News

… And This is my Garden

a documentary film about the Mel Johnson School Gardening Project

by Katharina Stieffenhofer in Association with Buffalo Gal Pictures

Saturday, March 13^th | Gas Station Theatre, 445 River Ave

Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Screening begins at 7:00

*Reception to follow screening, with a cash bar.

Free Event – Donations gratefully accepted for the Mel Johnson School Gardening Project.

Eleanor Woitowicz, and Bonnie Monias, both teachers at Mel Johnson School, in Wabowden, Northern Manitoba are literally breaking new ground in education and are growing a healthier community in the process. Over the past 4 years the teachers have established 58 small vegetable gardens right in their students’ backyards.

This documentary film follows the teachers and their students for a season of seeding, planting, harvesting, preserving and ultimately celebration of the fruits of their labour at the school’s annual community harvest display and feast.

A reception will follow the screening of the film, with a performance by the Mel Johnson School Fiddlers. Teachers & students will be in attendance.

Seating is limited. Please RSVP to kast12@mts.net before March 8^th.

http://www.youtube.com/user/meljohnsonschool

Freeze Frame International Film Festival

March 4th to 13th, 2010

Film Training Manitoba is pleased to announce its participation in the Freeze Frame International Film Festival. As a part of FTM’s mandate to provide training to the francophone community, FTM and Freeze Frame will partner to offer two workshops for French professionals during this year’s festival.  Both workshops will be conducted in French.

Pour vous inscrire, contactez Anna Fontaine: execdirector@freezeframeonline.org, ou vous pouvez nous rejoindre par téléphone au 949.9355. Le coût est de 25$ par personne.

Scénarisation des documentaires avec Marie Cadieux

Quand : Le 7 mars, de 13h30 à 15h30

Où : Studio Winnipeg Film Group, 200 rue Arthur

25.00$

Le dernier documentaire de Marie Cadieux, Éloge du chiac – Part 2 (Bellefeuille Production) vient d’être présenté en primeur au Festival des Films du Monde à Montréal. Deux de ses documentaires precedents, À Double Tour et Sentence Vie (ONF), ont été projetés et commentés partout au Canada. Originaire de Moncton, elle a travaillé et séjourné dans de nombreuses régions canadiennes ainsi qu’en Europe et en Afrique.

L’Écriture Humoristique avec François Avard

Quand : Le 13 mars, de 9h à 16h30

Où : Salle 0133, Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface

25.00$

Une collaboration entre Freeze Frame, Le Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface et Les Productions Rivard, avec le soutien de Film Training Manitoba

Cette formation laboratoire a pour but d’offrir aux scénaristes et humoristes des éléments de réflexion sur leurs propres schèmes de pensée en plus d’inviter les participants à explorer d’autres démarches créatives. François Avard est auteur, scripteur et scénariste pour la télévision. En plus de collaborer à l’écriture des textes d’humoristes québécois de renom, il mène aussi en parallèle une carrière d’écrivain. Pour la télévision, en plus de ses nombreuses collaborations, il a crée la série Les Bougon, c’est aussi ça la vie.

March 14th |1 pm – 3 pm | FREE for ACTRA members, $5 for non-members
Colin Jackson Studio | Prairie Theatre Exchange | 3rd Floor Portage Place
There will be a Q&A following the panel discussion.

Auditions can be nerve-wracking for even the most experienced actors. They are essentially a job interview, used in the casting process to demonstrate the level and range of a performer’s talent. Regardless of the role you are auditioning to fill, you need to be prepared when you arrive to perform.  Many new actors have misconceptions about how the casting process works. More often than not, beginning actors are not sure who’s involved, who finds the actor to audition, who makes the decisions, and what the steps are throughout this process.

All auditions have requirements, making the casting process complex and selective. Casting directors meet with thousands of actors over the course of a given year. They must determine whether an actor fits the look of a character as well as whether or not that particular actor would be believable in the role they are casting. This seminar will unlock the mysteries of the casting process in order to discover what the key players involved are looking for, and how you can improve your own audition process as a professional actor.

Moderator:
Ross McMillan – Actor, Less Than Kind, The Stone Angel, and Walk All Over Me

Panelists:
Kim Todd – President and Founder of Original Pictures, Producer Locked Down and Falcon Beach
Shawn Watson – Vice President, Scripted Programming Frantic Films, Producer Todd and the Book of Pure Evil and Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story
Gary Yates – Director, Writer, and Producer High Life and Seven Times Lucky, Director Shadow Island Mysteries
Jim Heber – Casting Director, The Haunting in Connecticut and Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
Sarah Constible – Actor Highlife and Writer of and Actor in House Party

For more information, or to book your spot in this seminar, please contact:

Film Training Manitoba
Ph: 989.9669
E: info@filmtraining.mb.ca

The Gimli Film Festival is looking for someone to fill the position of Operations Manager for the 2010 summer film festival. The Operations Manager must have strong event management skills, excellent organizational skills and an ability to manage volunteers and staff effectively. The position demands exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to deal professionally and respectively with invited guests, participants and the audience members. In addition, a good grasp of film industry knowledge in Manitoba and Canada is essential.

