LOCKED IN THE CELLAR CREATIONS, SPECIAL EFFECTS  What is your current job title?
Special FX Make-up Artist, or Special FX Artist (if we're only providing non make-up related SPFX, like creatures, props or blood FX) What steps did you take to get where you are today? Brian: I got divorced and basically restarted my whole life. I met someone just as crazy as I am, with a good sense of business and together we pursued my life long dream to become a professional Special FX artist. Desirée: We focused on building up a portfolio and improving/expanding our skills, as well as a whole lot of networking. If you couldn’t do this job anymore, what would you want to do? Desirée: I'd be doing something else creative in the film industry, like making miniatures or costumes. Or maybe I'd finally have the time to focus on my writing. Brian: I would love to open a horror themed restaurant with a haunt attraction in it! If you could be a part of any film / tv show in history, what would it be, and why? Brian: Definitely Terminator 2, because of the incredible practical makeup FX on Arnold. And also because I would love to work with James Cameron. Desirée: Little Shop of Horrors! I just cannot believe that they made Audrey 2 look so amazing before digital effects were a thing. It's all practical! What important thing have you learned while working in this industry? Desirée: You can never be too prepared. Brian: Check your ego at the door! Making a film is a group effort. Any links to share? www.lockedinthecellar.ca https://www.instagram.com/lockedinthecellar/ http://www.facebook.com/lockedinthecellar
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 What is your current job title?
ACTOR/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR What steps did you take to get where you are today? WENT TO THEATRE SCHOOL THEN STARTED MAKING MY OWN THINGS If you couldn’t do this job anymore, what would you want to do? BE RICH, GARDEN, GIVE PEOPLE MONEY TO DO ART, CREATE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED IT. IF I COULDN'T BE RICH, GET INTO THERAPY: MASSAGE OR PSYCHOLOGY. If you could be a part of any film / tv show in history, what would it be, and why? OOOO GREAT QUESTION. I’D LOVE TO BE A PART OF FLOWERS THE TV SHOW BECAUSE ITS INCREDIBLY CREATIVE, UNIQUE AND EXTREME. I’D LOVE TO BE IN THE SHOW ATLANTA BECAUSE EVERYONE IS SO COOL. I’D LOVE TO BE A PART OF MONTY PYTHON CAUSE ITS SUCH SILLY FUN. What important thing have you learned while working in this industry? THE HIERARCHY THAT SEEMS TO EXIST IN THE FILM INDUSTRY DOESNT’T HAVE TO. WE CAN CREATE COMPANIES THAT FUNCTION WITH EQUALITY AND COLLABORATION. ALSO, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO FORSEE WHAT WILL OR WONT BE SUCCESSFUL, SO BEST TO MAKE WHAT YOU LOVE. Any links to share? TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY RECENT FILM, @lunethefilm/instagram  Harmony McKenzie - Supervisor, Programming & ProductionWhat is your current job title?
Supervisor, Programming & Production What steps did you take to get where you are today? I volunteered anywhere and everywhere I could early on in my career (and still do today when the opportunity arises). I once applied to a job that didn't end up hiring me, but followed up with an offer to volunteer on set. That led to more paid work down the road and a lot of great contacts! If you couldn’t do this job anymore, what would you want to do? Public/community relations. It's a trasnferable skill and I love people and interacting in the community so don't think I could stray away from that aspect of my current job. If you could be a part of any film / tv show in history, what would it be, and why? Friends. I can't imagine there was ever a day on set that wasn't fun! Who wouldn't want to get paid to laugh all day? What important thing have you learned while working in this industry? Making mistakes is part of growth. There are so many things that are easy to "mess up" but they're ultimately what make you better at your job and as a person. Any links to share?  CHER OBEDIAH - Filmmaker, Writer, SpeakerWhat steps did you take to get where you are today?
