This category delves into unique and thought-provoking aspects of filmmaking, exploring specific areas of cinematic interest beyond the core fundamentals. We examine topics such as documentary filmmaking, experimental film, independent cinema, and the impact of technology on the art of filmmaking. This category is a valuable resource for filmmakers seeking inspiration and a deeper understanding of the diverse world of cinema.
The Warehouse That Almost Ended Production I needed a military hangar for The Unauthorized Access. Had no permits. No budget. And definitely no access to an actual Air Force base. So I did what broke filmmakers do—found a sketchy industrial warehouse on the edge of town, convinced the owner I was “just taking some photos,” … Read more
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Introduction: From Hotel Doorman to Open-Mic Survivor Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you enroll in MasterClass via my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own, based on multiple completions of the course and 50+ open mics since 2021. I spent three years opening … Read more
Introduction The air in Victoria at 4:30 AM smells like sea salt and industrial-grade espresso. I spent 10 episodes as a set dresser on Maid, moving furniture and aging practical locations to look lived-in and worn. “Budget” isn’t a word you hear on a union set. But “efficiency”—that’s the only religion that matters. Three hours … Read more
Introduction – Smartphone Filmmaking Guerrilla Style You don’t need a $10,000 camera rig to make a film. The smartphone in your pocket is a filmmaking powerhouse, and guerrilla techniques let you shoot anywhere, anytime, on a tiny budget. Fast forward to my festival-screened projects Two Brothers, One Sister and Doggonit, both shot guerrilla-style on an … Read more
Mastering Slow-Motion: A Beginner’s Guide to Capturing Stunning Slow-Mo Video As a filmmaker who’s worked on sets like Netflix’s Maid and directed shorts that required frame-perfect slow motion, I’ve learned the expensive way that slow-mo is a lighting game, not a camera game. The $800 Lighting Lesson We shot the pivotal scene for Going Home … Read more
The $847 Mistake That Taught Me How to Budget We wrapped Dogonnit at 2:47 AM on a Sunday. The smell of cold pizza mixed with that specific metallic fog smell you only get in Vancouver alleys. My DP was packing a $1,200 cinema lens we’d rented for one “hero shot” that ended up unusable—the actress … Read more
The Hook: The 3 AM Call Time That Made Me Care About Camera Angles February 2021. Maid, Episode 7. I’m set dressing a domestic violence shelter scene at 3:17 AM in New Westminster, and the 1st AD is losing his mind because we can’t get the sight lines right for a dolly move through a … Read more
Disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. I only recommend tools I’ve personally used on set or in pre-production. If I think something’s overpriced or wrong for your situation, I’ll say so. The Hook The morning we shot Going Home in 2024, it was 41°F and the location — a small residential street in Victoria … Read more
3:47 AM: The Moment the Math Stopped Working I’m crouching in a Vancouver alley on the Maid set, spray-painting a milk crate to match an art department reference photo, and my hands won’t stop shaking. It’s not the cold. It’s the math. I’d been running the numbers for three hours: if this 10-episode gig dried … Read more