents turned private investigators. The TNT series is exec produced by Shane Brennan and Grace Gilroy. The production manager is Yvonne Melville, the location manager is Casey Nelson– Zutter and the production coordinator is Genevieve Bridges. The series shoots until early July. March was pilot season and B.C. saw a number of potential series in production, including Backstrom, an hour long drama for CBS about a cranky overweight booze-fueled de-

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

tective who is attempting to get his act together before its too late. It’s based on a Swedish book series and the pilot was written by Bones creator/showrunner Hart Hanson, who is executive producer, with Ed Milkovich and Josh Levy producing. The pilot was directed by Mark Mylod and had Brendan Ferguson as production manager, Nicole Oguchi as production coordinator, Monty Bannister as location manager, Mark Worthington as production designer and Gary Minielly as SPFX Coordinator. The CW pilot Blink, which shot March 20 to April 4, is an hour-long quirky drama about a family patriarch, played by John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C), who is in a coma-like state after a car accident but can still hear and see what’s going on around him. He narrates the series and provides context for his family’s trials and tribulations. The cast included Michael Weston (House, Burn Notice), Madeline Carroll (Mr. Popper’s Penguins),and Johnny Simmons (The Perks of Being a Wallflower). The pilot director was Peter Hedges and executive producers were Hedges, David Grant, Sarah Timberman, and Carl Beverly.

S. Lily Hui produced, with writer Vera Herbert as supervising producer. The DOP was Tami Reiker, the production designer was Sarah Knowles,the production manager was Doug Brons, the production coordinator was Carol Schafer and the location manager was Greg Astop. Rita, one of Bravo U.S.’ first original scripted series pilots, wrapped on April 10. Written by Krista Vernoff (Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy) and adapted from a Danish format, Rita is an edgy family drama about an outspoken private school teacher (Anna Gunn who played Skyler White in Breaking Bad) who struggles to raise her own three teenage children while dealing with the inane bureaucracy and overprotective parents at her school. The pilot was directed by Miguel Arteta and executive produced by Arteta, Vernoff, Mikkel Bondese and produced by Kristen Campo and Robert Petrovicz. The DOP was Yaron Orbach, the production designer was Ricardo Spinace, the production manager was Drew Locke, the production coordinator was Judith Swan and location manager was Bruce Brownstein. n The Listener’s CRAIG OLEJNIK and LAUREN LEE SMITH PHOTO BY JEFF WEDDELL

BITS AND BYTES

LUNA, CHIP and INKIE IMAGE C/O KNOWLEDGE KIDS

Slap Happy Makes Knowledge Shorts Vancouver-based animation studio Slap Happy Cartoons is making a series of animated shorts for Knowledge Network’s children’s strand. The series of shorts will feature Knowledge Kids’ mascots, the animal characters Luna, Chip and Inkie, who learn through play as they explore and discover the world around them.. “As a father of two young kids, I know first-hand how funny and engaging Luna, Chip and Inkie are,” said Josh Mepham, Partner at Slap Happy Cartoons. “We’re honored Knowledge Kids has entrusted us with expanding their world, and in helping to provide preschoolers a safe place to learn, explore and be entertained.” “Slap Happy has good experience working with brand characters and bringing them to life,” said Lisa Purdy, Director, Knowledge Kids. “We’re excited to work with them to grow the personalities of our brand mascots, and look forward to sharing more Luna, Chip and Inkie with British Columbia’s youngest viewers.”

Quickdraw Turns Over New Lief Calgary’s Quickdraw Animation Society has hired Laura Lief as its new programming director. Leif is an animator and musician and has been involved in various organizations in the Calgary arts sector. Quickdraw, which offers facilities, resources, programs and events supporting independent animation, has also been invited to submit a selection of short, independent animated films to The Melbourne International Animation Festival, which takes place in July.

New Kids Gaming Studio Formed Lance Priebe, creator of Club Penguin, and Pascale Audette, former studio head at Disney Online Studios, have teamed up to form Hyper Hippo Productions. The new Kelowna, B.C.-based digital gaming studio will create children’s games that drive positive change in communities. “We are dedicated to creating a fantastic studio that will not only radically change

The Listener goes West

In February the Toronto-based CTV series The Listener shot for a week in Vancouver as part of its season four opener. In the episode psychic Toby (Craig Olejnik) and nononsense IIB agent Michelle (Lauren Lee Smith) travel to the Vancouver branch of the IIB to help prevent a bomb threat in the city. The episode co-stars B.C. natives Jewel Staite (The L.A. Complex, Stargate: Atlantis) as Toby’s ex-girlfriend Lori who holds the key to the case, and Justin Chatwin (Shameless) who plays one of the bad guys. The Listener is produced by Shaftesbury Films of Toronto. REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

how the industry perceives digital entertainment, but one that will positively impact children’s lives for years to come,” said Audette in a release. “In addition, it is important for us to invest in our local community through initiatives that increase the technology footprint in Kelowna, and in the global community through social outreach programs.” The studio’s first project is Mech Mice, where players battle dark forces and advance a squad of skilled mice toward victory. The game is scheduled for release in 2013 and an open beta program will begin this summer.

The Definitive Producing Workbook Providing a comprehensive overview of national and provincial funding bodies and engaging stories and words of wisdom by seasoned producers. To order your copy contact: 604-451-7335 / info@reelwest.com

Inside the ER Vancouver’s Lark Productions is producing a six-part factual series and interactive website featuring real-life stories about the people who work on the front lines of emergency health care delivery at Vancouver General Hospital. The series is commissioned by Knowledge Network and will air in January 2014. The Vancouver General Hospital is the second-largest hospital in Canada, and B.C.’s only Level 1 trau-

We’ve moved!

Immigration Law Group • Work Permits

catherine a. Sas, Q.c. csas@millerthomson.com

• Permanent Resident Applications

Registered Foreign Legal Consultant with the State Bar of California

• Business Applications: Entrepreneur and Self-Employed

For more information please call 604.687.2242

added experience. added clarity. added value.

Miller Thomson LLP

millerthomson.com vancouver calgary edmonton saskatoon regina london kitchener-waterloo guelph toronto markham montréal

MT_Reel West Digest Ad_v6.indd 1

Please note our new address and phone number: Suite 114 – 42 Fawcett Road Coquitlam, BC V3K 6X9 604.553.1335 toll-free: 1.888.291.7335

www.reelwest.com

Getting Funny in Victoria

1:35:47 PM Formerly5/5/2011 Production Victoria’s Equipment Rentals

Lights,Camera,Satisfaction!

Aerial lift and material handling specialists

604-945-5004

(Coquitlam) 1-877-875-WEST (9378) www.WesternOne.ca Proud Members of MPPIA Our Own Trucks for On Time Delivery 24 Hour Service Serving the Movie Industry for Over 20 Years

Heaters

Scissor Lifts

ma centre with over 82,000 patients visited its ER last year. “The sustainability of our healthcare system is one of the most pressing issues of our time. We aspire to engage British Columbians through the documentary series and interactive website that follows the lives of those who work on the front lines of emergency health care delivery,” said Knowledge Network president and CEO Rudy Buttignol in a statement.

Telescoping Booms

Personnel Genie Lifts

Straight Mast & Telescoping Forklifts

Articulating Booms

General Line Equipment

Less Bland Productions and Drama Camp Productions have wrapped production on She Kills Me, a new all-female comedy series for APTN. The 13-episode series of half-hour comedy specials was taped in front of a live audience and stars and up-and-coming Canadian comediennes, including Dawn Dumont, Sharon Shorty, Karen Brelsford and Miss Rosie Bitts. Each episode will feature on Aboriginal and one non-Aboriginal stand-up performer, as well as sketch comedy, music, storytelling and variety performance. The series is created by exec producer Kirsten Van Ritzen and produced and directed by Ian Ferguson and Leslie D. Bland. Performer KIRSTEN VAN RITZEN PHOTO BY DAVID BUKACH

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

INDIE SCENE

Industry Slump causes Webseries Bump

ith the downturn in the local film industry, are webseries picking up the slack? Kaleena Kiff, creator of the webseries Riese: King-

PHOTO BY DAVID BUKACH

by Paul

Poker Night Wraps in Victoria

Actor/writer/producer Corey Large recently wrapped the dramatic thriller Poker Night in his hometown of Victoria. The film features Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy), Ron Eldard (Super 8, ER) and Titus Welliver (The Town, Gone Baby Gone), as well as Large, who is acting and also producing through his company, Wingman Productions. Greg Francis directed. The movie follows Stan Jeter (Beau Mirchoff), a young cop who stumbles his way into a big case and is promoted to detective. Following tradition – after his promotion – he spends the night playing poker with retired cops who share their wisdom with him as they play. When Stan later ends up trapped by a killer, he must rely on his wit, skill, and most importantly, the words of the veteran cops, in order to survive. Poker Night shot across Victoria, including the Downtown core, The Plaza Hotel, Sassy’s Diner, The Prairie Inn Pub, and the abandoned Mount Newton School. Trilight to Adapt Hockey Saga Regina-based Trilight Entertainment has optioned the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos with plans to turn it into a feature film. The book, written by Leesa Culp, Gregg Drinnan and Bob Wilkie, is based on the true to life tale of a tragic game-day bus accident that killed four star players. The team rebounded and won the prestigious CHL Memorial Cup only two years later. Saskatchewan writer/director Rob King (Corner Gas, Hungry REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

Hills) is writing the script. “We are extremely happy that we have been able to secure the option for this book,” said Shayne Putzlocher, partner at Trilight Entertainment. “The story of these players, and the community of Swift Current, overcoming such a huge adversity has always been overshadowed by other very publicized events. It is time to have their story told.” Saskatchewan has ended its tax credit program so Trilight says they will shoot the movie outside of the province.

