In the News

William F. White Acquired by Ashtead Group

In mid-December, Paul Bronfman announced the sale of William F. White International to Ashtead Group through an affiliate of its wholly owned subsidiary Sunbelt Rentals of Canada, Inc. The sale of the wholly owned subsidiary of Comweb Corp., based in Toronto, to Sunbelt aims to further support and accelerate growth over the years, fuelled by the growing demand for media content worldwide driven largely by streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Crave, Disney+ and Apple TV+. The acquisition of Whites officially closed on December 2, although financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Bronfman will continue in his role as CEO through April to aid in the transition. As of the announcement, he became co-chairman of the Whites operating division executive board, along with Ashtead Group CEO Brendan Horgan, focusing on strategic growth of the new platform. According to media reports, the Whites brand name will remain unchanged. Whites, Canada’s oldest and largest rental house, operates out of 13 locations across Canada and has more than 450 employees. Based in London, U.K., Ashtead has been a major equipment rental company in the U.S. since 1990, when it acquired Sunbelt Rentals.

CSC Members Among ASC Documentary, Television Award Nominees

The CSC congratulates the following members who have been named documentary and television nominees for the 34 th Annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards:

Documentary:

Nicholas de Pencier csc – Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

Episode of a Series for Non-Commercial Television:

Brendan Steacy csc – Titans, “Dick Grayson” (DC Universe)

Episode of a Series for Commercial Television:

C. Kim Miles csc, mysc –Project Blue Book, “The Flatwoods Monster” (History)

Motion Picture, Miniseries, or Pilot Made for Television:

Craig Wrobleski csc – The Twilight Zone, “Blurryman” (CBS All Access) Winners will be announced at the organization’s gala on January 25 in Los Angeles.

Credit: Courtesy of the ASC Brendan Steacy csc

Credit: Courtesy of the ASC

C. Kim Miles csc, mysc

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Craig Wrobleski csc

CSC Member Projects Among TIFF’s 2019 Top 10 Canadian Films

Projects shot by CSC members are among the Canada’s Top Ten list selected by TIFF for 2019, it was announced in December. Among the feature films are The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (Norm Li csc) and Murmur ( Jeff Wheaton), while Please Speak Continuously and Describe Your Experiences As They Come To You (Karim Hussain csc) was selected as one of the top 10 Canadian shorts of 2019. The Canada’s Top Ten list is compiled by TIFF’s team of programmers in collaboration with film programmers and critics across the nation.

Bell Media, HBO Max Ink Programming Deal

In late October, Bell Media announced a new long-term exclusive deal with

Nicholas de Pencier csc

Warner Bros. International Television Distribution that brings original programming from WarnerMedia’s HBO Max to Canada, beginning this year. The announcement is the first for HBO Max programming outside of the U.S. The agreement extends Bell Media’s programming partnership with HBO and establishes a new alliance with HBO Max, making original series from the new service available to Canadians via Crave and Bell Media’s

suite of CTV-branded platforms. In addition, the deal encompasses new scripted series primarily produced by the divisions of the Warner Bros. Television Group for HBO Max.

Rogers, Creative BC Announce Development Fund

In November, the Rogers Group of Funds and Creative BC announced new support for domestic creators in British Columbia that will encourage the development of motion picture projects in the documentary series and factual series formats. The new $800,000 Rogers + Creative BC Documentary and Factual Development Fund will be delivered over two years, launching this month. Each partner is contributing $400,000 to the Fund. Its key feature is to support individual documentary and factual projects, before being greenlit by the market during early-stage development only. More information about the fund, including guidelines and detailed application criteria, can be found at creativebc.com.

Netflix, TIFF Industry Announce Partnership to Support New Talent

In early November, the Toronto International Film Festival announced a new three-year partnership with Netflix, which will support the festival’s Talent Accelerator initiative. The program aims to provide professional development and business opportunities for upand-coming talent. The streaming giant will also contribute towards the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, a series of workshops and networking events during the annual festival. Although financial details of the agreement were not disclosed, Netflix’s investment is expected to kick in early this year, according to media reports.

DGC, NSI Partner for Indigenous Training Programs

In November, the National Screen Institute announced it has entered into a three-year agreement with the Directors Guild of Canada as an Indigenous training program partner. The partnership supports the delivery of the training programs NSI New Northern Voices, NSI IndigiDocs and CBC New Indigenous Voices, presented by NSI, and includes boot camp sessions delivered by DGC members, such as award-winning director Shane Belcourt. Additionally, the new $500 Directors Guild of Canada Award for best director in the NSI Online Short Film Festival was recently introduced.

Telefilm Canada Adds Two Members to Executive Leadership Team

In late October, Telefilm Canada announced that René Bourdages had been named Senior Director, Cultural Portfolio Management, while MarieClaude Lavigne had been named Director, Government & Public Affairs. Bourdages was previously with the National Film Board, where he served as the Director General, Creation and Innovation since 2016. Bourdages will oversee the organization’s core activities, including Project Financing, Business Affairs and Coproduction, and the Canada Media Fund Program Administration. Lavigne has 20 years’ experience in strategy, public affairs, and government relations.

ACCEPTANCES / AWARDS / NOMINATIONS

Tony Mirza, associate member (cinematographer) Tipped (short comedy), winner: Best Cinematography: Southern Short Awards, Atlanta, November 16, 2019 Kevin Rasmussen, associate member (cinematographer) Alaska (short film), winner: Best Canadian Short Film, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Toronto, October 17, 2019

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ProFusion 2019: 10 Years in the Making

By Guido Kondruss

ProFusion 2019 was the 10th anniversary of Canada’s top technological imaging exposition for professional cinematographers and photographers. For 10 years, ProFusion has been quenching the eternal thirst of filmmakers and artists alike in their need to see, touch and observe advanced production technology and the latest gear in action. For two full days, it’s a tekkie’s dream with a “wow” factor that’s off the scale. Produced by Vistek, one of Canada’s leading prosumer retailers, ProFusion is a resounding Canadian success story that attracts thousands of attendees annually. President, CEO and founder of Vistek Ron Silverstein shared his thoughts with Canadian Cinematographer on ProFusion 2019 and its remarkable 10 years.

