Gumshoes Screening at Canadian Film Festival

Gumshoes is a story that takes a twist on the film noir genre. Starts with a mysterious detective and a classy dame in a bar but it does not end the way you think it would. Press play on the trailer above to catch a teasing glimpse of it.

During an unspecified period of existence, John Fracas, a middle-aged, disheartened detective, discusses the specifics of a crime scene, also known as an "orchestration." He lets loose his emotional frustrations and struggles to a fellow bar patron who cares to listen.

It was an awesome (and lightning fast) two-day shoot followed by some visual effects for the climax. I worked under Director of Photography Martin Buzora who is a wonderful cinematographer with an equally wonderful smile.

It's screening at the Canadian Film Fest on March 22nd. If you have a chance to go, please attend the screening and drop me a message letting me know you saw it. I'd like to hear what you thought about this stylish little baby.

Canadian Film Fest March 20-22, 2014 www.canfilmfest.ca

Canadian Film Fest banner

What is a SNOOF?

This is what my weekend was spent on. A few filmmakers asked me to join them in creating a trailer for an upcoming web series. Press play above and check it out.

Blaise Westling is a time traveling, rock star, womanizing douchebag from the future. He travels back in time breaking time laws by seducing historical woman and, like, totally promising to call. Or telegraph. Whatever. It's all going great until... Blaise breaks time.

Rhiannon Litner is the only remaining member of the Chrono Force; the last time cop. And, for all her bad ass bluster, she's a rookie. And she's here to bust Blaise's ass, and keep time from folding in on itself.

It's being used as part of an application for the IPF (Independent Production Fund) and it was a lot of fun to work in. They shot it all within two days and sent the footage to me. Editing and visual effects were finished within a couple of days.

The script is based on what the series could potentially become if successfully chosen by the IPF to receive funding, so the best thing you could possibly do for it would be to click LIKE or SHARE it with your people to see how they enjoy it. Use the hashtag #WhatIsASnoof to chat about it. We will respond back.

There were some crazy folk working on this. They are hard-working TO filmmakers that are constantly working on new projects. Find out more about them below:

• Ash Catherwood

• Jason Leaver

• Carrie Cutforth-Young

• Scott Albert

Life After Pi: a short documentary about the fall of Rhythm & Hues

Employees of post-production house Rhythm & Hues found out that their company was declaring bankruptcy almost at the same time that they were awarded an Oscar for their astounding work on Ang Lee's Life of Pi. Somebody had the foresight to start rolling cameras to capture the thoughts and emotions of those affected. What followed is the making of a 30-minute documentary outlining the fall of the award-winning company and the awakening affect it had on the visual effects industry. Life After Pi chronicles the events leading up to a protest of 400 visual effects workers during the 2013 Academy Awards.

Aside from rallying vfx artists the world over to unify and find a solution for a broken business model, this event also helped pull back the curtain for the public. Moviegoers who were blissfully unaware of how much vfx workers actually contribute to their cinema experiences, as well as how they are treated, had their eyes opened up just a little bit.

Footage from last year's protest at the 2013 Academy Awards Ceremony. There is another demonstration planned for this year's awards, as well.

Watch the trailer above. Life After Pi premieres on YouTube on February 25th and will also be included in the feature-length documentary Hollywood Ending - Why the Movie Capital of the World is Forcing Filmmakers to Leave.

Life After Pi