Team work makes the dream work! Without a solid crew, you don’t have a production!
Terry Straker /
Writer & Producer
One of the perks of being a writer is diversity. You get to work on lots of different projects. In the corporate world, I have written operations, training, marketing and start-up manuals for the franchise industry, articles for major newspapers and magazines, and lots of advertising copy for print, radio and television commercials. Some of this content won awards, but the real reward is just being able to do the work and hopefully find an audience for it. Writing and producing videos for the corporate market always gets me thinking about how I might do things differently on my own project. Clients don’t always give you the time or budget to get things totally cinematic. With the Looking for Christmas project we were lucky to have both at our disposal. As the writer / producer, I cross my fingers and hope that it shows.
- Communicator Award
- Videographer Talent Award
- Summit International Creative Award
Alessandra Di Simone /
Director & VFX
Alessandra previously worked with our young actress Adeline Homer on an automotive product commercial shoot in Northern Ontario. Word got back to me that Alessandra was quite good with the minor actors on set, and they liked her, so it made it for an easy choice to hand the reins over to her to helm this project. This was a happy decision, as our set was fun, fast-paced, and the project was completed within our tight time frame. Alessandra not only teaches graphics at the college level, but she is also an active producer,
director, videographer, video editor, graphic artist and animator. She has also worked as a VFX coordinator on feature films like “A Man Called Otto” and TV shows like “Beacon 23”.
Director – Lucky (Global film award winner) short film
Director- Howard (TIFF Selection, Oniros Film Award Winner) short film
Graphic Artist- Quebexit feature film
Graphic Artist- Kristal Clear (Amazon Prime) web series
Website: www.lightningpostproduction.ca
David Stewart /
Director of Photography
David was recruited for our film because I’d seen some of his documentary work, and it was very cinematic. I was hoping for this same look for Looking for Christmas. In discussion with David, we didn’t think we had the budget to get what we originally planned, but David was very inventive. Part of what made it come together was the ample lighting we had from the huge windows throughout our location. This allowed us to shoot mostly with available light, and a smaller crew. He also shot everything with a ¼” black mist filter giving us the overall cinematic look we were aiming for.
DOP – EGame ON
DOP / Ski Television (S-Media) Switzerland. South America
DOP / Poor Wise Man Independent Film
Instagram: @davidstewartmedia
Facebook: davidstewartmediapage
X: @dstewartmedia
Swan Ryu /
Sound & Set Photos
All our crew members multitasked on our production. The look on Swan’s face was priceless when we said, “you’re in charge of making snow.” I think she imagined building a mountain in the driveway, but all we needed to create film magic was a couple of filled buckets. She took to the task like Frosty would have! We also thank Swan for the crystal-clear audio sound she helped give us too. Swan is a recent graduate of Seneca Polytechnic.
Ved Patel /
Key Grip & Additional Photos
We were fortunate to have an additional cinematographer on our set. Ved is an experienced videographer with his own productions underway. He was an enormous help to our Director of Photography in making sure our sets were lit as directed. Knowing the terminology and equipment we were using helped speed up set arrangement and takedown. Ved also provided ideas for alternate approaches and made sure all the equipment and props were safely packed before closing our set down. Ved is a recent graduate of Seneca Polytechnic.
Salatiya Baig /
Production Assistant
Nothing happens until the scene is called, and the clapperboard closes with its distinctive snap. The PA keeps the set running efficiently by making sure the scenes
and takes are recorded accurately on slate for future editing. Sally knows how to collaborate with a director to keep the production moving smoothly. She wore many hats on our set and helped make sure that the backgrounds were ready for filming when the cameras rolled. Sally is a recent graduate of Seneca Polytechnic.
Sydney Brown /
Hair and Makeup
Sydney is a multitalented makeup artist, and that really paid off for us. She applied the
perfect “polished– but natural” makeup for our cast. She also managed the hair styling
and maintaining cast members’ hair looks throughout the production. With braids that loved to unravel, expensive ‘real hair’ wig management, and natural lighting that was constantly changing, Sydney had to be diligent about keeping our actors looking the same from scene to scene.
Corinne Shalley /
Set Design
I was asked to create some Christmas house décor for a production taking place in May. That raises the bar a bit. I was tasked with creating our props, like the cookie props from clay, and renting the rest. Because my time on shooting day was relatively free, I was able to supervise the craft table and make sure the cast and crew got 3 full meals and snacks.
Secret Weapons:
Hand Prop Projects
Store Window Display
Residential Interior Decoration
Dimensioned Plans and Planning