Moved to Hamilton to be a part of the rich creative community and sought out opportunities. If you couldn’t do this job anymore, what would you want to do? I'm a creative, I don't think I would run out of ways to express the rumblings of my spirit. I'd paint, draw, write and then go travelling! If you could be a part of any film / tv show in history, what would it be, and why? Ohhh great question. I've always been a fan of the Titanic. It would have been mind blowing to be part of the team that got footage of the actual wreck. What important thing have you learned while working in this industry? To keep going and to fiercely believe in myself. Any links to share? How about my film trailer....https://vimeo.com/317168543 Bryn Wilkinson was a co-op student at the Hamilton Film Festival. JEFFERY SCOTT FOWLER - Editor1 What originally inspired you to get in this line of work? Originally growing up, I always had an interest in media. Movies, TV, cartoons and comic books were my life. Up until high-school I had envisioned becoming a comic book artist, however i can to the conclusion in my last years of high-school that I couldn’t seem myself drawing every day etc. and my wonderful guidance councillor suggest a move to film and tv as I had done a couple of media co-op programs in my grade 11/12 years and I had a strong interest in movies/TV. I ended up at Humber college, gradating in 1999 with a focus on Cinematography (I am a terrible cedar operator btw) and Film editing…. From there I worked in a number of different positions ranging from work on a SPFX crew specializing in miniatures and motion control, to lighting and grip, only to find my place as a video editor in around 2002-03 and have been editing and occasionally directing ever since. 2 What creative tools do you use to get your work done? When I originally started editing, it was tape to tape and cutting on film ( I know I’m and old timer)… As I was leaving humber NLEs had started to become a bit more accessible. In my last year of college I learned to use Media100, but when I got back into editing I picked up Final Cut pro in version 2 and used that primarily for the next 10 or so years until FCPX hit and I had to return to Avid as most places drop FCP. That said now I use a combination of tools: Resolve, FCPX, AVID and a bit of After effects (I know premiere, however it is my last choice of editing software). I also still do illustration (mostly by hand), and do all of my flour work in photoshop. 3 What film would you like to go back in time to be a part of? This is a tough question… and my first nerd response would be Star Wars / The Empire Strikes Back…my film nerd side would say something like The Shining or Blade Runner… but in reality I think it would be True Romance or Seven (i can’t decide)… True Romance because I love Tony Scott’s 80’s -90’s work, the cast was incredible, full of amazingly talented people and I still firmly believe it’s Tarantino’s best movie (IMO). And Seven because I’m a big Fincher fan, and that movie changed how I looked at filmmaking. 4 Where can people go to learn more about your projects? (website / social media)? IG: www.instagram.com/evil_genius_pro FB: www.facefacebook.com/evilgeniusproductionscanada Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiNh7CGO5tMKQjE_rYS1kw Website: www.evilgeniusproductions.ca Bryn Wilkinson is a co-op student at the Hamilton Film Festival.
 LAURA WALKER - ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGERWhat is your Job title?
I'm an Assistant Location Manager (ALM) working in Locations. This year I've worked on several TV series including The Handmaid's Tale - Season 4, Ruby and the Well - Season 1, and Departure - Season 3 and I'm currently working on a new TV series for CBS starring Sophia Bush entitled "Good Sam". What originally inspired you to get in this line of work? I took broadcasting in college and film/english in university. I was involved in a film co-op where I met someone who ultimately hired me at a documentary production company. That job led me to another job and so-on and so-on. I did try working in a non-film/TV place once but it wasn't a good fit -- I belong in entertainment. In more recent years, I was working in Business Development for a Hamilton studio. In that role, I met many Location Scouts /ALMs and Location Managers (LMs) and they encouraged me to consider joining the DGCs (Director's Guild of Canada) Location Caucus. The decision to join the DGC has led me to where I am today. How would you describe what you do to someone who is not in the industry? Filming on location (versus in a controlled studio) is basically "event management". ALMs take care of all of the logistics of filming on location -- permits, maps, parking, lunchroom, green rooms, BG (back group actors) processing, location protection, washrooms, PDOs (paid duty officers), ETF (emergency task force), security, etc. As the ALM, I bridge the gap between a "location" and the "production" making sure that while we are on location that we are following our permits and agreements. While filming on location my department and I are there to assist the shooting crew so that they get their filming day completed successfully. ALMs often work as Scouts finding and photographing possible filming locations. What film would you like to go back in time to be a part of? I think working on any Bond film would be great. Finding locations for those films would be exciting and challenging and working with talented and creative people would be so inspirational. What kind of steps did you take to get to where you are today? I didn't plan on a career in Locations -- I just ended up here. I got a Honours BA in Film & English and worked for a few production companies working in Distribution and Marketing. As I