Reporting to the Executive Director, and working in collaboration with the GFF team, the Operations Manager is responsible for the following:

- successful execution of all program and industry events at the festival
- supervision of the Operations Coordinator and operations staff

The major areas of responsibility include:

VENUES
Ensure successful operation of all venues.
Allocate and reserve location and equipment for all events.
Ensure all required technical equipment is obtained and confirmed with technical coordinator.
Manage Print Traffic; securing films, transport, ensure compliance with Manitoba Film Classification Board.

ADMINISTRATIVE
Establish Delegate/guest filmmaker, registration and recognition or accreditation (individual passes) including media passes.
Administer system of registration and application process, where applicable, of events.
Administrative duties as required leading up to festival (mail-outs, guest itineraries, etc).
Facilitate ticketing process. Website enabled and box office administration.
Create and execute participants’ exit surveys and audience survey.

VOLUNTEERS
Supervise Volunteer Coordinator
Recruit, train and schedule volunteers for the specific events, matching volunteer skills with requirements.

HOSPITALITY AND GUESTS

Communicate with Hospitality Committee, ensure that invited guests and VIPs are taken care of and treated with high regard.

Work with the committee on hospitality events that include industry participants.

PROMOTION AND MEDIA
Assist the Marketing Coordinator to compile promotional and publicity material for the events and films for the festival program and media.
Distribution of promotional material as related to the program events.
Maintain updates and information on the website.
Assist in coordinating of media events with Marketing Coordinator.

PROGRAM CONTENT/SCHEDULE
Contribute to film selection, view film submissions and recommend films to ED and Programming Committee.
Facilitate the educational and professional development event program and film program. (Development Program consists of, but not limited to, panel
discussions, interviews, master classes and Q & A sessions.)
Assist the ED in the selection of guest filmmakers or actors to a corresponding event.
Assist in Jury selection and process for film competitions.
Organize the screening schedule in consultation with the ED.
Confirm screening rights for each film with TIFF, distributors or filmmakers.

WRAP UP
Return all venues back to initial state.
Collect and analyze exit and audience surveys.
Thank you letters and follow up to all participants and volunteers.

Duration: April 12  to August 6, 2010
Wage: $ 14.00 per hour   36.5 hours per week
Application Deadline: March 30, 2010

The Gimli Film Festival (GFF) showcases films from Manitoba, Canada and the world. The objective of the festival is to strengthen, support and showcase films and filmmaking. The job position will support the Executive Director in the successful execution of a five-day film festival in Gimli, Manitoba. The candidate will gain valuable experience in event management and in the industry of film.

The position will be measured by the successful and efficient operation of the five-day festival. The position will be responsible for the fulfilling their duties as described in the job description and as directed by the
Executive Director.

Radio Canada International’s special projects team has launched The Roots Challenge, a national competition of short films and multimedia productions. This competition targets citizen participation and aims to show the contribution of all cultures to the Canadian mosaic.

The Roots Challenge is open to all Canadians and permanent residents, 18 years and older, who wish to submit a video or multimedia production, 3 to 8 minutes in length. Radio Canada International is looking for original productions, in all styles, that present a story about your roots or lack of.

RCI’s jury will select 8 winners, 4 in French and 4 in English and web surfers will also have a chance to vote for their favorite production in the “short film” and multimedia categories, at www.rcinet.ca/roots.

Entries can come in any form and genre (fiction, report, documentary, animation, etc.). The winners will share nearly $13,000 in prizes and their names will be disclosed online in the spring of 2010.

The deadline for entries is March 7, 2010. The competition is open to amateurs and professionals alike.

For the submission form, the contest rules as well as the evaluation criteria go to : www.rcinet.ca/roots

FTM's Executive Director, Neila Benson, and Adam Smoluk.

Our very own Adam Smoluk won a Future Leaders of Manitoba award on January 28, 2010. Adam won his award in the Arts category, which recognizes and honours a young Manitoban who is active in the Arts Community and is an advocate of Manitoba.

“I’m absolutely honoured to have received this award and I’m so thankful to the people and organizations that have supported and nominated me,” Smoluk said after receiving the award.

