Danny Glover, on the set of the new Clement Virgo feature, Poor Boy’s Game, now shooting in Halifax. Glover stars as a father out to avenge his brutally beaten son – only to have a change of heart when he meets the culprit, played by Rossif Sutherland (Monk, ER )

Summer is here and the time is right for a big screen full of superheroes, tidal waves, deadly serpents and chatty felines. Of course, these things couldn’t sweep viewers away as they do without expertly crafted VFX. And to achieve these, several of the summer’s most anticipated productions turned to Canadian post facilities, as was the case with the titles included on these two pages.

Looking to provide greater efficiency as a one-stop post shop, PowerPost Production has completed the consolidation of its audio and video post businesses into a single, 10,000-square-foot facility in downtown Halifax.

Toronto FX house Invisible Pictures is keeping a lower profile than founders Neil Williamson and Noel Hooper are accustomed to, but they prefer it that way.

Back in May, Vancouver’s Emily Carr Institute bestowed an Honorary Doctor of Letters on Walter Murch, the legendary Hollywood editor and sound designer with three Academy Awards to his name. That he would be celebrated in Canada is not so far-fetched – although his parents met in New York, both were born and raised in Toronto, where his father was a well-known artist who studied at the Ontario College of Art.

At the heart of the film and TV business lies the talent – the actors, directors and writers who conceive, execute and bring to life the shows and movies audiences want to see. And each year, as Playback’s editorial staff selects 10 individuals from across these disciplines as the hottest up-and-comers, the crop of gifted Canadians out there never ceases to amaze.

CTV says it will continue its ratings dominance with proven hits and a few hot pickups, while Global is promising growth with heavy drama after the first round of network upfronts early this month in Toronto.

After portraying hockey hero Maurice ‘The Rocket’ Richard, actor Roy Dupuis will play another Canadian icon-in-the-making, starring as Roméo Dallaire in the $10-million adaptation of Shake Hands with the Devil, the former lieutenant-general’s award-winning memoir.

Successful independent films need imaginative, well-written scripts. Plot, incident and character development are essential if a producer isn’t relying on high-end special effects to generate an audience. Yet it was only 20 years ago that a system was established to provide financial aid for scriptwriters to create new material for Canadian cinema.

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The recent cross-country tour by freshly minted CBC brass has – if not converted the 1,600 producers who heard them speak – at least put some wind in their sails.

Loren Mawhinney has joined Barna-Alper Productions as VP, factual entertainment, as the Toronto prodco looks to expand its slate of reality and how-to programming.