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.
Some time 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.
I had recently been awarded a Gemini for “Floating over Canada,” providing some small measure of notoriety, and the potential for other types of post-production.
for “Floating over Canada,” providing some small measure of notoriety, and the potential for other types of post-production.
This would be my first television series. I would have a lead role in post-production, and it would provide valuable experience in teamwork on a series. For it was during my time with M&M Productions that I worked with the very talented Pamela Slavin, later to produce for animation houses Nelvana, Cookie Jar, Wizard Hat and Corus Entertainment.
Although I had started in film editing, both 16mm and 35mm, and had done linear-based editing for a couple of other productions, this was the first time I would have extensive, and sometimes exhausting, editing experience on a ¾” linear-based system. If I recall correctly, the system included two ¾” Sony Umatic players and a recorder controlled by a Convergence Corporation 204 Editor, similar in design to the ECS195 pictured here.
Each program included a number of music video style performances by such guests as KD Lang, Prairie Oyster, Murray McLauchlan, and Katrina and the Waves. Hosted by Bob Schneider and featuring ‘Computerman’, directed by Alan Novak.
For more details on the series, check out these links:
http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/18948/vid_kids/details/
http://www.tvarchive.ca/database/18948/vid_kids/episode_guide/
Although the Vid Kids series only ran that year for me (two seasons total), it led to other interesting post-production projects. I was Post Production Supervisor/Editor as M&M Productions went on to produce the documentary “Shadows of War/Faces of Peace” (1992) with Boris Spremo, (with companion photo book), as well as the program, “So Many Miles And Worlds Between Us” with the group Hart Rouge (1992). I would also work with Pamela on her one hour program “Head Games”.