mentioned, I had a gig as a Business Development Manager which led me to working as an ALM. I've always been interested in behind-the-scenes work in film and television. This job requires people skills, being comfortable with paperwork, creativity, and an ability to make decisions under pressure. Working in Locations is very interesting and I'm always learning. Writer Bryn Wilkinson is a co-op student of the Hamilton Film Festival  Sylvester Stallone and Brent Perniac BRENT PERNIAC - PhotographerWhat originally inspired you to get in this line of work? I've been interested in photography all of my life. It was actually my Dramatic Arts teacher at Delta S.S., J.P. Morrison, who encouraged me to explore creative projects including writing, phototography, film, and video. Mr. Morrison planted the seed that I could pursue the Arts, specifically photography, for a living. I started photographing for my high school yearbook and newspaper. At university, I continued to pursue photography for McMaster’s publication, the "Silhouette". I then moved on to work professionally for numerous local publications until I was hired by Hamilton Magazine and contributed for 20 years. How would you describe what you do to someone who is not in the industry? I am a professional celebrity and event photographer. Like a wedding photographer for instance, I have a list of photos that my photo agency and clients expect and need from me in a timely manner. I supply these images to my photo agency which in turn supplies these images to magazines and entertainment publications. They also provide these photos to all the various related entertainment professions such as publicists, movie production companies, agents, and even the talent themselves. Is there someone that’s no longer alive that you wish you had the opportunity to photograph? Yes. Great question! David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Elizabeth Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Mercury, John Lennon, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and of course Elvis are all on my unfilled wish list. They continue to inspire me with their legacy of work. What creative tools do you use to get your work done? Besides having a relatively “good eye" for photography composition [haha], various camera lenses, digital cameras, memory cards and lighting equipment are necessary. In post production, my Mac computer, with various software to view (Photo Mechanic), retouch (Photoshop), and uploading images (Cyberduck) are essential. Brent Perniac is a professional photographer based in Hamilton, Ontario. Brent has become one of Canada’s most popular celebrity-event photographers and regularly covers national events such as The Juno Awards, The Genie Awards, Canada’s Walk of Fame, MuchMusic Video Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival. You can see his work at brentperniacphoto.com
Writer Bryn Wilkinson is a co-op student at the Hamilton Film Festival   MIKE TREBILCOCK - Film composerWhat originally inspired you to get into this line of work?
I think my love of composing for film might have come early on from the movie musical Oliver, where Lionel Bart's music is obviously so upfront. The emotion in that music was overwhelming to me as a kid. I wore that album out. I loved Bernard Herrmann's scores for things like Journey To The Center of The Earth, Mysterious Island, Jason and The Argonauts and of course all of his work for Hitchcock. Finding out that these were all by the same man was a thrilling revelation. Another big moment came later on when I heard Howard Shore's score for Cronenberg's The Fly. It played like the great tragic love story the movie was under the surface. I used to carry that around on cassette and listen to the audio of the movie in a walkman, noting how the music worked with the dialogue and sound effects to create this great work. So my early inspiration came from musicals, fantasy, horror – the place I'm in now, not surprisingly. What is your philosophy when approaching a new project? I love getting new projects and entering a new world. I research the landscape a bit, and make sketches based on my initial impressions. I try out new sounds and sample things that will be unique to the film. Each film has its own personality, and I treat each one differently. Something I learned from another favorite composer, Richard Band, was that no matter the film's budget or how strange and funny the premise, give each film the weight and respect it deserves. My job is to elevate the project and make sure the director's vision is fully realized, even beyond their expectation. What film would you like to go back in time and be a part of? In 2013, I was a composer for a live theatrical version of Night of the Living Dead. It was Executive Produced by George Romero, John Russo, Russ Streiner and it was a bit like going back in time to score the movie. I got into the technology of the day, especially the Roland Space Echo, and wrote pieces in the style of the Capitol Hi-Q library that George Romero liked to use. In a live Q and A at the Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto, George wondered how they got that library music. I felt a bit like I had fooled the master magician. So in a way I did get to go back in time and tinker with Night of the Living Dead. Where can people go to learn more about your projects? They can visit my website, miketrebilcockmusic.com or find me on Facebook, which is often open on my computer while I work, so I'm pretty accessible - for better or worse! Bryn Wilkinson is a co-op student at the Hamilton Film Festival. |
AuthorCo-op student Bryn Wilkinson interviews local members of the film and television scene. Archives
October 2022
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