Stanley Mestel, 65, one of the country’s most distinguished commercial cinematographers, died in a boating accident near his cottage on Lake Couchiching, ON, May 17.

This year Alliance Atlantis weighs in light with only seven Primetime Emmy nominations for two productions, a departure from last year’s showing that saw the Canadian media giant dominate among its American counterparts with 27 noms for six different productions.
‘Last year, about half of our nominations were for the Judy Garland miniseries,’ says Seaton McLean, president, production at Alliance Atlantis. ‘And we didn’t have a miniseries that was eligible this year.’

Vancouver: Citytv’s launch in Vancouver July 22 may not be giving existing stations static today, but could be a real threat in five to 10 years – especially when it comes to news and local programming, says a local analyst.
Formerly CKVU, Citytv caters to Vancouverites aged 18 to 34, viewers not well served by older-skewing stations BCTV Global, BC-CTV and CBC, says David Stanger of DBA Baron, a media buying and planning company.
‘It takes five years for a newscast to mature and an audience to settle in,’ says Stanger, explaining that a station’s personality is defined by local programming like news. ‘[Citytv Vancouver] captures the under-30 crowd that is looking for something to call their own instead of embracing their parents’ newscast. That’s what they did in Toronto 25 years ago. [Citytv] has the opportunity to become tomorrow’s adult newscast.’

Toronto-based director Jordan Patriquin joined Hero earlier this summer. Patriquin rose through the ranks in Toronto’s commercial production industry, starting as a production assistant and working his way up to director. While establishing himself, Patriquin wrote, produced and directed spec spots for Surfline.com, Visa and Kaos High Test Lemonade. Most recently, he completed a spot for Senior Tours Canada, operator of escorted tours for the mature traveler.

After 30 years in advertising, veteran commercial director Bill Irish, 65, has tried to retire a few times, but to the industry’s good fortune, his wife keeps telling him to get out of her kitchen.
In addition to creating a series of four-foot by five-foot paintings and writing a book about Canadian heroes, Irish takes to the director’s chair again with some longtime friends at Avion Films in Toronto.

Briand film to open WFF

As traditionally self-effacing people plagued with an unrelenting inferiority complex compounded by the cultural imperialism characteristic of our big brother to the south, we Canadians remain complacent, if not plain shameless, about our lack of identity.

Perusing the stories and adverts in the last few issues of On The Spot, you may have been struck by the notable number of startups in the commercial production sector. Topping the list are three new production houses that have emerged over the summer.

Aubrey Singer is an L.A.-based, Toronto-bred director who comes to the set with an eye for edgy comedy and, where required, a shoestring on each foot. Aubrey is repped in Canada by Industry Films of Toronto.

Plans to make Toronto home to two of the largest soundstages on record are moving forward. The $100-million Studios of America is in the early stages of construction on the site of the former R.L. Hearn Power House, hoping to be open for business by the end of 2003, and Pinewood Shoot City Studios is planning to complete negotiations with the city to greenlight the development of its $150-million-plus facility at Toronto’s portlands by early fall.

Vancouver: Whether through divine intervention, a special papal blessing or dumb luck, Canada’s first multicultural sitcom Lord Have Mercy! got the funding it needs from Telefilm Canada after all.

Shots & Chasers