Cinematography in Canada Since 1957

#AliceStephens #AssociateMemberCSC @filmbyalice

Make a Baby - Music Video

Emily Dynes @emdynes the director of this warm and loving piece is one of my dearest collaborators. She persists and completely leads a team with process at the forefront while staying grounded and calm. These projects come together with the fuel of a creative idea that powers through the whole crew. Shooting on 16mm was perhaps the extra magic that fueled the love and focus that kept the energy firing.

Finding a messy and classic share house is kind of a rite of passage that every music video ever made in Melbourne must go through. Our wonderful PD @shannon_biv transformed it into a beautiful and charming space, which allowed us to be able to create vignettes that attempt to explore the chapters of relationships and the importance of each one. It’s all in the lyrics, and maybe the reason I love the sentimentality that a music video can zero in on.

The years of making music videos are what set the foundations for creative play, for experimentation and for trying out new things. It was an absolute privilege to learn these skills in my dear home city, Melbourne. Melbourne has a rich indie music scene so it lends well for young filmmakers to collaborate and find their identity.

All of these different formats of film offer something different and it’s something I am very aware of never wanting to lose. I love the variety that comes with this position and the not knowing what might pop up next week, next month, or next year. It’s a part of this role that requires adaptability and a sense of adventure.

director: @emdynes
producer: @__logandavies
dop: @filmbyalice
1st ac: robert hilier
2nd ac: @austincharlesgilbert
steadicam op: @antony_zhao_steadicam
gaffer: @to_be_perfectly.frank
prod des: @shannon_biv
art assist: charlesli_8472 @sashavulling & ryan kennedy
editor: @louibooo
colourist: @abewynen @wearecrayon
cast: @yianapandelis @elishajademoore @1parminder1 @tessmetcalf @lazzbum @aaronrobilliard @rowan_marc @walden.maker @floracarbo gina mcwilliam, suzie macfarlane, alex cameron, helena gallacher
and special thanks to: @_annabelclayton @highwaycasting @cameraquip @kodak_shootfilm

#AliceStephens #AssociateMemberCSC @filmbyalice

Occupation - short film

I`ve always been drawn to stories that grapple with the difficult, often unspoken truths, scripts that dare to articulate what many find hard to express. This film delves into the quiet, cyclical nature of domestic violence within an intimate relationship, one that paradoxically feels both familiar and imprisoning. At its heart is a woman who runs a men’s anger management group in a local hall, a hall she also calls home, and one she cannot leave. Each day, she faces the same men, listens to the same grievances, and remains trapped in a loop of care, control, and quiet desperation.

The film opens with a slow, circular tracking shot of our protagonist engaged in a breathing exercise. This same shot closes the film, reinforcing the painful truth that cycles don’t break simply by enduring them. Without change, they repeat. From time to time we have the luxury to use the tool of a oner. To execute, it takes a team effort of focus, preparation and craft. We used a movi hung off a dolly so that we could adjust head room for each person and keep a floaty feel throughout. We used simple math to calculate how far each person needed to be from each other and the camera. The rest of the cast and crew were all sitting behind the red curtains behind the set holding our breath.

Robin Summons our director and leader is a keen and cherished fimmaker with a unique perspective. I loved working with someone who listens so deeply and respects the detail required on every level of filmmaking. He’s well on his way to making his debut feature about a female truck driver. Looking forward to seeing what he continues to create.

Alexa Amira and Panvision Ultra Speeds

Writer, Director - Robin Summons @robinsummons_
Producer - @alexgillespie23
Editor - Damien Magee
Cinematographer - @filmbyalice
Composer - @chiarakickdrum
Production Designer - @leah_popple
1st Assistant Camera - harrisonbyrne & @cs_cine
2nd AC - Monique Bettello
Gaffers - @sunday_lights_ & @two_suns_lighting
Additional Gaffer - @steadipalms
Key Grip - @gforcefilmservices
Colour Grade - @abewynen

#AliceStephens #AssociateMemberCSC @filmbyalice

Fiona Clarke: Unafraid

My first feature documentary focused on photographer and activist Fiona Clarke @tikorangicameraclub, a fearless and quick-witted photographer and activist who captured the spirit of queer liberation in New Zealand during the 1970s, as well as the AIDS epidemic, the extraordinary world of bodybuilding and the ongoing impact of governmental resistance to environmental change on her local Taranaki community.

