Shot this car commercial for Lincoln with director Noah Marshall. We chose to shoot this with older lenses, shooting with 1970s Canon K-35s. Their wide aperture and warm coatings lent well to our look. Below are some set still and the spot.

Key Crew was as follows:

• 1st AC – Marc Pierce, Paul Taylor, and Colin Doering
• Gaffer – George Petras
• Key Grip – Derek Teakle
• DIT – Gavin Keen

Technical:

• Camera – Arri Mini & Arri SXT
• Lenses – Canon K-35 Primes and Angenieux Optimo 19.5-94mm Zoom
• Movement – Russian Arm, Process Trailer, Dolly

Working with directing team Common Good, we set out to make a one-take commercial that would take the viewer through the whole story of the whiskey without a single edit.

Michael Walker built a set comprising of 5 different environments, and the actors would lead us from one to another.

Steadicam Cam Op Jason Viera was invaluable in nailing a very difficult series of positions to make the shot look smooth and effortless.

For lighting Gaffer Nathan Monk and lighting board op Desiree Lindon assisted me in setting up a complicated set of cues to make the transitions from one set up to another. Key Grip Jordy Toms rigged it all to pullies allowing us to baffle out sets and light as fast as possible.

here are some set stills, behind the scenes video and the commercial.

Key Crew was as follows:

• 1st AC – Marc Pierce
• Gaffer – Nathan Monk
• Key Grip – Jordan Toms
• DIT – Gavin Keen

Technical:

• Camera – Arri Mini
• Lenses – Zeiss Master Primes
• Movement – Steadicam

Shot this commercial with Phil Brown directing. A wife wishes her paraplegic husband an opportunity to travel in a zero gravity plane and feel weightlessness.

We shot the plane portion on stage, using a fantastic rigging crew of Marco Bianco and Steve Shackleton that gave our talent, John Cassidy, the opportunity to be flown around the plane set. Jamie Macfarlane designed the plane set to mirror the actual Zero Gravity planes. My team and I lit the plane to be true to reality, and tried to keep it all as soft light as possible. To help create the sense of weightlessness, Phil and I decided to use a combination of Technocrane (ScorpioCrane) and Handheld camera work, shooting just slightly slow motion. On the Scorpiocrane, we mounted the Alpha head, with it full roll attachment, allowing the camera to be stabilized and be able to do unlimited full 360 degree rolls.

Being a bank commercial it is a bit rosier in the final transfer than my taste, but the overall approach worked out. Hugely impressed with all the crew at Alter Ego Post for their VFX work. Nice work Darren Achim, Dan MacCarthy and Andrew Thiessen.

here are some set stills, some behind the scenes video, and the spot.

Key Crew was as follows:

• 1st AC – Jay Vetesse
• Gaffer – Nathan Monk
• Key Grip – Jordan Toms
• DIT – Kent McCormack

Technical:

• Camera – Arri Mini
• Lenses – Zeiss Master Primes
• Movement – Handheld, Dolly, Scorpio 37′ Crane with Alpha Head and 360 roll ring

Working with director Vesa Manninen, I shot this commercial for TD Bank. This is not a bank commercial was the slogan of an ad that watched a retired couple start the next chapter in their life. We shot this is Barcelona. thanks to all the amazing crew!

Shooting Black and White, we chose to shoot this on the Red Monochromatic Epic camera. This was my first time using a digital Monochromatic camera, and I was extremely impressed with the exposure latitude, holding extreme highlights and dark shadows. We paired that camera with a set of ServiceVision Anamorphic Lenses. Even on the widest focal lengths the lenses had nearly no bowing or distortion common to most anamorphic lenses. Below are some set photos and other photos I took while shooting, as well as the spot.

Key Crew was as follows:

• 1st AC – Alex Benhamou
• Gaffer – Kevin Gonosul
• Key Grip – Xavi Torres

Technical:

• CAM -REd Monochomatic with Motion Mount
• Lenses – ServiceVision Anamorphic Prime Lenses
• Movement – Handheld / Dolly

Shooting in the outskirts of Cape Town South Africa, Chris Woods directed this spot about a young man using his first shaver. The ridiculous is exemplified through the challenges the young man overcomes, and the comparison made to his first shave. We shot in some really epic and beautiful locations, and tried to keep as much of the effects in camera, or grounded to in camera decisions. A dry lake bed with a mountain backdrop served as a great place to stage a lava stream. The top of Table Mountain created the epic backdrop to be slingshot from one peak to another, and a mountain range outside Cape Town was perfect for the medieval rock hoist.

Here are some screen grabs from the original footage, before post productions:

And some set stills:

Key Crew was as follows:

• 1st AC – Paul Painting
• Gaffer – Clint Stone
• Key Grip – Ari Stavrinos

Technical:

• CAM -Alexa XT 4:3
• Lenses – Panavision Primo anamorphic lenses

Very humbled and happy to hear that the Tropicana commercial that I shot a long way back with director Samir Mallal has been judge by TIFF as the number 1 of essential commercials in Canadian cinema. Thanks to all those who made it possible back then.

