Red Motel Pictures and White Iron Productions, both of Calgary, are coproducing Breakout for Craig Broadcasting, due to air in spring 2003. The pilot for a one-hour series captures a live performance by Canadian musician Sam Roberts, in which director Steven Goldman relies on fans and band members to act as impromptu cinematographers.

When Roberts took the stage at the University of Calgary on Valentine’s Day, several fans were given digital cameras to capture the performance from the audience’s perspective. There were additional cameras on-stage with the band to capture the performers’ perspective. This will be edited with professional footage at White Iron Digital, to create what Craig VP specialty networks, Wayne Sterloff, hopes will become the first in a nontraditional, primetime variety series dedicated to supporting Canadian musical talent.

Produced by Braun Farnon of Red Motel, the $100,000+ production is funded solely by Craig and will receive cross-Canada distribution through the prairie-based broadcaster’s properties including MTV Canada, toronto|one and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.

Skating saga to come from Minds Eye

Minds Eye Entertainment recently acquired the television rights to the story of Canadian pairs figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier who, after considerable controversy, won Gold medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Their story – beginning with their early career challenges and leading up to the judging scandal that launched them into the international media spotlight – will be developed into a MOW for CTV. Minds Eye will distribute internationally.

And although the title of the film still remains a mystery, principal photography on a Second City comedy feature started Feb. 10 and goes through to the end of March in Edmonton.

Director Dave Thomas (SCTV) developed a skeleton script – about a teaching hospital full of interns no one else would take – which he then work-shopped with the cast, giving the final script an improv flavour. It is complemented by a series of all-star cameo performances including Thomas, Dan Aykroyd (Blues Brothers), Maury Chaykin (The Sweet Hereafter), Matt Frewer (Max Headroom), Dave Foley (Kids in the hall) and Saul Rubinek (The Family Man). Josh Miller produces the $4.5-million feature from Minds Eye Entertainment.

Not your average Joe in Calgary

Former executive producer of Calgary’s White Iron Pictures, Joe Novak, has teamed up with Karin Klassen, Brent Kawchuk, and Matt Gillespie to form a new production company JoeMedia Group. Novak, now president and CEO of Joe, says the company will focus on lifestyle and documentary programming, but has a commercial arm as well as post-production facilities, headed up by senior picture editor Ken Filewych.

Before joining Joe, Chairman and COO, Matt Gillespie founded Leader Productions in 1995, a production management, camera and editing services company, and then in May 2002 formed prodco Blender Films. VP, writer/producer, Klassen was formerly president of her own prodco Skipping Stone Productions and recently produced and wrote Bugs and Blooms, a series for HGTV Canada, which also recently sold to HGTV USA. Brent Kawchuk, VP, executive producer, brings extensive experience in commercial production as well as film and television. He recently directed and produced X-Change for CBC, which documents the experiences of an Alberta ‘redneck’ and a Quebec separatist when they swap lives for ten days. A second program has already been licensed and JoeMedia is currently developing the series.

Drawing on the past successes and experiences of its staff, JoeMedia is working on Tsepora (Hebrew for songbird) a concert/documentary for CBC’s Opening Night. In addition to the next installment of X-Change, Joe is also developing Riiny on the Rim, the story of a young, seven-foot tall Sudanese boy who, after surviving the massacre of his family, arrived in Calgary and has since become a basketball prodigy, being scouted by college teams in the U.S. Joe is also working on Opera Boot Camp a documentary about a unique school in Edmonton that gives aspiring opera singers make-or-break experience and exposure.

Leslie Neilsen to be honoured in Edmonton

In other Alberta news, the 29th annual Alberta Film and Television Awards will be held April 5 at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre. Edmonton native, Leslie Neilsen will be in attendance to accept a lifetime achievement award from the Alberta Motion Pictures Industry Association.

Two hundred and two entries will compete for 27 class category awards, with 303 entries competing for 33 craft awards. Nominated for best dramatic production are Agent of Influence and Another Country from Calgary-based Alberta Filmworks, 100 Days in the Jungle from Edmonton’s ImagiNation and The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie from Calgary’s Nomadic Pictures. Five new broadcaster awards will be presented this year including best news anchor, best weather broadcaster, best news feature, best sports reporter and best live reporting.

Summit Films captures obsession

Producer Lorne MacPherson, president of Summit Films, was in Winnipeg Feb. 27 doing some early shooting for season two of Magnificent Obsessions for Life Network. Principal photography for the eight half-hours doc series will begin in April and run through the end of August with approximately 60% being shot in western Canada and the other 40% at various locations worldwide.

The $1-million series has been expanded by two episodes and $400,000 for its second season. Writers/directors Noah Erenberg and Cam Bennett tell the true stories of people whose interest in paranormal subjects has reached the point of obsession.

Canamedia will distribute the production internationally and MacPherson is in negotiations with La Fete Productions to find a broadcaster for French Canada. Magnificent Obsessions receives funding from Life Network, CTF and LFP.

Boarding from High Definition

Winnipeg-based High Definition Pictures president and executive producer/director Jeremy Torrie is shooting four half hours of the Honda Element NorAm Snowboarding news magazine-style series, which will be followed up by a special on Canada’s national snowboarding competition.

The Canadian Snowboarding Federation negotiated a deal with Honda to raise the $79,000 needed for the series and other than Torrie’s use of Manitoba tax credits, Honda was the sole funder on the project, which follows the extreme winter sport throughout Canada and beyond.

The sports series, which started shooting Jan. 23 and goes through to the last day in March, will be broadcast by Global on March 29 and digichannel X-treme Sports. The series examines Canada’s snowboarding elite, their coaches and the basics of the sport. Post is being completed at Ice Pictures in Winnipeg, the postproduction arm of HDP. High Definition is also developing a life and times of Randy Bachman, guitarist for The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive.