Baby Steps

THE LAST DOOBIE (1999)

Director: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Screenwriter: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Genre: SHORT FILM (FILM NOIR)

Our first film, shot on a wing and a prayer and a bag containing a strange, leafy substance. Filmed on Super 8 film, "Doobie" presents a mob snitch enjoying a reefer before leaving the country, while a hit man is on the way to ensure his trip is cut short. Literally finished in one afternoon, the fun of making this film convinced us to move on to other short films. Definitely not Hollywood material, but that is exactly what made it special. And the night film I used to shoot the interiors turned out to be a gift from the heavens; no digital camera can match the true organic darkness of film, even if it is only Super 8. An interesting side note: the doobie smoker in the film used an unknown substance to substitute for the illegal weed, and its effect on him, especially when he had his head in the kitchen sink with the water running full blast, was notable!

CAPTURED ON FILM (2000)

Directors: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Screenwriter: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Genre: HORROR

A tabloid reporter draws a mafia snitch out of hiding, only to get the man killed and get a great story for the front page of his tabloid rag. But every time he looks through the lens of his camera, he sees the dead man pursuing him. Once again shooting with night vision Super 8 film in the daytime added a muddy, film noir look to this little production. Fun all around for the participants--free of a budget or anyone telling us how to spend it.

A scientist attempts to brainwash a woman into violence with violent images, only to find himself trapped in one of her delusions. Used the most memorable image for the cover of our compilation DVD, but the film itself still resonates with performances from Dan Holloway and Melinda M. Fun and scary at the same time.

The Mediation of Melinda (2001)

THIRST BECOMES THE FLESH EATER (2001)

Directors: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Screenwriter: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Genre: HORROR

At 20 minutes and shot using a crew of 10-15 people, this film was our biggest project yet. If you are a film maker inspired by George Romero, as I was, you have to make at least one zombie film, and this was ours. Three guys on the way home from a drive-in movie realize the abandoned cars they are passing have been left by flesh-eating zombies (what other kind is there?) who have been "turned" by a poisoned water supply. With the help of Jason Sam, a special effects contributor to "The X-Files," we had prosthetic limbs made up to look like dismembered body parts. Definitely for horror fans but still quite fun. The last night of filming, just two weeks after 9/11, we were almost arrested on a dock at Whiterock, B.C., at 5 in the morning. Our idea was to film the ending without having to pay for location permits; the Law's idea was to catch terrorists. So, we had some explaining to do with our car full of fake limbs and stage blood. Quite a memorable experience.

MUSIC VIDEO: "BACK OF THE RAT" (2002)

Directors: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Screenwriter: LAWRENCE LANNOO

Genre: HORROR

Volatile was a Vancouver heavy metal group that provided music for us in the past. To return the favour, we did this music video for them on a wing and a prayer. Filmed on location in Guy's house and in the back of a semi-truck trailer, the music video for "Back of the Rat" was a great learning experience for matching up sound and image. We filmed on several formats, including Hi-8, Digital 8 and Super 8 film. The resulting film is a mixture of "police footage" images as the camera explores the crime scene of people disintegrating under the weight of their individual roles in the traditional nuclear family. Once finished, Guy submitted it to Canada's music channel, Much Music, and it was broadcast on the station during their Much "Loud" program. Seeing our work on national cable television for the first time was a novel experience, one that many film makers never have the privilege of enjoying. Considering our low-budget and humble means, it was just one of those lucky, special moments.

HILLS BEFORE VALLEYS (2006)

An insurance salesman searching for a client on a back road in the country encounters the ghost of a little girl he killed while drunk driving. This film was an excellent tutor in on-location sound. Shooting beside a waterway was a nightmare, but the location's visuals were perfect so you have to make a decision. Mine led to some nice shots and a complete nightmare in post-production. Of course, sometimes the less said the better. The actor playing the lead character gave a noble effort, considering we were filming every weekend for a month between 5 and 6 am.

CHRISTINE TOURS THE DALY HOUSE (2011)

Queen's University graduate student Christine Shumay tours The Daly House Museum in Brandon, Manitoba. Not the best sound quality, due to construction issues in the building at the time (and the fact I only had the onboard mic available for recording), but still a nice exploration. Christine does a great job providing some local history that might otherwise have been lost to the winds.