This project was my introduction to how an intimate documentary set can be run. We worked with a small, hand-picked crew, all living on-site and sharing three nourishing meals together each day. The atmosphere was trusting, loving, and full of humour. Nine days that remain among the most meaningful and joyful experiences of my filmmaking career and my life. Learning about Fiona’s life and work was both inspiring and deeply grounding.

Lula @lulacucchiara, the director, is one of those rare people you simply want to be around. She created a warm, open environment where everyone felt safe and supported, allowing the creative process to unfold naturally and authentically. Her beautiful partner Siobhan @sibsticks who co-produced the film was also present and carrying their first child, Florien, another profound part of the journey.

Visually, Lula wanted the film to have a strong photographic quality, every frame feeling like a still image. Naturally, I chose to shoot on the ARRI Amira with Cooke S4 lenses. In hindsight, a lighter set of lenses would have been more practical for documentary work, as the heavier setup required us to constantly switch the tripod head to use baby legs whenever we needed lower angles, which is not ideal in such a fluid format.

For lighting, we kept things as natural as possible. I only lit the interviews; otherwise, we followed the sun, letting it guide us through the day like moths to a flame. Using natural light has become a recurring theme in my work, if I can use the sun, I will.

#AliceStephens #AssociateMemberCSC @filmbyalice

This Perfect Day is a short film I’ll always hold close to my heart — it was the first film I worked on to premiere at a major international festival: Tribeca.

The director, Lydia Rui @lydiaruihuang, has always sought to create films that speak to something deeply intimate yet universally resonant. To me, short films embody the essence of the zeitgeist. In a very short time, they can express one or two powerful truths about where we are as a culture and as people. They leave behind feelings that linger sometimes for days, sometimes for years. Shorts aren’t merely entertainment; they’re artistic statements.

Another thing I love about short films is their immediacy, how quickly they can come together when the vision is clear. This Perfect Day was made in under six weeks. When a script captures the imagination of key creatives, everyone rallies behind it, and that shared passion and creativity infuse every frame.

Something I have learnt since making this short is that patience is essential in this industry. The work is slow sometimes and it can be easy to lose track of your voice and values when we aren’t always working. I have learnt though, to find other creative avenues to keep that voice alight so when the right project comes along I am ready.

This quote from the beautiful David Lynch rings true

‘Be true to yourself. Have your own voice ring out. Other things can inspire you, but find your own voice. Be true to that voice. Don’t let anyone fiddle with it. Never turn down a good idea, but never take up a bad idea’.

Our incredible cast and crew below

Michelle Keating as Jules
Lee EL Mason as John
Hannah Koch as Ruby

Director, Writer, Editor: @lydiaruihuang
Producer: @olivia_wanders
Director of Photography: Alice Stephens
Production Designer & Costume Designer: @efigstein
Composer: Tommy Spender
Sound Designer: Gunay Demirci
1st AD: @keannn
Gaffer: @alduffield
1st AC: @camjamesstewart Stewart
2nd AC: @oliver_gross Gross, Jessa Rose
Best Boy: harrisonbyrne
Sound Op: Nick Whelan
HMU: Jen Tighe
PA: Alec Wilson
Colourist: @abewynen

#AliceStephens #AssociateMemberCSC @filmbyalice

Hello friends. Alice Stephens here, honoured to be hosting the CSC Instagram for the next 2 weeks. Thank you Carolyn Wong @416cw for volunteering your time to continue to find ways to shine a light on the importance of reflecting and sharing the very unique and different paths we take. I think it reminds us to reflect, join the dots and to refrain from comparing ourselves because we all see the world differently, how we choose to shape and create is unique to each individual.

I am another aussie who moved across the seas with my husband @abewynen to experience something new, to meet people who would offer new ways of thinking and to be challenged again. As an a artist, I think my curiosity must continue to find its path in order to conitine to grow, to allow it to satiate different parts of myself and to keep finding it over and over. I am drawn to stories that remind me that every human has a complex lineage of experiences that make up that person and their perspective. I am reminded over and over again of this magical fact, that there are billions of stories that we will never get to know, but at least as filmmakers, we get to know a glimpse of what it means to be human.

Being a cinematographer is one of the great privlegdes of my life. I have been able to travel to parts of the world I would never have had the chance, I meet people of all walks of life and I get to collaborate with interesting creatives who have something essential to say. I think by choosing to work in this field, over time my values start to evaluate how I choose not only what projects to work on, but who I work with.

