Tuna Tin Shakers was the first of 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.
As director of the series, I edited the first few episodes to refine the format; Karen Kerr then added her editing touch to the rest of the series. Producers Janet Loveday and Andrew Ridely ensured that production went smoothly from pre-pro to post.
Each craft was recorded from beginning to completion, usually in about a half-hour by our camera team of Winston Upshall and Kevin Dimitroff along with soundperson, Elliot Cowan.
Sometimes we’d have to wait for a craft to dry, the paint or glue for example, before completing the project. But this production schedule allowed us to shoot a number of episodes per day.
By regularly introducing new kids into the programs, they were eager to participate. And Laurie Clark, the instructor, was more than capable of keeping the young children focused and enjoying their crafts.
At the time, Re:Source Media was a small production company working on corporate videos and some television programming. Kevin Fox has since taken the company into production of a number of globally focused television series.
Although some time has past since production, my primary memory is of an enjoyable time with a great bunch of teammates producing an entertaining and hands-on creative series for children.