Smoluk is a writer/director who shot his film Foodland earlier this year. Developed through NSI Features First, it is set to premiere later this year. He also works full time as FTM’s Community Outreach and Programs Staff.

This past October, John Couchman joined us as our Aboriginal outreach and programs staff. On behalf of FTM, John attends Aboriginal and other community outreach events in Manitoba to promote career opportunities in the film and television industry. He also assists in the guidance and training of the Aboriginal program participants.

John is a proud member of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and he has extensive training in conflict-resolution, leadership, and community building. John brings with him a unique perspective on issues facing our Aboriginal crewmembers.

We are happy to announce that Allison Bile has accepted the position of training coordinator, replacing Bertha Twin whose last day was on December 18^th, 2009.

Allison has been with Film Training Manitoba since 2006, most recently as the office coordinator, and is now overseeing the work experience program. The goal of the work experience program is to provide on-the-job training to both new and established technicians; to expand the number of skilled crewmembers working in the Manitoba film industry, and to address succession planning for production companies, and industry related organizations.

We are also pleased to welcome Irene Bindi to the team as our new administrative assistant. Irene holds an MA in film studies from York University and has worked with film festivals, not-for-profits, and various film organizations across Canada. Irene is FTM’s first contact with the public and we are very happy to welcome her to the team.

For more information on FTM’s training programs, please contact us at:

Film Training Manitoba’s Upcoming Workshops

Our workshops are held in various venues in the downtown area so please visit our course calendar for more information on how to find us, and how to register for these workshops. You can also call us at 989-9669!

**Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Scene Study with Ben Davis

January 22^nd to the 24^th | 10 am – 6 pm | $125

Location | Actor’s Training Centre

Straight from Los Angeles, acting coach Ben Davis will be using the Ivana Chubbuck Technique to take participants through a scene study workshop.

“After years of going to various acting workshops to hone my directing skills, last year I had the amazing experience of attending a workshop with Ben Davis. I think I learned more in one day than all of the other workshops combined. For my purposes Ben is the perfect coach: he’s enthusiastic, funny, extremely focused and very critical. But his criticism is always constructive and comes from a place of passion and belief in his student’s capabilities. I watched in wonder as over and over again he took competent performances and transformed them into riveting, compelling scenes. I’ll go to his classes whenever I can.”

– Norma Bailey, Director

IATSE 669 Assistant Camera Trainee Course

February 4^th to the 7^th | 8:30 am – 5 pm | $350

Location | *See full posting on the FTM calendar for more details

The purpose of the camera trainee course is to provide the basic set of skills needed to work on a Western-based union set (BC, AB, SK, & MB). This course is structured to give participants an introduction to cinematography within a union environment. The emphasis will be on the camera department, specifically the duties of a camera trainee who is working towards becoming a 2^nd camera assistant. This course will be taught in a combination of lecture and hands on teaching techniques.

Upon successful completion of the assistant trainee course, participants will be accepted into the camera trainee program. The ultimate aim of the trainee program is to produce working 2^nd camera assistants in the IATSE 669 union, whose skills and professional workmanship help to create a desirable environment for productions contemplating shooting in Western Canada.

*Please visit our course calendar for more information on the assistant camera trainee course, including eligibility requirements for the course.

FTM workshops taking place in early 2010;

Dr. Linda Seger Screenwriting Workshop

February 10^th – 14^th | 9:30 am – 5 pm | $300

Location | Burn’s Family Classroom, 218 – 100 Arthur Street

Lift Certification

February 13^th | 9 am – 5 pm | $100

Winter Driving

February 21^st | 8 am – 3 pm | $150

“SHADOW ISLAND” Two-part TV Movie

GENRE: Murder/Mystery
Director: Gary Yates
Cast:: to be confirmed
Shooting Dates: December 7^th – 17^th, 2009
Plot: to be confirmed
***Hiring extras from Falcon Lake Manitoba and surrounding areas only.

For information contact:
Kari Casting
PO Box 68043
RPO Osborne Village, Winnipeg MB R3L 2V9 CANADA
24-hour Hotline: 204.287.8839

Trainees and Crew at PS Prairies

Film Training Manitoba has created a unique opportunity for our Aboriginal trainees this past year with a series of Film Shoot Workshops. The goal of these workshops was to create a realistic working environment so that trainees would not only learn about their areas of interest, but would also get a real sense for how a film shoot unfolds.

“The idea of this workshop series was to show our trainees that being a successful crewmember is not just about the final product, it’s about the process you take to get to that product,” explained Neila Benson Executive Director of FTM. Benson also stressed that these workshops were about creating mentorship opportunities for the Aboriginal crew trainees. A working film set is an extremely hectic environment and to have trainees be able to stop the work and ask questions they may have about the process would be very difficult on a working film set.