My wonderful professor of cinema studies and friend Gerry Hooper @hoopergerar quoted this daring phrase that deeply resonated with me recently.

‘film what makes the heart beat faster’

And with that, I was reminded that cinema is not about perfection, but pulse, the risk, the vulnerability that makes us feel alive.

#GabrielBraultTardifCsc @gabbtcsc,

Well, that’s a wrap for my time hosting the CSC Instagram!

I wanted to keep it simple with just a few posts, but I figure I could be closing it out with a selection of stills from projects I’ve loved working on over the years. I’d like to thank all the directors that trusted me to create with them.

Thanks once again for this opportunity to share with you all.

Ce dernier message est aussi présenté en français.

J’ai voulu garder cela simple avec seulement quelques publications. J’ai pensé terminer ce passage sur l’instagram du CSC avec une sélection d’images de projets auxquels j’ai aimé participer au fil des années. J’en profite pour remercier tous les réalisateurs/réalisatrices qui m’ont fait confiance pour créer avec eux/elles ces images.

Merci au CSC pour cette belle opportunité.

#GabrielBraultTardifCsc @gabbtcsc,

Blitz Musik is a short film direct by @martin_amiot. I’m especially proud of this one, a project where images had to speak louder than words since there is none. Every shadow, frame, and gesture carried the weight of the story.

Set during wartime, it follows two enemies who find themselves trapped in an abandoned school. They’re separated by a single wall in a classroom full of musical instruments. The tension between them is strange, beautiful, and intriguing, where instruments are weapons, and music becomes the battle.

The score was composed and performed by Jacques Kuba Séguin, who also played one of the leads. @volodia.schneider joined in live performance as well. Their performances were integral to our process and injected incredible energy throughout production.

We aimed to create distinct atmospheres and moods for each character, without slipping into anything too gimmicky. The Art Department was essential and solid. @genevieveboiteau and her team built and textured the entire set inside an empty warehouse, crafting an environment full of detail and depth.

Two lamps were placed strategically and moved outside the windows depending on needs. We used a lot of old textured paper and fabrics to create texture and patterns. Smaller lights and reflectors filled in the rest. The FX team @bloodbrothersfx added flame gels to bring in subtle fire elements, which we enhanced with additional lighting.

Lighting needed to be dramatic yet permissive, allowing the characters to move and explore freely. Some shots were precisely planned, others almost improvised. A balance that made the process truly enriching.

We shot on the Mini LF paired @xelmusanamorphic lenses, giving us both expansive wides and intense close-ups. The visual language shifts with the tension: handheld, dolly, and static shots. Either amplifying conflict or quietly observing.

Martin’s editing tied it all together.
He was just awarded Grand Prix and Best Editing at the Sapporo Short Film Festival this weekend. Grading by @iseehue once again.

This short film allowed me to reconnect with intuition and push the boundaries of experimentation.

#GabrielBraultTardifCsc @gabbtcsc,
Gaby les collines.
Written and directed by the talented @zezwezo, this short film premiered at the Berlinale.

Shot in the beautiful landscapes of the Magdalen Islands, under the flattering September sunlight, the film’s visual tone and emotional rhythm were deeply influenced by the place itself.

The story follows a young girl named Gaby (beautifully intreprated by @tloulou / Lou Thompson) who spends her summers visiting her dad. During this particular summer, she begins to cross that delicate threshold between childhood and adolescence.

Our approach was authenticity. I tried to light mostly with practicals and natural light whenever possible, letting the environment lead us. We had limited gear on a single truck, which meant staying intuitive and resourceful.

Luckily, the weather was on our side, not something you can always count on in the Islands! It can be extremely windy.

For one of the night scenes, we lit an entire beach for a walk-and-talk and bonfire sequence using just a few lights placed on the hills, plus an soft light on a pole to follow the actors. The results were really satisfying given the minimal setup.

The LOMO Super Speeds from @maisondeverre, available at @cineground, paired with the Alexa Mini, delivered beautiful warm tones and a smooth, expressive bokeh that perfectly fit the story’s intimacy. The film was shot almost entirely handheld, allowing for emotionally driven camerawork that stayed close to the characters. Great grading by @simon_boisx.

A huge thank you to the crew — and to the people of the Magdalen Islands for their generosity and warm welcome.
Zoé, thank you for this unique experience and your big heart.