Practical production for an evolving industry.
Practical production for an evolving industry.
In Parts 1 and 2, I explored how tariffs, economic chaos, and general 2025 weirdness are rewriting the rules for production and finance. Now we arrive at the final act – the grand finale, if you will – of this cinematic shake-down: distribution. Historically, distribution …
Rethinking Film Finance in the Post-Studio Era In Part 1, I explored how the looming spectre of trade tariffs is already chilling co-productions, destabilizing Vancouver’s production flow, and making U.S. distributors about as warm and cuddly as a frozen finance exec in Q4. I also …
The Chaos in Trade Policy Signals a New Era for Independent Creators For those of us working in or around the film industry, 2025 hasn’t exactly been quiet. With Donald Trump back in office like a reboot nobody asked for, and a new wave of …
Unreal Engine isn’t just software—it’s a lifeline for my creative soul. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but honestly, sometimes it feels like that. Bear with me, and I think you’ll understand what I mean. We live in a world which rewards conformity. When we …
A Place for People Who Don’t Fit In I don’t need to fit into someone else’s system—I’m building my own. It started small: a blog, a few ideas for a series, some experiments in Unreal Engine. But the vision is much bigger. This is a place …
🎬🎨🎭🎧 You don’t need a studio to make meaningful work. You need the right mindset, tools, and community. The traditional entertainment industry is slow to change. It’s risk-averse, overly polished, and locked behind gatekeepers who rarely take chances on bold, new talent. But here’s the …
If you’ve ever wondered how movies manage to keep a coffee cup from magically refilling itself between takes, you have a script supervisor to thank. These continuity wizards have always been the unsung heroes of film sets, quietly keeping the chaos in check. But in …
Ah, January—the month of fresh starts, ambitious plans, and, for me, revisiting the goals I’ve already failed to meet. You know how they say, “Shoot for the stars, and even if you miss, you’ll land on the moon”? Well, I think I may have overshot …
It’s Monday morning. You’ve barely had your coffee, and your boss is already quoting Simon Sinek, waving their arms dramatically about the importance of “starting with why.” Inspiring, right? Except… they’ve just dumped a pile of work on your desk that they could have easily …
Ah, the infamous micro-manager. You know the type: the boss who needs updates about updates, scrutinizes every font choice in your PowerPoint, and knows what you’re having for lunch because they’ve already asked. As executive assistants, we’re often caught in the delicate balance of meeting …
Overcoming Micro-management and Toxic Workplaces Your manager scrutinizes every email you send, nitpicking over punctuation like it’s a matter of life and death. After a tense meeting goes south, they unload their frustrations onto you, as if you were the cause of their failure. A …
Budgeting: Determine your film’s budget by considering factors such as script requirements, production scale, crew size, equipment needs, locations, and post-production expenses. Seek funding through investors, grants, crowdfunding, or personal financing. This begins with your breakdown of the script! NOTE: You can download my free …
Story comes out of Character. No matter what world you create for your characters, or the inciting incident that sets them on their journey, nor even the conflict you think will drive the story, it all goes nowhere if your character is not well developed. …
The BC film and tv industry is greening things up, and we don’t just mean using green screens! With the filmmaking industry growing the way it is in BC, production companies are meeting the challenge of working in more environmentally sustainable ways. The issues surrounding …
I spent a day modelling SFX makeup for a student at the Blanche Macdonald program in Vancouver. It took about an hour and a half to achieve these basic sfx applications and gave me a better understanding of what actors and the makeup team go through for …