The first workshop took place in March and was made possible with the cooperation of CAHRD (Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development). Directed by Randy Guest and shot on location at the CAHRD offices, this documentary on the CAHRD organization was created over the course of three days. The trainees were matched with experienced crewmembers for the duration of the shoot and were guided through the process of making a documentary film.

During the shoot, First Assistant Director Richard Duffy took FTM trainee Alanais Moar under his wing. Moar was given a first-hand idea of all the paperwork involved in a film shoot, including the creation of the famous Call Sheets. The project went into post-production and a short, twelve-minute film was created. A screening is planned for the trainees and copies of their work will be kept at the FTM office for future reference.

This past August, FTM made it possible for our trainees to build on what they learned in March with the second workshop in this series that showed them first-hand how a dramatic production is created. With a script written by local actor Ryan Black, and John Barnard of Farpoint Films as the director, the trainees began the day with a group discussion facilitated by FTM staff member Adam Smoluk, who recently directed his second feature film Foodland.

According to Smoluk, “It was cool because we had each crewmember review their dept and introduce themselves to the group. It was very revealing, I think, for these trainees to hear what each department is responsible for and to understand the big picture of how a film shoot comes together. That type of knowledge and training just makes everyone a better crew member.”

Knowing that the goal of this workshop was to create a strong training environment for the trainees, Barnard was able to create a realistic adaptation of a film shoot as well as a strong training environment for everyone involved. “Of course I said yes. FTM is an invaluable organization for the entire film community,” said Barnard. “I began by breaking down the script for blocking and beats. I knew that the trainees would need more time on each scene and I took that into consideration. I think we ended up with a great project that allowed them to learn at their own pace.”

Director of Photography Stephan Recksiedler and Gaffer Ben Stoffer mentored FTM trainee Imre Horvath in the lighting department, teaching him the basics of properly lighting a set. This mentorship was very successful and Horvath spent another three days at PS Prairies under Recksiedler’s tutelage. As a result of his hands-on training, Horvath was placed on the set of “Cashing In” as an electrics intern and is currently working under Laurence Mardon.

This series of workshops came to an end with the third Film Shoot Workshop, which took place at PS Prairies on October 21^st and 22nd. On day one, the trainees were divided into two groups and given a tour of the facilities. This gave them the opportunity to see the technical side of filmmaking, and to learn more about the equipment that is used on a set.

After the facility tours were over, the two groups came together again to review what would take place during the Poor Man’s Process[1] shoot, scheduled for day two. Once again, FTM invited John Barnard to direct the trainees. Barnard reviewed the process of this type of shoot, including its purpose. A script was handed out to the trainees and Barnard broke down the shot angles and lighting styles for everyone.

The trainees were also given a presentation from Laurence Mardon. Mardon demonstrated the different lighting techniques he has learned over the past 20 years as a Gaffer, including a few personal tricks that have proven very effective on set. He also reviewed the different techniques and equipment that the trainees would be using for the shoot the next day.

The Poor Man’s Process[1] took place on the second day of the workshop. The trainees were given their roles and responsibilities, but once filming began the trainees were rotated into different roles. This gave them the opportunity to experience the different jobs and departments. From time to time, the trainees were brought to the monitor and shown how different techniques affected the final product. Throughout the entire shoot several senior crewmembers were on hand to guide the trainees and assist them throughout the shoot.

Trainee Joanne Soldier was placed in the Grip position, which meant learning the backdrop, light diffusions, equipment, and ensuring that everything was properly secured. “I found this workshop not only informative but also fun, “ said Soldier. “Everyone at Film Training Manitoba, PS Prairies, and the participating members of the film community did an awesome job with this workshop. I am looking forward to future opportunities like this. Meegwetch.”

Trevor Klippenstein, Rental Coordinator at PS, was very impressed by the group. “Recognizing and appreciating the quality of instruction and resources on hand, [the trainees] enthusiasm flourished and it didn’t take long for the group to engage us with questions. Everyone involved provided top-notch insight into practical and theoretical application that the students could digest with ease. My feeling was that the students came away with more then they bargained for and I believe FTM is definitely on the right track in terms of structuring a training program like this, regardless of anyone’s background and expertise.”

For more information on Film Training Manitoba and its programs, please visit our website at www.filmtraining.mb.ca.

Written by Dawn Bourbonnais

[1] Poor Man’s Process (PMP): A way of creating the illusion of movement for an interior scene in a car by shaking it up and down and flashing lights and shadows across it.