Armstrong

dom Falling, thinks so. “The downturn in the local film industry has certainly incentivized filmmakers to utilize their talents on their own projects,” says Kiff. “With both time on our hands and a strong belief that we’ve got it going on creatively, the surge in webseries is a great testament to the indigenous filmmaking community - we’re literally showing the world what we can do”. Riese follows a reluctant heroine and her wolf tear through a dystopian, Steampunk world, evading a dangerous religious cult while piecing together her violent past. Neil Every, creator of webseries Fools For Hire, says the upswing in webseries isn’t unique to B.C. and not necessarily related to a production downturn. “I’m in contact with a number of webseries creators around the world and it is a global phenomenon,” says Every. “Webseries have been around for years but I think what’s changed is viewing habits. Technology now allows audiences to watch high quality content almost anywhere”. Having worked in the local industry for over 15 years, Every has been able to attract name actors such as Jackson Davies and Gary Jones to his series, a comedy following the misadventures of two fictitious Vancouver actors as they struggle to keep their heads held high amidst the hilariously insane and usually humiliating world of corporate entertainment gigs. Los Angeles-shot webseries Between Jupiter and Mars is created by and starring ex-Vancouverite Rob Bruner, along with Dino Antoniou and Glee’s Josh Sussman. The series follows a top talent agent who is convinced by a psychic that he will die of cancer unless he quits his job and becomes a manager for the misfits of Hollywood. Bruner thinks the rise in webseries is all about money: “Someone can produce and distribute a web series for very cheap,” he says. “Webseries

can find an audience without going through the normal channels.” For Bruner, this even includes live audience screenings, such as the one he flew up for in March at Vancouver’s Celluloid Social Club. Another just-launched Vancouver webseries is Nicholas Carella’s The True Heroines, a sci-fi dramedy that follows the escapades of three 1950’s housewives who share a dangerous secret: they possess superpowers. “Webseries are opportunities to work, without having to wait on whether or not a U.S. company decides to shoot here or not,” says Carella. “Even when business is booming, we don’t always have the opportunities to work on projects that we feel passionate about. The True Heroines is an opportunity to fill those.” As varied as the reasons for making a webseries are, the budgets and financing scenarios also range widely. Every shot the first 4 episodes of Fools for $100 with a crew of two. True Heroines, on the other hand, shot for $30,000 by raising $10,000 through Indie GoGo, $10,000 private investment and $10,000 out of pocket. Of course monetization is a big issue around webseries, to pay these budgets off and maybe turn a profit. What happens when a webseries does get ‘discovered’, as happened with Riese when Syfy. com and NBC/Universal International licensed the digital rights? “Television was a great option and we certainly structured it for that medium, but it wasn’t the holy grail for us,” says Kiff. Riese spent years in television series development but in the end was repackaged into a DVD and MOW feature, a digital download on iTunes and Netflix, an iPhone/iPad app game and a Simon & Schuster audiobook narrated by Kiff. “A malleable story that can morph into many different shapes and lengths makes it more likely that a distributor will be able to sell the show… make it re-packageable,” says Kiff. There is no shortage of advice for aspiring online creators from these webseries veterans who are helping create a new artistic medium: continued on page 29 7

CHANDLER FOGDEN L

Doran Chandler

Kyle Fogden

Lori Massini

Kim Roberts,

Of Counsel

Entertainment Law Film | Television | New Media | Music 201 - 120 We st 3r d Av enu e , V anc ouv er B C V 5Y 1E9 tel 604 684 63 77 fax 60 4 684 638 7 info@ cha ndl erfogd en .com | w w w .ch andl erfo g de n.c om

on-set stills & all types of photography metrotownmedia.com Call Janos (John) Molnar at 604.339.4083

Eagle Vision Flies Solo

Winnipeg-based production company Eagle Vision has moved out from under the wing of Mid Canada Production Services. Mid Canada president Wayne Sheldon is no longer a partner in Eagle Vision and the prodco has ended its overhead deal with the rental/post house to do all their post work exclusively with the company. “Lisa Meeches [Eagle Vision president] and I are now on our own and have moved into our own office, “says Eagle Vision’s VP of production Kyle Irving. Mid Canada recently partnered with Frantic Films’ commercial division to create the new company Frank Digital. “Midcan is going in a different direction,” points out Irving. Eagle Vision recently coproduced Smilin’ Jack: The Jack Layton story with Pier 21 and made the residential schools film We Were Children, a copro with the National Film Board for APTN. The company also recently coproduced Reasonable Doubt, a feature film from Vancouver’s South Creek Pictures, Germany’s Bavariapool and L.A-based Paradox Entertainment that shot in Winnipeg. The movie was written by Peter Dowling, and directed by Peter Howitt, and centers on an up-and-coming assistant D.A. prosecuting a fatal hit-and-run case with inconclusive evidence. Following the trial, the assistant D.A finds himself struggling to hunt the man he got acquitted. Eagle Vision has a new film in the works: The Ways We Lie, a project they developed with writer/director Robert Cuffley. “It’s a thriller about a guy who gets caught cheating on his wife and tries to repair the damage but things go terribly wrong,” says Irving. “It’s about why people stay with people who don’t tell the truth and what families will do to protect each other at all costs.” Eagle Vision previously worked with Cuffley on the 2007 film Walk All Over Me. REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

Love it or List it Vancouver Heads South Big Coat Productions real estate series Love It Or List It Vancouver has been picked up in the U.S. by HGTV. “It’s the perfect home for the series in the US,” said Big Coat Productions CEO Maria Armstrong. “We’re happy to bring a little West

Coast flare South of the border.” The series airs on W in Canada and features designer Jillian Harris and realtor Todd Talbot who compete to help couples choose whether to makeover their current home or buy a new one.

LEGAL BRIEFS

Loan Out Companies in the Entertainment Industry

e are often asked about the benefits of incorporating a loan-out company. A loan-out company is a corporation that is set up,

Lori Massini

Woman of the Year TRACEY FRIESEN PHOTO BY PHIL CHIN

Entertainment Lawyer

WIFT Winners

Women in Film and Television Vancouver presented its inaugural Spotlight Lifetime Achievement Award to film and sound editor, teacher and mentor Haida Paul (My American Cousin, Life and Times of Evelyn Hart) who’s commitment to human rights, including women’s rights, have made her a revered figure in the local film community. Former National Film Board executive producer Tracey Friesen is the recipient of the Woman of the Year Award for spearheading the production of innovative documentaries and animation, and being a champion of emerging filmmaker initiatives in B.C. The WIFTV Artistic Achievement Award went to editor Lara Mazur and the Artistic Innovation Award was presented to filmmaker Karen Lam. The Wayne Black Service Award was awarded to Robyn Wiener of Synergy Cinema Inc. and the Honoured Friend Award was presented to former Telefilm Content Analyst Bill Hurst. The Sharon Gibbon Lifetime Member Award was presented to Roslyn Muir, Past Secretary, President and Chair of WIFTV. The Leadership in Education Award was awarded to Michele Lonsdale Smith, the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the renowned Lyric School of Acting. This year’s Image Award is presented to three female filmmakers for excellence in a recent short work: ElleMaija Tailfeathers; Jenn Strom; and Siobhan Devine. REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

usually by actors, directors, writers and/or producers, for the purpose of using this company, which is a distinct legal entity, to enter into contracts of engagement in the film and television industry. The individual is an employee of his or her own company, and this company "loans out" the services of that employee to the production company producing a film or television project. There are a number of benefits to incorporating a loan-out company, both for the individual providing the services, and for the production company engaging that individual. For instance, if a production company can pay its talent through loanout corporations, they will not have to remit payroll taxes, or the employer’s contribution to employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan. The individual incorporating the company also benefits in a number of ways. Loan-out companies are an effective way to limit potential personal liability, and to reduce tax exposure. In Canada, small businesses are taxed at a lower rate than individuals. By way of example, if an individual earned $100,000.00 in a fiscal year, and that individual left all of the money in their corporate account and had no expenses, the corporate tax payable on that $100,000 would be approximately $18,000, as opposed to the roughly $36,000 that would be payable by an individual not using a loan-out corporation. Another benefit to incorporating is that loan-out corporations can claim business expenses. When an individual is paid as an employee, that individual does not have the option of taking business expenses out of their calculation of income. However, there are various deductions for business expenses, such as the home office deduction and costs related to the specific type of work performed by the individual. A loan-out

company allows an individual to operate in the same way that a company does, meaning that many of the costs of doing business are exempt from taxation. Although, generally speaking, we advise individuals earning in excess of $100,000 per year to incorporate, there are some downsides to using a loan-out company. The most notable downside is the potential loss of employment insurance. Unless an individual elects to “opt in” to Employment Insurance through the Canada Revenue Agency, that individual will not be responsible for paying into Employment Insurance and will therefore not have the benefit of receiving Employment Insurance. Since the start of 2011, small business owners and other self-employed workers have been permitted by the CRA to “opt in” and access certain parts of the Employment Insurance program known as "special benefits", including maternity and parental benefits, sickness allowance and compassionate-care payments. Additionally, there is an added cost associated with maintaining a company, plus the obligation to file both personal taxes and corporate taxes. The production company engaging the loan-out will make all payments to the loan-out and not to the individual. Since the individual is the employee of the loan-out company, and not the production company, it is the responsibility of the loan-out company to remit payroll taxes on behalf of the employee. It is also the responsibility of the loan-out company to keep the company in good standing with the CRA and to file and pay corporate taxes. Anyone wishing to incorporate a loan-out company also needs to be aware of the potential impact on WorkSafe BC coverage. Only “workers”, who are unincorporated individuals contracted directly, are covered by the WorkSafe premiums paid by a production company. Loan-out companies, then, are excluded. However, some corporations will be considered by WorkSafe to be “Personal Services Corporations”, which are corporations with a sole employee. These Personal Service Corporations will be covered by the WorkSafe policy continued on page 29 9

