The Players Film Company’s synergistic strategy of mining its roster of commercial directors for its feature film division, 49th Parallel, apparently works both ways.

Fresh off 49th Parallel signing a deal to coproduce director Bruce McDonald’s Lucky Ho, Players has inked a representation deal with the indie filmmaker (Highway 61, Hard Core Logo).

‘That’s an example of synergy; an example of someone walking in the door, looking at one feature…and also establishing a commercial beachhead. And who knows what else we’ll do with him,’ says 49th Parallel partner Noah Segal.

Players’ roster also includes filmmaker Stephen Surjik (Wayne’s World 2, Little Criminals).

‘The beauty of a commercial project is it is far closer to a film than any television project,’ says Players founder Philip Mellows, also a partner in 49th Parallel. ‘In a commercial you have a story and everybody looks to the director to tell that story, to cast the talent and to be the lead person on the production.’

McDonald, who was previously on The Partners’ Film Company roster, has only shot one spot, a Levi Strauss & Co. (Canada) ad. That spot, based in a post-apocalyptic world in which humans are somehow taken over by mutant cats wearing Levi’s casual wear, left many viewers scratching their heads.

Rumors following the production indicated that the creative was originally meant to mimic Planet of the Apes with denim-clad primates, but the creative was scuttled at the last minute when the client became fearful of trademark infringement.

-www.playersfilms.com

Ex-Pirate composers sail for Goldfish

Award-winning musicians Mark Hukezalie and Daniel LeBlanc, previously top composers at Pirate Radio and Television, along with production exec Bob Johntson, have started their own music production company in Toronto, Goldfish Music.

‘We’re really getting our hands dirty,’ says Johnston, ‘and we’re building from the ground up.’

The reason for the move is simple, says Hukezalie. Over the last 12 months, the creative team has done about 300 spots between them and the volume of projects doesn’t leave enough time to consistently produce top-quality work.

‘We’re taking one step back, one step over and hopefully two steps forward,’ says Hukezalie, who won several awards last year including a Clio for the score he created for Eaton’s relaunch campaign ‘Dilemma/Discovery/Big Finish.’

‘We want to be able to develop more time for our clients and give them our undivided attention.’

Hukezalie and LeBlanc have been playing and composing music since they were teenagers, with different but complementary influences. Hukezalie’s early influences were primarily classical, then expanded to include jazz and theatrical composition. LeBlanc’s influences have been more mainstream, incorporating the sounds of rock and pop.

They say they’re looking forward to the opportunity for more collaborative work.

‘Anything goes – we’re in a situation where we can be really open to where Goldfish takes us,’ says LeBlanc.

-www.goldfishmusic.com

Filmblanc sets up in South Africa

Toronto-based production house Filmblanc continues to extend its reach to international markets.

The company, which set up a Scandinavian office in Helsinki, Finland last year, has now established a third standalone operation in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Filmblanc Africa will be operated jointly with local production service company GGM, says Noemi Weis, Filmblanc president and executive producer.

‘We will be able to connect [clients] and take them directly into a source that has extremely good locations, very good production value, and is opposite in seasons with us. So it complements the Canadian market very well.’

South Africa has long been a top off-season location for Canadian productions, thanks, as well, to an attractive exchange rate.

Since launching in 1998, Filmblanc has set about establishing a roster of Canadian and international directorial talent for use by domestic and foreign clients. To that end, it presently has more than 20 international alliance agreements in Europe, Asia and South America.