CC: What are your thoughts on the 10-year anniversary of ProFusion?

RS: I couldn’t be happier celebrating the 10th anniversary of ProFusion. It is amazing to see how it has taken shape over the years and what once was just an idea has now transformed into this massive event that brings together the very best of tradeshows like Cine Gear, IBC, NAB and Photokina right here in Canada.

CC: And how did the ProFusion idea come about?

RS: Our VP at Vistek, Kevin Parker, was the original mastermind. He saw a real opportunity to fill a gap in the Canadian market when it came to tradeshows that focused on all of the equipment and technologies available to image makers, meaning photo and video for both emerging artists and pro-level creators. Kevin looped in our Creative Director Christopher Huchenski to help bring it all to life. When I originally saw their plan in early 2009, I was like, “Wow, if we can pull this off, it could really be something special,” and right then and there, ProFusion Expo was born.

CC: Has ProFusion succeeded with its original goal?

RS: I would definitely say so. Our original goal was to create a worldclass pro-imaging event with an educational focus that brought together manufacturers and end users here in Canada. You can really feel the energy and excitement the show creates for both exhibitors who are eager to showcase their products and share their expertise, and image makers eager to explore and broaden their scope of knowledge. It’s so rewarding for us to see both sides of the industry come together, and the sense of community ProFusion creates.

CC: What is different between 2009 and 2019?

RS: So much has changed since we originally launched – we went from a tiny tabletop exhibition of under 9,000 sq. ft. at the Toronto Congress Centre (out by the airport) to taking over 100,000 sq. ft. at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in the heart of downtown Toronto. Back then, even key players like Sony, Canon and Nikon only took on small booth spaces. It was really just a testing ground to see if we could gain some traction and interest in this event. The answer was definitely yes, and now these vendors are building huge installations, creating fully interactive and immersive experiences right on the tradeshow floor.

CC: Why has ProFusion succeeded when others before it have failed?

RS: I think part of its success is we had the unique ability to tie both the photo and video worlds together so seamlessly and because Canada absolutely needs a show like ProFusion. Shows like ProFusion inspire creators to create and fuel new energy into our entire industry. Our Vistek team and

Ron Silverstein

Courtesy of Vistek

all our vendors understand this, and that’s why they dedicate 110 per cent to making it better every year. We’re constantly working to make it bigger, more interactive, more educational and more over-the-top than the year before. CC: What is in store for ProFusion in the future? Any hints of big things to come? Credit: Carlos Esteves csc

Credit: Brian More

RS: ProFusion has always been driven by technology and education so we won’t stray far from that formula, but we will always push to make things new and exciting for our visitors. That means you can expect us to be pushing our vendors to bring their latest cameras, lenses, drones, stabilizers and all the other equipment and accessories you need to really make things work in production. I’m also certain we’ll have more incredible lineups of creators eager to share their experiences and artistry with our guests. Plus, with 6K and 8K already on the horizon, we’re bound to see a number of manufacturers releasing new technologies with those capabilities, and I’m sure that will be the hot topic for ProFusion 2020.

Credit: Brian More

Credit: Brian More

Credit: Brian More

Credit: Carlos Esteves csc

Stirling Bancroft csc

Credit: Kailey Schwerman

What films or other works of art have made the biggest impression on you?

Speed (1994). I was 11 years old and couldn’t get enough of a bus that couldn’t slow down.

Name some of your professional highlights.

I photographed Adventures in Public School (dir. Kyle Rideout, 2017) which premiered at TIFF and showed in my hometown at VIFF. A year later, Freaks (dir. Adam Stien and Zach Lipovski) did the same but also earned a 100-theatre theatrical release. I feel a great sense of privilege to be able to make films I enjoy with talented directors who love the craft.

How did you get started in the business?

I went to Studio 58 to study acting, but I never enjoyed it, so I moved on to writing, but began to understand how few people were reading these days. Film production began to make a lot of sense to me. I went to film school and then began to grind out as many passion projects as I could.

Who have been your mentors or teachers?

Ian Kerr csc was my cinematography professor when I studied at UBC. He would always threaten us “not to phone it in,” and “if you’re going to make it, make it good.” Four of us from his class became cinematographers – Oliver Millar csc, Collin Morrision, Anna Macdonald and me.

What cinematographers inspire you?

Bradford Young asc, Reed Morano asc, Colin Watkinson asc – they find important stories and tell them with novel and stunning images.

What is one of your most memorable moments on set?

I was working with Kaare Andrews and Norm Li csc on a film in the Dominican Republic. We were getting some driving shots on a work/travel day as we moved between Santo Domingo and Saman á, and we got hit by a torrential downpour, so we pulled over to de-rig cameras. When we were safe, we noticed we had arrived at a little outdoor bar. We spent an incredible afternoon salsa dancing with our local crew until the rain finally passed.

What do you like best about what you do?

All the espresso.

What do you like least about what you do?

Staying up late. Waking up early. No days off.

What do you think has been the greatest invention (related to your craft)?

I think depth metadata will change the way we work on set. If we had depth information for every photosite, we wouldn’t need green screens to separate foreground elements from backgrounds. 2D-3D conversion could be relatively painless, and you could add virtual lights in colour grading or use the depth info to create realistic virtual haze.

How can others follow your work?

Follow me on Instagram: @stirlingbancroft

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