PHOTO BY PHIL CHIN

BEGINNINGS

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

BEGINNINGS

Michelle Bjornson A love of live theatre leads to a long and successful filmmaking career

he notion of “beginnings” is an intriguing one, because in the creative fields we’re always beginning something we haven’t done before. It might be a new script, a new genre, a new creative team, a new technology… and on it goes: we’re always ‘beginning’. When I think back to my beginnings as a filmmaker, it’s a career by happenstance, not by design, and one I could never have predicted. As a kid growing up in suburban Toronto there were two things my mom fostered in me: a love of theatre and a love of cinema. My house had the magical wicker trunk of dress-up clothes, it’s where we hung out to tell stories and play characters. My mom’s film taste veered to either old B&W classics or foreign films screening at art houses, and though I didn’t really understand what the films of Bergman, Fellini or Godard were all about, it was then that I first fantasized about being a film director. But despite wanting a life in the arts, I opted instead for a traditional degree — History. At the time, the University of Toronto had no formal programs in either film or theatre, but there was lots of extra-curricular fizzy experimentation and creativity. I went to as much campus theatre as possible, and took pictures of my dorm mates in poses staged with costumes and props, all shot from unusual angles. After graduating, I enrolled at University of British Columbia for an M.A. in English but immediately switched to Theatre after discovering it was an actual field of studies. Stage Design included courses in acting and directing, and though tempted by acting, when performing in summer stock I realized I missed seeing the play in its entirety from an audience perspective. Moreover, I loved visualizing, executing, then sitting back and evaluating. This I could only get with design or direction. It’s when I started writing a play and realized it was best told as a film that I decided to go back to school to learn about the process of filmmaking, to tell a story from a camera’s point of view. Everyone but me had made a film to get into UBC’s program, and though I was feeling a bit unsure about this new ‘language’, I did have one edge: theatre had taught me the underlying importance of ‘concept’. The two films I wrote and directed found some success on the festival circuit, and both found distribution. It was thrilling to have End of the Game broadcast in the US on A&E, and also to be dubbed for broadcast in Denmark. (The other, Cheek to Cheek, has just had a return engagement at Toronto’s Images Festival as part of its 25th year celebration). With these two films under my belt, I headed out for whatever opportunity came my way. My first ‘real’ project after film school was a 16 mm half hour dramatic documentary (i.e. fully dramatized), The Mailboat Doesn’t Stop Any More, for which CBC-BC was providing an awesome service deal. It was partly a location shoot, partly studio shoot, and I was working with the Beachcombers crew. To accommodate some of my camera set-ups, art director Neil Rutherford designed an exquisite set complete with wild walls (a new shooting experience for me), and I marveled at the richly detailed world he created—detail I purposely hadn’t specified because, as a former designer, I always found it more satisfying to be allowed to use my own interpretative skills. With Mailboat I learned there’s a fine balance between controlling (or directing) what you want, and trusting others to make it richer than you ever imagined—and for me, Neil “read” my script perfectly. As newbies, we (producing partner Julia Keatley and myself ) learned a lot about things like union regs, insurance, budgets and the like, but the big surprise was that I wouldn’t have any rehearsals before shooting day—not even a table read. Fortunately REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

my dear lead actor Jay Brazeau nailed the part with very few takes needed. I was naturally terrified I wouldn’t make my days or that I’d be short on coverage, but we finished on schedule and the edit went together well. I was so thankful for DP Rob McLachlan’s artistic commitment to the project, but also his calm assurance that it was all do-able—even within the NABET/CUPE eight hour shoot day! Another colleague who had my total gratitude was Script Supervisor Daria Ellerman (a UBC classmate, and now a very successful editor). Whenever I doubted that a tricky set-up would work and thought maybe I should switch to something safe and easy, Daria would quietly pull me aside and say “Go for it. Don’t give in. It works.” All in all, I feel so fortunate that my first professional experience was a safe, positive one. Surprised as the CBC crew were at how quiet the set was—wondering if perhaps it was because two women were at the helm—they were there for me 100%, and I always felt their wonderful support. When production wrapped, I asked Rob if he had any tips—or critiques—for someone just beginning. He said, “Yell more.” That was it. Not long after Mailboat, I had another beginning: as feature film editor. I had no experience on either 35mm or in a feature room—even as an assistant—but the director wanted me because he thought I could cut drama; more importantly, he wanted someone who wouldn’t yell at him on his first outing as a feature director. It was an action drama from North American Pictures, and I was petrified I would get lost trying to make sense of footage I hadn’t directed—particularly as scenes were often re-written on the fly. I was also up against terrible odds as my contract specified I had to deliver a rough cut within 2 wks of wrap—not an assembly, a rough cut. I told my assistant Nela Blackstone (who’d just finished film school and never been in a 35 feature edit room either) what the stakes were. Was she game? A resounding “Bring it on!” We created our own process with me making grease edit marks on the footage, and she splicing/taping on the synchronizer according to my detailed written edit list. As her first duty was to synch the day’s rushes, I had to wait ‘til next day before seeing the cut—which often turned out frame perfect—so until then, it only existed in my mind’s eye. We worked like dogs and much to the producers’ surprise, I made the deadline. Of course a rough cut is when the real work begins, so after much screaming and swearing between producers and director, I surprised even myself by laying down the law: “It’s my edit room (actually it was, as it was being rented from me), I don’t like swearing, and the edit room is where we quietly fix things. Everyone has good ideas. I’ll try them all.” Things settled down nicely after that and we got on with the business of completion, however I don’t think the producers ever quite understood how on earth they, the action cowboy kings, ended up working with a “lady editor” (as they sometimes referred to me). Nela and I were a great team, and I couldn’t have done it without her energy and smarts. We survived the process; moreover, I learned to trust my editing instincts. I had a third beginning, and that was as a documentary director. The project was It will Not Last the Night, a personal film about a stage director I’d gone to theatre school with, and for whom I’d designed my last stage set. I admired him greatly, and wanted to see if a film could ever capture the beautifully ineffable nature of theatre, as well as convey Larry Lillo’s own unique qualities. I hadn’t seen Larry for years, and when we spoke over the phone about the project, he agreed to participate. I had wanted the film to be somecontinued on page 13 11

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

President of MVCC GLENN BURGESS (front) with VPs DAVE CAMPBELL and SHELLEY BURGESS (on screen). PHOTO BY PHIL CHIN

BEHIND THE SCENES

Matrix Leads the Way After almost 20 years in the biz, MVCC continues to serve the equipment needs of the Western Canadian film and TV industry

fter 19 years in the business, Matrix Video Communications Corp (MVCC) continues to be a leading equipment supplier to the Western film and TV industry. “In order to continue growing we have evolved and morphed into not only an equipment supplier to the film, post production and broadcast industry but also a supplier and AV integrator to the corporate, education and government communities,” says company president Glenn Burgess. The company was launched in 1994 in Calgary by Burgess and his wife Shelly and has grown to include offices in six Western Canadian cites with a total of 55 employees. “Our success is based on products such as Avid Technologies, Quantum, Dejero and Telestream combined with knowledgeable personnel who are capable of consulting, recommending and supporting these tools in regards to preferred workflows,” says Burgess. “Our other area of strength is in the supply of HD and 4k cameras as well as lights, grip and other accessories for this market,” he adds. “Our long term relationship with Sony, as a full line dealer, enables us to be leaders in the supply of HD cameras in Western Canada.” In 2007 a Burnaby branch was opened to service Vancouver and surrounding areas, headed by executive VP Dave Campbell. This branch continues to grow rapidly to meet the needs of the post production community in Vancouver. Sony introduced their much acclaimed 4k camera the PMW-F55 in February of this year and MVCC has already supplied seven cameras to the producer/ shooter community in Western Canada.

Beginnings cont. from page 11

what experimental, with Larry—a former actor—performing for me; it would also combine interviews and verité camera of his upcoming production of Macbeth. A small BC Arts grant got me going and I was off to the races—or so I thought. Though I felt terribly unprepared in a technical sense—I’d never made a documentary before, nor studied the genre at school—it was not until I went to observe a rehearsal (to know where to place the cameras) that I realized how absolutely emotionally unprepared I was: Larry was gravely ill. Because I’d lost touch with the theatre community, I did not know he had AIDS. Furthermore, he was in its last stages (there had been nothing in the press about it, for this was the early Nineties, and AIDS was still something veiled in silence). REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

When I phoned the Arts Council to say I wanted to return the grant, that I didn’t think I had the presence of mind to film the implacable march of death on someone from my youth, I was told I must persist because the arts jury—who had known about Larry’s condition— felt I was the right person to make this film, and that I would bring the necessary sensitivity. Needless to say, I had to adjust my concept and approach completely, and also be cognizant of everyone else’s emotions. The pressure of having to get it right was enormous, but because Larry trusted in me, everyone generously gave me theirs’. Subject and content necessarily changed daily. I trod very delicately, and with each day’s shoot, there was always a sense of dread that it might be the last with Larry. As I was also the film’s editor, the process remained

“The images are absolutely outstanding from this very attractively priced camera that has created an amazing buzz in the industry,” says Burgess. With a diverse product line, MVCC recognized early on that their staff must be specialized in what they are selling. Each team member has an area and market of expertise to offer outstanding support and service. Most recently, MVCC Burnaby hired lighting sales representative Korie Kessel with many years experience dealing with film crews, architects and construction companies in regards to their lighting requirements. Kessel has a background as a lighting designer and operator for several live performances so she has a unique skill set in advising clients on lighting requirements. In addition to supplying products for sale, MVCC Burnaby has a large inventory of rental equipment including more than 35 HD cameras and over two million dollars of rental gear including many light kits, grip and other camera accessories. “We have had the privilege of being Sony Canada’s largest volume dealer in Canada for most of our 19 year relationship,” says Burgess. “We have buying power and a commanding presence in the market which allows us to provide a high quality of local service with competitive Canadian prices.” MVCC prides itself on being a full-service supplier with top-notch customer service. Their goal is to offer the best one-stop solution for their clients. The company offers everything from product sales and rentals to system design, support and training, installations, maintenance and repair, to rentals. “Our plan is to continue to maintain our growth and reputation as a respected quality supplier to the film and post production community in Western Canada,” says Burgess. n

emotionally charged (Larry died not long into the edit), and so I was very thankful to have Ray Hall as mentor (and also the film’s co-producer). An award-winning editor in his own right, Ray’s suggestions were always wise, and I learned the value of not resisting the ideas of those you trust. Why would you? They know more than you, and are on your side. My beginning in documentary was not easy, but then it’s not an easy genre, so when it won Silver at the Chicago International Film Festival, I felt an incredible sense of beginner’s luck. I’ve since had new beginnings in my various roles as writer, producer, story editor or creative consultant of other people’s projects, and it’s been as interesting and challenging as were the projects and their filmmakers: Veronica Mannix and Gillian Kovanic (Through a Blue Lens), Penelope Buitenhuis and Kovanic

(Tokyo Girls), Robert Chesterman and Kovanic (Violin 2000), Ling Chiu and Selwyn Jacob (From Harling Point), Karin Lee and Shan Tam (Made in China), David Vaisbord and Trish Dolman (Britannia, Company Town), Catherine Chesterman (Takao Tanabe: A Work of Art), Guy Bennett (Beau), Kevin Eastwood (Dents in the Sky), Anthony Couture (Red Deer), and Producer Intern on a series drama (Nothing Too Good For A Cowboy). There are too many to acknowledge who made it possible for me to have these beginnings, but I’d like to thank someone who was witness to it all: to the late, great Ian Caddell, thank you. Thank you for your Reel West feature article on Mailboat, oh so long ago; and thank you for choosing It will Not Last the Night to premiere “The Producer’s Diary”. It meant a lot to this ‘beginner’. n 13

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

Jamie Davis Motor Truck crew member ADAM GAZZOLA.

PHOTO BY ED ARQUEL

COVER FEATURE

On the Road Again

A second season of the popular Discovery documentary series Highway Thru Hell is back on B.C.’s treacherous Coquihalla Highway. Story by

Alan S. Hale

hen it comes to winter driving, Canadians run up against an annual gauntlet of ice, snow, and white out conditions. But when you’re behind the wheel of a 70,000 lbs semi-truck travelling along a treacherous highway through the B.C.Rocky Mountains, the problems magnify as drivers deal with rock falls, avalanches, black ice, steep hills, and deadly drop offs. And accidents in the mountain are far more severe, with trailers tumbling down cliffs, spin outs, smash ups and six-truck pile-ups that leave the highway a mess of tangled steel. It takes some hardcore tow truck drivers with seriously powerful equipment to haul away the wreckage and keep the highway open. Last fall, viewers got to see first-hand how a team of heavy rescue tow truck drivers based out of Hope, B.C. risk their lives on a daily basis to keep the highway open when Discovery Channel premiered the reality series Highway Thru Hell, produced by Vancouver’s Great Pacific Television. The show was a run-away hit for the network. According to Discovery, the first episode was the highest-rated series premiere in the network’s history, even beating popular Discovery Channel shows like Mythbusters or Deadliest Catch. Highway Thru Hell maintained an average of 611,000 viewers 2 plus during the first season’s entire run. Fans responded enthusiastically: Truckers had a CB radio channel dedicated to discussing the show while it was airing and cast members have attracted thousands of followers on Twitter. The show has also been picked up in the US by the National Geographic Channel and had its American debut this February. It’s now seen worldwide in 170 countries.

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

“I’ve never been on this end of a hit show before, so for me it was like having a baby,” says Mark Miller, producer of Highway Thru Hell and CEO of Great Pacific Media. “It was a fantastic feeling. . . I don’t think we should be that surprised though, we have amazing storytellers right here in Vancouver who have enormous pride in what they do.” Based on this success, the Discovery Channel quickly renewed the show for a second season. “[Season 2 is] going to be bigger, better, bolder. It’s going to be fun. We kind of know what we’re doing now,” says Miller. Highway Thru Hell follows the exploits of Jamie Davis Heavy Recovery/Rescue, a towing company based in Hope that patrols the mighty Coquihalla Highway which runs over 500 kilometers from their community, through the mountains, to Kamloops. The highway is no stranger to accidents – hence, the show’s name. According to the BC Department of Highways, last winter there were 170 accidents along the 110 kilometer stretch between Hope and Merritt, 21 of them involving semi-trucks. Business owner, Jamie Davis, and his crew respond to all the biggest jobs that a winter on the Coquihalla has to offer: fishing out a wrecked semi from the bottom of an embankment while maneuvering under dangerous power lines; recovering a trailer with a cargo of poisonous cadmium; pulling apart five smashed together trucks on top of a mountain at 3:00 AM to get the highway open again; the list goes on. The idea for Highway Thru Hell was discovered by accident. Literally. One of the show’s directors, Neil Thomas, was moving from Edmonton to Vancouver to take a job at Great Pacific Media when his moving van broke down on the Coquihalla Highway and was towed down the mountain by Adam Gazzola from Jamie Davis’ crew. Gazzola 15

suggested that he should make a show about towing on the highway. Thomas promised that he would have Miller come and discuss the idea with them. “I showed up six months later and walk into the yard, and [Jamie Davis employee] Kevin Williamson says ‘you’re that guy from Discovery. We’ve been waiting for you,’” explains Miller. “Then he gives me a bag of 30 tapes. And we began looking at these tapes and it was wreck, after wreck, after wreck. Stuff on fire and spilled all over the highway, and we’re like ‘Holy crap, this happens here!” They compiled the tapes shot by

tow truck driver Williamson into a demo and pitched the show to Discovery Channel. The channel was looking for its own answer to History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers and bought the show on the spot. But it’s not all smashed trucks and dangerous recoveries. There is real drama to be found off the highway as well. Whether it’s Jamie Davis fighting with his 16-year-old son Brandon over his new earring, Adam Gazzola’s anger at being beaten to a job by the competition, or Ken Monkhouse’s visit to a fellow tow truck driver in the hospital after losing a leg, there is always plenty of genuine, raw emotion in the stories

the show tells. “These guys are just real people, and I think viewers really responded to that,” says Miller. “We took great pains to make the show really organic and un-torqued. We let the stress and the danger play out on the screen.” Predictions on what that the new season has in store are hard to make since the crew have no idea what is going to happen on the highway, until they shoot it. Jamie Davis’ towing company is a 24/7 operation, so the filming crew has to keep the same hours. Great Pacific Media has 13 people, split into three different filming crews all

“We took great pains to make the show really organic and un-torqued. We let the stress and the danger play out on the screen.”

