During the course of my career, I have been fortunate to have worked on some very interesting, entertaining and challenging productions:
Documentary: The Heintzman Piano Company, 90 Years in the Junction 1888 – 1978
I approached The West Toronto Junction Historical Society about producing documentary on the Heintzman Piano Company in 2012. Then Society president, Neil Ross, was helpful in connecting me with Heintzman family members willing to participate in the project. Over the following months, I gathered the interviews along with b-roll to complete the 22 minute documentary for initial viewing at Heintzman Place, the site of the former piano factory in the Toronto Junction area. YouTube
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Music Video: Natalie Cole – This Will Be
The mid-1970s, MTV was a few years away, although music videos had been produced for some promotional purposes, it was the cusp of a breakout into national broadcast.
This music video was one of the first for the production company, Telecraft Films. They focused on revisions of US nationally broadcast TV commercials for the Canadian market. They also produced highlight films for the NHL Buffalo Sabres.
This production was a simple performance-based single 16mm film camera shoot to playback. A couple of other angles offered some cutting flexibility, no b-roll or titles required. Directed by Ray Cole, no relation to Natalie, he went on become an accomplished TV commercial director. Final distribution to television and promotional outlets was in16mm film with optical track. I didn’t keep a copy, they were of a limited production run. YouTube
Natalie Cole died at the relatively young age of 65 in 2015.
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CBC TV Special: Floating Over Canada – Gemini Award Winner
In 1984, I began post-production on a film that was to have a major influence on my career in post-production both from a technical as well as a creative perspective.
“Floating Over Canada” offered a more complex project, a longer program duration, greater creatively flexibility, and a unique approach with a fascinating subject. Magnificently shot on 16mm film by David O’Keefe, “Floating Over Canada” was broadcast for a number of years as a Canada Special on CBC. The program followed Murray McLauchlan across Canada in his Cessna 185 float plane. Murray would drop in on various guest artists such as Buffy Ste Marie, Levon Helm, Ian Tyson and Gordon Lightfoot and they would sing in appropriate settings. Read more
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TVO Short Format Series: Paper, Scissors, Glue – Telly Award Winner
Director/Editor of Paper, Scissors, Glue a series of five-minute episodes broadcast on TVOntario and US public television in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Winner of a Telly award in 1999, the arts and crafts programs demonstrated easy-to-make crafts from everyday items for kids three and up. Read more
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TV Special: The Race Is On – Gemini Award Winner
Post Production Supervisor and Editor on the first street race of its kind in the city (1986) drew not only huge crowds to Toronto’s waterfront but produced a Gemini award in the category of Best Canadian Sports Program or Series.
Producer Michael A. Charbon and director Paul Hollidge were instrumental in getting the Indy program from concept to production. Read more
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Documentary: O.M.J.H.L & Wayne Gretzky’s Last Year in Junior Hockey
Wayne Gretzky was in his last year of junior hockey. The year was 1977. I was a staff film editor and 16mm cameraperson working for a small Toronto film production company.
The company, Telecraft Films, primarily produced hockey highlight films for the Buffalo Sabres, short intermission features for Hockey Night In Canada, as well as revising and distributing 16mm film commercials to TV stations across Canada. Read more
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Sponsored NHL Highlight Film: 31st Annual NHL All-Star Game
On January 24th, 1978, director/producer Ray Cole and myself drove to the Buffalo Auditorium, “The Aud”, now long gone, for an evening film shoot of the first ever NHL All-Star game held in that city.
On this night, and what I remember most about the game, was being located on ice level across from the teams. As exciting as the opportunity was, I had to focus on what I was there to do, capturing the spirit of the game. Two key members of the Sabres team were playing that night, Richard Martin and Gilbert Perreault – two thirds of the Buffalo’s famous French Connection line. Read more
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Nationally Broadcast Children’s Television Series: Vid Kids
When music videos were young, in the late 1980s, a CBC children’s variety series was a gateway to my career as post-production supervisor for television programming.
In 1986, executive producer John Mueller of the small independent production company M&M Productions and I had discussion about becoming a senior editor, and post–production supervisor on the second season of their very popular series, Vid Kids broadcast on CBC. Read more
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Corporate Video: Shell Canada Fuelathon, Invitation To A Challenge
in the 1970s and 80s, Shell Canada sponsored an annual competition for university and college engineering departments across Canada to build highly fuel-efficient vehicles.
To promote this competition, the company I was working for was commissioned to produce a short film in 1986. It was shot and completed in 16mm film. Read more
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Promotional Video: Art For Cancer – Creative Forces
In late 2016, I began producing, as director and editor, a series of promotional videos for the ART for Cancer Foundation (AFC), since disbanded.
Eleven episodes were produced, each focusing on a personal story of art and creative expression and the significance and influence on their cancer journey. Each story is inspirational, empowering and life-affirming from very different life experiences. Read more