Link to story —> TIFF Selects 150 Essential Works In Canadian Cinema History

Key crew was as follows:

• B-Cam Operator – Pete Sweeney
• ACam 1st AC – 1st AC – Julie Kim
• BCam 1st AC – Mikil Rullman
• Gaffer – Philip Lanyon
• Key Grip – Derek Teakle

Technical:

• CAMERA – Arri 416 (super 16mm film)
• LENSES – Zeiss High Speeds
• MOVEMENT – Handheld, dolly, skidoo, firetruck ladder

Working with director team Terri Timely, I shot this commercial for Muscle Milk starring Clay Matthews. Shot over two very full days, we captured Clay signing Bill Withers’s “Lean on Me” as he helps his fellow athletes along in the pursuit of athletic excellence. Great job Steve Mottershead and his team at Artjail on the post fx.

This was also my last job with the late Bill Buckingham, before he tragically died in a motorcycle accident. Bill was a great inspiration to me, and this shoot was a shinning example of his ingenuity, and calm controlled passion. In losing our remote head early in our day, on a very busy day, Bill and his team went old school, and put me on the end of the giraffe crane, which had to do a big jib move combined with a 40′ dolly move. There are few people I would have trusted to put me up there, hanging over a hill’s edge, but Bill was always the man. Thank you, thank you Bill. You are missed by so many. (Bill Buckingham pictured next to me with the cowboy had on the back of an exo cart)

Key crew was as follows:

• B-Cam Operator – Josh Medak
• ACam 1st AC – 1st AC – Reed Coppen
• BCam 1st AC – Jess Lakoff
• Gaffer – Jeff Ferrero
• Key Grip – Bill Buckingham
• DIT – Mike Kellogg

Technical:

• CAMERA – Red Dragon
• LENSES – Hawk V-Lite Anamorphic Primes, Hawk Anamorphic Zoom
• MOVEMENT – HandHeld, Exo Cart w/ Alpha Head and Bungy rig, Giraffe Crane, Dolly, Swimming

This years season of Celebrity Apprentice has a new host, now that Trump has lied his way to the oval office. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosts the season with contestants Laila Ali, Brooke Burke-Charvet, Eric Dickerson, Boy George, Matt Iseman, Carrie Keagan, Carson Kressley, Lisa Leslie, Jon Lovitz, Vince Neil, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Kyle Richards, Chael Sonnen, Porsha Williams, Ricky Williams and Carnie Wilson.

Shooting with Director Kendall Bowlin, we shot in the Universal New York streets backlot, and gave the celebrities a workout sprinting up and down the streets. I felt the full force of Ricky Williams, getting a little too close during his close up, as he pummelled me. Great shot though!

Key Crew was as follows:

• B-Cam Op – Logan Schneider
• C-Cam Op – John Connor Jr.
• 1st AC(A-CAM) – Reed Koppen
• 1st AC (B-CAM) – Tobin Oldach
• 1st AC (C-CAM) -John Scivolletto
• Gaffer – Jeff Ferrero
• Key Grip – Josh Linkey
• DIT – Mike Kellogg

Technical:

• CAM – Arri Amira, Arri Mini, Phantom Flex 4K
• Lenses – Zeiss Master Primes, Angenieux Optimo 24-290mm, Angenieux 17-80mm, Angenieux 28-76mm.
• MOVEMENT – CineRanger, ExoCart, Handheld
• Lighting – BEBE light, Arrimax 18K on condors

Working with director Henry Lu, I shot this commercial for Old Camp Whiskey with a guest appearance from the Florida Georgia Line. I don’t really listen to country music, so I wasn’t aware of there huge following before working on this project.

The essence of the commercial was for the camera to be the POV of a wolf who is following its scent through the woods, until it finds the band members. It was a simple enough idea, but meant shooting in the woods, travelling great distance and seeing deep into landscapes at times, all at night. We elected to shoot day for night, and expose for the shadows, while holding the highlights in order to retain as much shadow detail as possible or the switch from day to night. Eric Whipp was our colorist and was extremely useful with his experiences with day for night footage from Mad Max.

For camera movement, we wanted to find a balance where it would be slightly smooth, but yet still realistic to the reactiveness of a real wolf. After doing some tests, we end up using a arri mini striped down to the basics, and mounted on the end of a monopod. Then we just physically ran with the camera, panning and tilting through manipulating the camera with the monopod. The dead weight of the camera at the end of the pole allowed for some stability to be created, while still allowing us to make sudden movements, to replicate the neck movement of the wolf.

Thanks to all the great team in Nashville that helped to create this!

And here are couple photos of the supremely dedicated producer, Stan Sawicki, puppeting the water in a very compromising position. Thank you Stan for all your hard work and effort.

Key Crew was as follows:

• Operator – Sam Willey
• 1st AC – Kip MacDonald
• Gaffer – Doug Rice
• Key Grip – Bob Hill
• DIT – Armand Holmes

Technical:

• Camera – Arri Mini
• Lenses – Kowa Anamorphic Lenses
• Movement – Monopod – running as fast as possible

Creating a visual comparison between training as a professional hockey player and the movement of the Molson brewmaster, I shot this commercial with director Tamir Moscovici.

Key Crew was as follows:

• 1st AC – Jay Vetesse
• Gaffer – George Petras
• Key Grip – Jordan Toms
• DIT – Gavin Keen

Technical:

• Camera – Arri Mini
• Lenses – Zeiss Master Primes
• Movement – Handheld, Dolly