- Mark Miller, Producer

living next door to the towing company in Hope for the winter. Miller says that this kind of round-the-clock shooting is feasible because the show has been given a larger budget, more in line with American-produced reality shows, and because of the dedication of the crew members. “It isn’t cheap, and it’s hard. You’ve got people who are wet and cold and miss their families but everyone is really committed to the show and we have an amazing crew,” says Miller. It can be long and sometimes fruitless work. But when they do find a wreck the danger is very real and safety is top priority. To keep the crew out of harms way, spotters keep track of their movements around the accident site and they wear rescue beacons so they can be found if there’s an avalanche. The crew has been given rescue training so they can pitch in REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

and help if required. “We’ve really become part of the team up there,” says Miller. But no amount of safety training can prepare the crew for the death and destruction they see and film on the highway. For example, in the premier episode of the first season, a body of a trucker is discovered pined underneath the wreck of a crashed semi. “One of the reasons this show is so interesting and these characters so emotive is because no one has really ever asked them how they

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

are feeling before,” explains Miller. “Adam tells a story about how one day he had to retrieve the body of a five-year-old that was killed. He now has a five-year-old daughter, and that really affects him. I think many of these guys actually suffer PTSD because of what they’ve seen.” The series exposes an industry that is filled with cut-throat competition but also a family-like bond between tow truck drivers. It shows often tow truck drivers literally risk life and limb in their day-to-day work. Miller has received messages from

people describing how their kids, who might have previously pretended to be fire fighters, are now playing big rig rescue instead. He was even sent a picture of a boy who dressed up as heavy rescue driver Adam Gazzola for Halloween. “Nobody has any respect for tow truck drivers,” says Miller. “But I believe our show has really changed people’s perceptions of the towing industry, and I’m very proud of that.” The second season of Highway Thru Hell will air on the Discovery Channel in September 2013. n

ACTION SHOTS: Highway Thru Hell offers a behind the scenes look at the lives of tow truck drivers serving the infamous Coquihalla Highway. Both the heavy rescue team and the film crew face dangerous and challenging situations while attending to wrecks in unfavourable conditions. PHOTOS: SUSANNE JESPERSEN

CREW SHOTS: Jamie Davis Motor Truck crew member KEVIN RITCHIE (opposite page) and owner JAMIE DAVIS (this page) PHOTOS: ED ARQUEL

FEATURE STORY

Formats Heat Up The West Canadian networks are turning to Vancouver producers for more Canadian versions of hit formats. Story by

Cheryl Binning

he Bachelor Canada and The Real Housewives of Vancouver are recent examples of popular American formats that have successfully been adapted for the Canadian marketplace. And there’s more to come from Western-based producers: Force Four Entertainment is currently in production on The Audience, based on a U.K. reality series, and Paperny Entertainment is gearing up for a Canadian version of the hit U.S. Food Network show Chopped. Formats have become popular among broadcasters because they are generally a safe bet when it comes to ratings, given their audience favour. “Formats have become a big part of our business and not just for Shaw but for all networks, because they are so successful,” says Barb Williams, senior vice-president of content at Shaw Media. “They bring something the viewer already knows and loves so a big part of your work is already done,” she continues. “The formula has been tested, the audience has reacted, it has been tweaked and adjusted so it is working beautifully before you take it on in your territory. A lot of the risk is taken out of the project, so that is a huge part of why they work. ” Lark Productions’ The Real Housewives of Vancouver is a case in point. “It was one of those formats where audiences wondered do we have women like that in Canada?” says Williams. “Sure enough we do and when the series premiered it was the number one show on Slice. Bringing it back for season two has been equally successful.” Chopped, an American cooking competition series, is a top ten hit on Food Network Canada so Williams is betting on the success of a Canadian version, produced by Paperny Entertainment. Chopped pits four chefs against each other in a challenge to take a mystery basket of ingredients and turn them into a dish that is judged on creativity, presentation, and taste, for the chance to win $10,000. They must prepare an appetizer, entrée and dessert and after each round the judges decide which chef is chopped from the competition. “There is so much rationale for taking a proven show like Chopped, that’s hugely successful on our network, and doing a Canadian format,” says Williams. “You are practically guaranteed success, to the extent that anything is guaranteed in the TV business.” While some formats are brought to Canada because viewers know and love them, others arrive because they hold the secret to a novel format never seen on these shores. Force Four Entertainment’s upcoming W Network show The Audience Canada, is based on a UK series. It’s an example of a series that is virtually

unknown in this country but has been picked up for its intriguing premise: 50 people follow a person with a dilemma for a week as they make a lifechanging decision. This “audience” follows them as they go to work, head out for dinner, and meet friends. Along the way they ask questions and give advice to help the person in question make the right decision to solve their dilemma. “It really is an incredible concept that takes crowd sourcing and social networking to the next level,” says The Audience Canada creative producer Tara Short. “When you get 50 brains together to focus on one person’s problem for a week, amazing things happen. These 50 strangers get to see all corners of your life and have a perspective that you would never have because they don’t know you.” The Audience plays out like a mystery. While the protagonist’s dilemma may seem shallow or straight-forward at the beginning of the one-hour episode, these 50 detectives dig deeper and slowly unravel the mystery of the protagonist’s real problem. “The transformation comes when both the audience and the protagonist realizes that the dilemma is much more complex than they thought,” explains Short. “Every protagonist really does have a deep profound transformation in their understanding of themselves which is pretty amazing.” When a company or broadcaster buys a format, they get a bible providing all the logistical and creative details on how to make the show. They also get the support of the originating production company. A producer from the original UK version of The Audience came to Canada to offer advice as Force Four prepped to shoot the first episode. “It’s a monster of a shoot and we had a steep learning curve,” says Short. Shooting scenes with 51 people moving around and talking is one of the major logistical challenges of the series. They shoot using three cameras – one on the protagonist and two trained on the audience, catching people as they speak and react to what others say. About 80 per cent of the sound is captured by booms, with sound recordists-turned-acrobats laying on the ground in the middle of the audience, booming from below. The show is also complex from a story perspective as the team has to track not only the story arc of the protagonist, but also of each audience member as their own level of understanding of the problem and the solution changes over the week. “It is an immense undertaking from a logistical and story point of view,” says Short. Sometimes an even bigger challenge comes from having to honour the original series. When purchasing a format, producers commit to making the show in the way it was originally conceived. “There are things you can’t change, as the format rights holder wants to keep the brand intact,” says Williams. “But within that, there is the opportunity to tweak the show and make it unique for a Canadian audience.” In the case of Chopped, Williams says it is about finding the creative balance

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

of giving viewers what they expect and loved about the American version, but adding in some surprises that make the show uniquely Canadian. “Casting is a huge part of that, finding local chefs that represent all the regions and cultural diversity of Canada; representing regional ingredients and cuisines and culinary favorites of different areas,” says Williams. And for a show like The Real Housewives of Vancouver, location is key, taking the women to instantly recognizable and iconic places, such as Whistler. Force Four also wants to put their own unique stamp on The Audience. “We are following the format but bringing out the Canadian-ness in it,” says Short. “Not only are we trying to hit more cultural diversity in the audience, we also want to showcase our spectacular city of Vancouver.” The Audience showcases Vancouver by shooting a variety of exteriors at iconic Vancouver locations, to provide a rich visual backdrop for the show. The tone is also being tweaked to be slightly lighter than across the pond. “Our approach is more humorous than the UK version,” says Short. “There is an absurdity to having 50 people follow you around all day, so we wanted to have fun moments. It’s a poignant show but it’s also a quirky show.” The Channel 4 version of The Audience is slow paced, reflecting TV viewing taste in that country, but Canadian audiences expect a story to move along faster. To pick up the pace and pump up the quirkiness, the show will feature iconic travelling shots of the 50 people following the protagonist around during their daily lives. “It’s a pacing technique to use these quirky shots of 50 people following a person around, whether they are walking into a coffee shop or walking in the rain with 50 multicoloured umbrellas following them around,” says Short. They are also capturing the reactions from passersby as they see a person being followed by a crowd of 50. So while formats are bound by rules, they also offer the space to make it your own. “That is the creative part of producing formats – creatively playing within the format to make the show click for your audience,” says Williams. n REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

(TOP) Producer TARA SHORT on set of The Audience; (CENTER) AMANDA HANSEN, JODY CLAMAN and ROBIN REICHMAN on set of The Real Housewives of Vancouver; (BOTTOM) On-set of Chopped.

KEEP CALM AND

#SAVEBCFILM

SAVE BC FILM 20

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

FEATURE STORY

Industry Unites to Fight PST expected to take another bite out of B.C. film industry Story by

Cheryl Binning

he already beleaguered B.C. film and TV industry is expecting to take another hit now that provincial sales tax has been reinstated, as of April 1st. This will drive up the production costs of shooting in the province. It’s estimated that PST will result in a loss of about $20 million in annual tax refunds for film and TV projects. “We are the only province in Canada that doesn’t make PST exempt for film and TV productions,” says Wayne Bennett, a production manager and spokesperson for Save B.C. Film, a grassroots movement formed to take action to stop the steady decline of work in the film and TV sector. He says that on a $3 million per episode TV series, a production will have to pay about $18,000 in PST per episode - which means on a 12 episode series, producers will have to find another $216,000 in their budget to shoot in B.C. “That’s a huge amount of money, so the PST is putting us even deeper behind other provinces,” says Bennett. The industry is lobbying the province’s Liberal government to make film and TV a PST exempt industry. “I’m optimistic the Liberals will throw us a bone and make us PST exempt,” says Bennett. “If they don’t, all the pilots that were here [in February and March] won’t shoot in B.C. if they are picked up.” The B.C. industry has steadily declined since Ontario and Quebec began offering a 25-per-cent tax credit on all production costs, as compared to B.C.’s 33% labour only credit. According to the Canadian Media Production Association’s 2012 annual economic report on the industry, B.C. lost 3,500 direct and spinoff film and television production jobs in 2011/12, while Ontario gained nearly 8,000 jobs. The CMPA report indicates that in 2011/12, the total volume of production in Canada increased by 5.6% to $5.9 billion. Ontario captured 44% of that total volume while B.C.’s share was 27%. Save B.C. Film recently delivered a petition to both B.C. premier Christy Clark and NDP leader Adrian Dix with 30,696 registered names asking the province to save the B.C. film industry by increasing tax incentives so they can better compete with other jurisdictions. Save B.C. Film has also launched a PSA to get the word out. “The film and TV industry is an important part of B.C.’s economy and culture,” says Bennett. “We are not standing behind the stage gates anymore. We are taking this message to the streets. We are educating the public to show that people in B.C. who work in the film and TV industry are average people like you and me who live and work in this province. We aren’t all multimillionaires. It’s about changing public perception of the industry through education and we are making progress.” The Union of BC Performers spearheaded the “Paid for by the B.C. Film Industry” campaign to remind companies of the far-reaching impact of the film on the local economy. Similarly, Save B.C. Film has handed out “BC Film and TV dollars spent here” stickers to vendors who sell products to film and TV sets for them to put in their window. “We are educating the public that film and TV productions bring new money here that is spent at all sorts of businesses,” says Bennett. “We are compiling a list and have over 1,300 businesses that directly make money from the industry and our list continues to grow. Government wasn’t aware that film and TV productions support all these businesses. REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

The Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. recently released a public opinion poll that found that 85% of BC residents support encouraging growth of the film industry and 83% support government incentives to encourage film production in BC, and help it be competitive with Ontario and Quebec. “It shows the public supports this industry,” says Bennett. But so far, the Liberal Government is sticking to its guns, saying that increasing the tax credit is unsustainable and not affordable. Instead, they announced a $6.25-million plan called B.C. Creative Futures, with most of the money earmarked for arts and scholarships programs and $1 million to set up a new agency, Creative B.C., which will consolidate the responsibilities of the B.C. Film Commission and BC Film + Media. “It’s a step in the right direction,” says Bennett, noting that this agency is modeled on the Ontario Media Development Agency (OMDC), which represents the creative economies in that province. But he points out that the OMDC has a $24 million operating budget, whereas Creative BC has a budget of under $5 million. “It will fall flat without the money to really market this province and capitalize on this agency,” says Bennett. Save B.C. Film continues to hold discussions with both the Liberals and NDP about the tax credit situation and is educating MLA candidates about the industry. “Neither party has committed to anything,” says Bennett. “But both have indicated the film and TV industry will be on their platform.” n

Brownsey to head Creative BC

Richard Brownsey has been named president and CEO of Creative BC, a new organization which amalgamates the work of B.C. Film + Media and BC Film Commission under one roof. As part of the change in structure, B.C. film commissioner Susan Croome is retiring, after 25 years of service to the province’s film and TV sector. Earlier this year the government announced the formation of Creative BC as an independent, non-profit society dedicated to working with the creative industry in the province to capitalize on the sector’s strengths and identify opportunities for future growth. Brownsey will oversee all activities of Creative BC, including tax credit administration, film commission services, and all programs aimed to further the growth and development of BC’s creative industries sector. The province has also announced they will booster funding to Creative BC by $1 million, bringing the total new contribution to the society to $2 million. n

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

Ferocious actor DUSTIN MILLIGAN.

PHOTO BY PETER CHRISTENSEN

FEATURE STORY

Marketing Without Money How Ferocious and American Mary are finding an audience without a huge promotions budget. Story by

Nathan Caddell

aking an independent film is an incredibly laborious task. The cast and crew involved work themselves to the bone, throwing their time and usually their money into something they truly believe in. Once a film is finally completed and the last scene carefully shot and wrapped, the work is far from over. In fact, the hardest part of the job is just beginning: getting this film that you’ve worked so hard on out into the world. Getting a movie marketed to audiences and getting people into theatres is extremely tough without a big promtotions budget. In the world of Canadian indie film, there’s no Dreamworks or Paramount to throw millions of dollars at your film and make sure everyone and their dog knows it’s premiering this Friday. Instead it takes a lot of hard work and a little innovation — something Canadian producers, directors and actors are keenly aware of. Producer Carolyn McMaster, along with director Robert Cuffley, run Calgary-based CHAOS a Film Company, which is releasing Ferocious, directed by Cuffley, produced by McMaster and indie film vet Anand Ramayya of Saskatchewan. The film stars Amanda Crew, Kim Coates and Michael Eklund in a story about a now-famous woman from a small-town who has to take drastic steps in order to protect her fame. Without a distributor, McMaster was in charge of getting her film out to audiences without much financial help at all. So she struck a deal with Landmark Cinemas in British Columbia and other exhibitors with theatres in Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton. “For an independent release on this self-distribution model, we’re out of the gates on 11 screens, which is very exciting for us” says McMaster. “We’re very pleased with our relationship with Landmark. As an English-Canadian film, this is not the conventional opener for it. Usually you’ll have a lot fewer screens, you’re

usually lucky to get six out of a conventional distributor. So we’re really grateful.” Once deals with theatres were in place, McMaster set out to get butts in seats with a full-fledged marketing plan that can only be described as a marriage of both new and old forms of advertising. “We’ve got ads in all of the major cities, large newspaper ads. We’ve got radio giveaways, cross promotion with radio,” explains McMaster. “The giveaways include posters, autographed stuff, photographs, t-shirts. We’re also heavy on the digital and social media fronts. Been doing a lot of interviews online, have Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr accounts set up. So it’s really been a barrage of convergent media.” Independent films require help from all hands on deck, and the actors have stepped up to the plate in order to help McMaster, Ramayya and Cuffley, participating in Q&A’s at each city’s premiere. “Not too many films have this much wonderful support from cast who are willing to travel across the country, fly in and drop what they’re doing just to help us out,” says McMaster. “It just speaks to the relationship we have between the cast and crew, there’s a wonderful rapport.” In British Columbia, Jen and Sylvia Soska are another example of innovative filmmakers who have found their own unique way to promote their work. The North Vancouver-born sisters, dubbed the ‘Twisted Twins’ are horror film directors who recently made their second film, American Mary, about a medical student who drops out of school and seeks revenge for injustices from her past. The film, about surgical body modification, has become a hit on the horror circuit. “We always dress like this if we go out,” says Jen Soska, referring to the blue eyeliner and all black outfits that she and her sister sport. The sisters have cultivated their own goth, horror look and that’s the only way they are seen in public by their fan base. “If I’m going to the gas station, I look like this,” says Jen Soska. “When we decided to go with the moniker ‘Twisted Twins’ we thought it would be easier for people to identify us by that. Jen and Sylvia Soska, yes that will come, but Twisted

KIM COATES and AMANDA CREW in Ferocious.

KATHARINE ISABELLE stars in American Mary

PHOTO BY ALLAN FEILDEL

PHOTO C/O INDUSTRYWORKS PICTURES

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

Where Where Industry Industry Professionals Professionals Meet Meet

2013 2013 Cine Gear Expo, Los Angeles Cine Gear Expo, Los Angeles May 30 - June 2, 2013 May 30 - June 2, 2013 Location: The Studios at Paramount, Hollywood, CA, USA Location: The Studios at Paramount, Hollywood, CA, USA Cine Gear Expo, New York Cine Gear Expo, New York September 27-28, 2013 September 27-28, 2013 Location: The Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC, New York, USA Location: The Metropolitan Pavilion, NYC, New York, USA

phone: 310.472.0809 phone: 310.472.0809 fax: 310.471.8973 fax: 310.471.8973 email: info@cinegearexpo.com email: info@cinegearexpo.com

www.cinegearexpo.com www.cinegearexpo.com

Exhibits Exhibits Seminars Seminars Film Screenings & Competition Film Screenings & Competition New New Products Products Networking Networking Technical Technical Awards Awards Special Special Events Events

Twins, it’s kind of weird, and weird sticks out in people’s minds.” Of course marketing themselves is more than just looking the part and the Soskas certainly work hard at promoting their craft. “Every time someone says something [about their films}, whether it’s a tweet or an email, Jen or I respond to it,” says Sylvia Soska. “Even if they didn’t really like it, it’s thanks for talking about it and seeing it, and that’s how you start building relationships. Especially because of the way social media is.” Adds Jen Soska: “I think because you don’t shoot on film a lot these days, I mean, I’ve seen films shot on cellphones. It’s never been more accessible, and I think filmmakers, particularly independent filmmakers, do themselves a huge disservice when they say ‘Oh I don’t have time for Twitter, I don’t have time for Facebook, I don’t have time to respond to emails from fans or press or anything like that.’ Well you have to, because as nice as it is to say that my film and my art should speak for itself, it’s your responsibility to get your film and your art to people and then it has the opportunity to speak for itself.” The Soska Sisters efforts are paying off: American Mary scored an international release from Universal Pictures, and screened in UK cinemas in January. The film has also been picked up by U.S., Canadian and Australian distributors. The sisters have been touring festivals with the movie, ranging from the Whister Interantional Film Festival and San Diego’s Comic-Con, to London’s Fright Fest and L.A.’s Monsterpalooza. The Canadian release is slated for the end of May. Both Ferocious and American Mary are case studies providing proof that innovation and effort can be effective in marketing an indie film. For McMaster, the end game is a lengthy festival run (the film is screening in Belgium in April), followed by a U.S distribution deal. So far McMaster is pleased with the early results. “For a small film, we’re having a bigger release than some films that are four times our budget,” says McMaster. “I think it’s an exciting new model for Canadian filmmakers to really evaluate where their money gets spent, how it gets spent and really manage their releases. I believe that you have to think outside the box, have to do something that’s a little more unconventional in order to get the best bang for your buck.” n REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

SUZANNE CLEMENT and PALOMA KWIATKOWSKI PHOTO BY BETTINA STRAUSS

Making Marlene: Anna Valine shoots debut feature Story by

Cheryl Binning

valleys into it and adapted the characters more,” she explains. Valine brought in Amber Ripley, head of development at Foundation Features, to produce and Rob Merilees, principal at Foundation, to executive produce.

CANADIAN FILM CENTRE GRAD and former actress Ana Valine is making her first feature, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene. The film, which shot in Maple Ridge and Langley, B.C. from

But early in the writing process, Valine decided she needed some extra creative guidance and turned to an industry heavyweight: Denys Arcand.

late March to early April, is a dream come true for the Vancou-

“This was a huge undertaking and I knew I needed help,” explains

ver filmmaker, who spent 15 years as an actress and another

Valine. “Denys Arcand has done a lot of work with material around

nine learning the ropes on other people’s movies, before mak-

family, death and religion so I asked him to be my mentor,” she says.

ing the leap to writing and directing herself. “I’m still in shock,” she says. “It doesn’t seem real yet.”

Valine had never met Arcand and at first he wasn’t interested in being her mentor, but she didn’t take no for an answer.

For a first feature, Valine has surrounded herself with some

“I said before you completely say no, meet me for lunch, I will

incredible talent – including acclaimed Montreal filmmaker De-

show you my visual images and plans for the film and if you still

nys Arcand as one of her executive producers and Cannes best

say no after that, I won’t bother you again,” says Valine.

actress winner Suzanne Clément in the lead role.

She took Arcand to lunch and talked about her approach to

She’s also picked up some major prizes before even be-

the film and she must have made an impression: the filmmaker

ginning to shoot: The script, which is adapted from the Billie

agreed to be her mentor. Then, six months ago, he came on

Livingston novella The Trouble With Marlene, won the creative

board as an executive producer.

Women In the Director’s Chair Workshop Feature Film Award,

“He was very integral in the script development,” says Valine.

the Kodak New Vision Mentorship Award and a screenplay

“He has been very helpful and hands on and very generous and

award at the Female Eye Film Festival.

supportive and wise.”

Valine began writing the film project three years ago, after graduating from the CFC.

Sitting on the Edge of Marlene is an ambitious film on a slim budget of a million dollars. While the film has had development

“I bought stacks and stacks of Canadian short stories and

funding from Telefilm, Harold Greenberg Fund, Corus and BC

didn’t find anything and then in the middle of the night I remem-

Film + Media, for production the financiers include only Telefilm,

bered Going Down Swinging by Billie Livingston,” recalls Valine.

Entertainment One, her awards and tax credits.

“But it was too big to do as a first feature so I asked Billie if she had any short stories and gave me a stack. As soon as I read The Trouble With Marlene I knew this is the one.”

But Valine’s industry experience has helped prepare her for this demanding job. “I started out as an actor and then realized I didn’t like to be

The novella is the dark story of a teenager named Sammie

examined that closely so I started writing and had more fun in

who’s mother Marlene is a small-time hustler and psychologi-

ten days writing than I did in 15 years of acting,” explains Valine.

cally unstable alcoholic/drug addict who openly expresses her

When she decided to become a filmmaker, Valine wanted to learn

desire to take her own life. Marlene’s repeated desire to die

from the ground up so she started as a PA on film sets, worked her

leads poor Sammie to actually contemplate giving her mother

way up to Third A.D. and then moved into production coordinating.

what she wants – her own death.

“I learned how the whole machine is put together,” says Valine.

“It’s about release and freedom and deliverance,” says Va-

After about nine years of on-set and office work, Valine started

line. “Marlene struggles with surviving in this world and her

making short films, including Alice & Bastard, Nightmare on Cam-

daughter struggles with how to help her mother.”

bie Street, and the CFC short drama, How Eunice Got Her Baby,

Valine adapted the novella verbatim for the screen – and ended up with a 50-page script. “So I had to invent more stuff and worked with a story editor to figure out how to add more arcs and conflict, put peaks and

which won Best Short Film at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, a Leo Award for Best Direction in a Short Film and the First Place Legacy Award at the Women In Film Festival, Vancouver.

continued on page 29 25

PHOTO C/O ALLIANCE FILMS

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

DIARY FEATURE

One Giant Leap

Cal Brunker’s Diary on the Making of Escape from Planet Earth

Cal Brunker is responsible for visualizing and staging some of the most memorable sequences in hit animated films, ranging from Horton Hears a Who and Despicable Me, to Ice Age 4. He’s worked for all the major studios including Warner Brothers, Disney, 20th Century Fox, and Universal. But one of Brunker’s biggest opportunities yet was directing and co-writing The Weinstein Company’s Escape from Planet Earth, an animated action-comedy starring Sofia Vergara, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, William Shatner, Craig Robinson, Jane Lynch and George Lopez. The movie was released in February and has grossed over $60 million internationally. In the following diary, Brunker discusses the gambles he took and how they paid off, while making his first animated feature. Diary by

Cal Brunker AUGUST 2010 A development executive at Rainmaker Entertainment calls up and asks me to read the script for Escape From Planet Earth to see if I’d like to be considered to direct it. I directed a short for this exec, years earlier when she worked at Disney and she thought my strong background in story would be a good fit for Escape. I wasn’t given much information about the project, she just asked me read it and figure out what I’d do with it. Two days later I got a call – “Can you pitch your take on the movie to Harvey Weinstein tomorrow morning?” It was the chance of a lifetime so I jumped on a plane from Toronto to New York. The next day I walked into the Weinstein offices, past the huge black and white photo of Uma and Travolta dancing in Pulp Fiction. I met with a TWC development exec, a producer from Rainmaker, an up and coming young writer, and Harvey. After a great meeting they offered me the directing job, with one catch. They would only commit to a five-week contract. The project had been in development for years and they wanted to see how things went for a trial period before signing me on for the long haul. This put me in a tricky situation. Directing a feature film had always been my dream, but I was in the middle of several other successful projects. I was the sole director at a high-end commercial studio, I was voice directing an animated TV series, and I was doing freelance storyboard work on a major animated feature. Taking the directing job on Escape would mean walking away from everything for only five weeks guaranteed work. While it seemed like a risky proposition, I felt the real risk would be to not jump at the opportunity. I was confident in my skill set, and I wanted to go all in. With the support of everyone I was working for at the time, I resigned from all the other projects, packed a bag, and got on a plane to Vancouver. SEPTEMBER 2010 I arrived in Vancouver, and met the small group of story artists and editors that I’d be working with. Our goal, over the next five weeks, was to get a storyboard animatic together of the first act of the movie. This animatic would act as both a roadmap for making the film, and the deciding REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

factor in whether or not TWC would greenlight the movie. The next day a new draft of the script arrived from the up and coming writer and the studio wasn’t happy with it. They felt it went in the wrong direction and abandoned it completely. At that moment I saw my big break disintegrating before my eyes. The studio bluntly asked the question, “So, what now?” They’d only committed to me for five weeks, and it would take months to have a new take on the movie written. With nothing to lose, I said I’d write it, and work with the storyboard team in tandem so we could proceed as planned. With no other option, everyone agreed to give it a try. That night I called my long time collaborator and writing partner Bob Barlen. I begged him to take the week off work, and offered to pay for his flight if he’d help me write this thing. Being a glutton for movie-related punishment, Bob agreed, and arrived the next day. We wrote around the clock while the team storyboarded and edited seven days a week. Bob stayed on the project as the co-writer, and ended up quitting his job over the phone. At the end of my five-week contract, the studio liked what they saw and gave us another two months to finish a first pass of the movie in animatic form. Our insane work schedule didn’t let up until Christmas, when we delivered our new script and the animatic to TWC. JANUARY 2011 Back in NY we met with Harvey and his team. He had notes, but for the most part he loved the animatic, and greenlit the movie. Over the next several months our crew expanded to 120 artists. We hired animators, lighting artists, modelers, designers, and everyone else you need to pull off an animated movie. Our budget was tight and our script was ambitious, so building a team of artists who were looking for a chance to prove themselves was key. I created an environment where those who had talent and drive would never be stifled, because of seniority, politics or any other nonsense. If you were good, you got as much responsibility as you could handle. It was an environment where you were encouraged to come up with new ideas, and my job was filter these ideas, and make sure the best ones made it to the screen. I hired experienced people who wanted to step up and run a department, but hadn’t had the opportunity working at the big studios. They came in and ran training sessions for their teams, and helped hone the skills of our incredibly passionate but relatively inexperienced crew. While building our crew, we worked closely with TWC to put together 27

Buckley DoDDs chartereD accountants 1140-1185 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, B.C., V6E 4E6

• Provincial and Federal film tax credits • Auditing and accounting services • Cross boarder transactions • HST filings • Corporate restructuring • Financial statement preparations • Personal tax planning and tax returns prepared 30 years experience

Con Buckley 604.688.7227

www.buckleydodds.com

Missed the digest?

Get listed Online! www.reelwest.com

Now available: add video or sound to your digital display ad!

Director CAL BRUNKER PHOTO C/O ALLIANCE FILMS

our star-studded cast. One of the keys to getting such an incredible cast is being flexible enough to work around their busy schedules. We had dozens of voice recording sessions on both coasts. The actors are generally recorded separately, so it was an incredible thrill to get their performances back to the editing room and start hearing them together. DECEMBER 2011 Still going. Making an animated feature is a marathon. The biggest challenge now is trying to maintain the quality bar we set for ourselves. Production is getting nervous about our ability to deliver on time, and we’re getting pressure to lower our standards to speed things up. The crew refuses to drop the quality bar, and double their efforts to pick up the pace. Production is happy, the crew has galvanized, and we’re producing some of the best footage yet on the film. JUNE 2012 The film delivers. I’m exhausted. The movie is great, especially considering our production limitations. We head back to NY to test screen the movie. It’s the most nerve wracking two hours of my life. Bob and I hide in the back row of the theatre, awaiting our fate. The audience is completely engaged, 28

laughing, cheering, and there’s even applause at the end. The test scores come back, and they’re fantastic. Harvey slaps me on the back and says, “This is going to be big for you.” I’m euphoric for the rest of the night. The next morning we meet with Harvey. He wants to make the movie bigger and better, by adding a big set piece in the middle of the film. We’re thrilled. The test screening could not have gone better. Now it’s time to get back to work. SEPTEMBER 2012 With a plan of attack in place we ramp back into production on another ten minutes of footage. Our release date is set: February 15th 2013. With that date set in stone, the pressure is on like never before. Missing the deadline is not an option. DECEMBER 2012 We deliver the final picture. Sound and music have been running in tandem for the last several months. We record a terrific score with a 110-piece orchestra at the famous Abbey Road studios in London. FEBRUARY 2013 The LA premiere of the movie. It’s surreal to see the film we’ve been working for years now in the spotlight. Our actors are all over the talk shows, commercials are on TV in heavy rotation, and REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

there are full page ads in the NY and LA Times. The most stressful part of the whole process is watching the box office numbers on opening weekend. It is show business after all, and the film’s financial performance will directly affect my future opportunities. Every hour of the night I’m checking my emails. Finally the numbers come in. They’re very good, much better

than expected. Our little film that could has found its audience. MARCH 2013 The film has just become TWC’s highest grossing animated film. It’s incredibly gratifying to see that so many people have connected with the movie. After a few weeks of rest, I’m hard at work finishing the script for what I hope will be my next movie. n

BC Indie Scene cont. from page 7

- telling a great story,” he says. And that story shouldn’t be too complex. “Be sure the story isn’t too confusing or doesn’t involve a lot of participation on your online audience’s part,” explains Kiff. “Most viewers want passive entertainment - interactivity is rare! They are more comfortable with TV conventions.” Most importantly, Carella says: “exploit the advantages of working in the medium. Make a great webseries, instead of trying to use it as a stepping stone to some other end.” n

“Take it slow and commit to doing a very professional job,” says Bruner. We worked on our scripts for a very long time.” He also suggests filmmakers find the right cast – and not just their friends. “It’s easy to find crew and cast who will work for cheap or free for the credit,” says Bruner. Don’t go into it saying you are going to make a viral video, adds Every. “Have fun doing it and know that at the end of the day one thing is king

PROFILE

Shawn Pierce Composer Shawn Pierce is the composer on numerous television projects, including CTV’s new series Motive, the long running SYFY/Showcase hit series Haven, City TV’s new comedy series Seed and Reunion Pictures 4-hour miniseries Eve Of Destruction. His past work includes the CBC Jack Layton biopic, the cult hit Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, CTV/ABC’s Defying Gravity, USA Network’s The Dead Zone and ABC Family’s Wildfire. Pierce’s work in documentary is featured regularly on CBC’s The Nature Of Things

Legal Briefs cont. from page 9

of a production company. However, each loan-out company must obtain a determination by WorkSafe regarding that company’s status. In the absence of a determination by WorkSafe that a loan-out qualifies as a Personal Services Corporation, that loan-out company could be denied access to a production company’s WorkSafe coverage, and that loan-out corporation will be solely responsible for registering for its own coverage. Most production companies will require a determination from WorkSafe BC that a loan-out corporation is considered a Personal Services Corporation A Future in Features cont. from page 25 Now she’s ready to dive into the feature world.

before that production company will agree to make payments to a loan-out corporation. In general, loan-outs can be a great way to limit tax exposure and to provide a layer of protection against personal liability. However, before you elect to incorporate, it’s always a good idea to check with your entertainment lawyer and accountant to see if your needs would be best served by using a loan-out company. Lori Massini is a lawyer with the entertainment law boutique Chandler Fogden. Lori’s practice focuses on entertainment law with an emphasis on the film and television industry. n

and Doczone. Occasionally Pierce works as an assistant to his friend and colleague Atticus Ross (Oscar and Golden Globe winner for The Social Network and Golden Globe nominated for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). They just worked together this past year on the recently released Fox feature film Broken City. Home Town: Vancouver, but currently living in Winnipeg. Start Date: As a teenager in the mid-80’s … 1980’s TV series left a big impression on me. Shows like Magnum PI, The A Team and The Bionic Man. Best Day: Getting the call to score CTV’s Defying Gravity in 2009. The people involved were amazing and the idea for the score sound was really exciting. Worst Day: No bad days. I get to watch TV and listen to music - everyday! Most Memorable working experience: It’s a three-way tie between SyFy’s Haven, CTV’s Defying Gravity and CBC’s Jack Layton biopic. If I won an Oscar I would thank: My parents and my high school music teacher. My parents facilitated and encouraged my life in music. My high school music teacher was an inspiration and a huge support. My FiveYear Plan: I’m currently scoring CTV’s Motive and I hope it runs for at least 5 years! n

Arcand has given Valine lots of advice on making the most of her shoot days. “We are limited in our days so his best advice to me is be really specific and sim-

To afford the 17-day shoot, Valine

plify shots and don’t do too much cov-

says they had to be very creative with

erage if it isn’t necessary,” says Valine.

locations and shot lists.

“The style of the film and our budgetary

“We joke that we are making a film on

limitations have brought a real minimalist

a theatre budget,” jokes Valine. “You have

approach. It’s also very dialogue heavy so

the film in your head a certain way and then

we are focusing on performance. There is

the realities of production and locations and

no need to be extravagant in shooting.”

what actors do with your work changes

Sitting on the Edge of Marlene stars

things, so every step of the way is an ad-

Clément, who won the best actress prize

justment. And not in a bad way. It has made

at Cannes for her role in Laurence Any-

The Definitive Producing Workbook

the project better. Dropping locations and

ways; Paloma Kwiatkowskias as Sam-

combining scenes moves the story along

mie, and Callum Keith Rennie.

Providing a comprehensive overview of national and provincial funding bodies and engaging stories and words of wisdom by seasoned producers.

in ways that I wouldn’t have discovered if I didn’t have to make those adjustments.”

REEL WEST MARCH / APRIL 2013

“It’s a challenging story but everyone has

To order your copy contact: 604-451-7335 / info@reelwest.com

really embraced this film,” says Valine. n

FINAL EDIT Hockey, to debut in April. Stephen Hegyes also recently left Brightlight to produce independently.

The Birdwatcher wins at Women in Film Festival

IMOGEN TEAR and NELSON LEIS in the short film Butterfly PHOTO BY GUILLAUME PAPER

VFS Students Head to Cannes

he short film Butterfly, made by graduating Vancouver Film School students, will screen at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner in May. The 13-minute drama is directed by Arlein Perez Garcia, produced by Lesly Cazares and written by Lynn Sternberger and Garcia. “When I got the news that we were selected for Cannes I needed to read the email twice, I wasn’t sure if

I was reading it well,” says Cazares. Adds Garcia: “My first reaction was to jump out of bed and to not stop jumping up and down.” Butterfly follows the random interactions between John (Nelson Leis) and his daughter (Imogen Tear), wife (Erin Aubrey), co-worker (Winslow Holmes), a washed-up alcoholic writer (Jesse Pierce) and elderly lesbian (Frances Flanagan). In one night over a two-hour period of time, the actions, words, and even

thoughts of these people change John’s life forever.

Pictopia Pictures launched Karyn Edwards, executive VP of business and legal affairs at Brightlight Pictures, has left the company to launch her own production shingle, Pictopia Pictures. Edwards executive producer credits include the feature Fifty Dead Men Walking, the mini-series Delete and the CBC TV movie Mr.

The Birdwatcher, a feature film project written by Roslyn Muir and to be directed by Siobhan Devine, has won the Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) Feature Film Award at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival. The Vancouver festival’s top prize, the award comes with $120,000 of in-kind industry services and a rental package. The Birdwatcher is the story of single mother who, after being diagnosed with cancer, goes on a quest to reunite with her birth mother only to find a prickly professional birdwatcher in the midst of her own personal crisis. The WIDC Feature Film Award is designed to encourage more feature films directed by women in British Columbia and is administered by Creative Women Workshop Association (CWWA). The Legacy Award short film winners are: OMG by Devine, taking first place; A Red Girl’s Reasoning by Elle-Maija Tailfeathers in second place; and Bol by Meghna Haldar in third place. n

Remembering John Driftmier

Director and DOP John Driftmier died in a plane crash in late February while shooting footage for an episode of the Discovery series Dangerous Flights. He and a pilot were both killed when their small plane crashed during an aerial shoot for the show, which follows ferry pilots who deliver small, private planes to customers around the globe. “John was an incredibly talented director and cameraman, and a wonderful friend. Will will miss him terribly,” said Paul Lewis, president of Discovery Canada, in a statement. The 30-year-old cameraman has worked on a number of action-based reality TV series including Ice Pilots NWT, License to Drill and Highway Thru Hell. He was also the co-creator of the Discovery series Pyros, about an elite team of pyro-technicians who put on large-scale fireworks displays. Driftmier was born in Calgary, went to Simon Fraser University in B.C., and was living in Ottawa at the time of his death.

View the DIGEST Online! 1400+ listings available online!

Conveniently viewed from your tablet or smartphone, you’re never more than one click away from the definitive index for the film, video, internet and digital production industry in Western Canada.