Cinematography in Canada Since 1957

#IanVatcher #AssociateMember @ianvatcher

G. Patrick Condon’s Incredible Violence
A dark comedy/satire and psychological thriller, follows a desperate filmmaker who, out of money, begins killing his cast to finish his film. Blurring fiction and reality, it’s a twisted commentary on the extremes of low-budget filmmaking.

Shot in summer 2017 on a micro-budget as part of Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program, the film was ambitious, clever and unconventional—hallmarks of director G. Patrick Condon, with whom I’d previously collaborated.

To visually separate the two layers—the “real world” and the film within—I proposed different formats: anamorphic for one, spherical for the other. We used Clairmont-rehoused Kowa anamorphics for their unique bokeh and off-kilter feel, and vintage Zeiss Super Speeds (mostly the 25mm) for the spherical world, embracing their imperfections. An older Angenieux 25–250 was picked for how wonderfully “de-tuned” it was.

Schneider Hollywood Black Magic filters were used throughout, with Mitchell B Diffusion added for a classic Hollywood-style monologue scene.

A recurring fever-dream cable-access show was designed to feel like a worn-out VHS tape. We shot it on Alexa, dubbed it to Beta, then re-recorded it five times before transferring it digitally—achieving the analog degradation Pat was after.

@2ndshutter came onboard as gaffer and brought his wit and brilliance. Together we coined a specific night gel color sandwich (Conrad Blue): medium blue, CTS strips, and ¼ green through HMI—a chilling, vintage 70s horror look.

Key grip @thecurchmouse also doubled as camera op on many of the scenes. We’re incredibly lucky to have him as our A Cam Op on Saint Pierre.

With an all-star cast and A-team crew, the two-week shoot was unforgettable. The line between film and reality blurred fast. The film was invited to Frontières at Cannes and later featured at Sitges festival to rave reviews.

#IanVatcher, #AssociateMemberCSC @ianvatcher

One of the best parts of this Instagram takeover is digging into the archives!

Back in 2014, I had the honour of lensing Sadie — a haunting, intimate short directed by the brilliant latonia_hart as part of the NIFCO Picture Start program. This initiative continues to be such a vital part of Newfoundland’s film community, supporting emerging directors, writers, and producers. Nowadays, I jump at the chance to act as a mentor for this program whenever possible.

Written by @emmybridger, and produced by @deanne.foley Sadie follows a rural nurse who becomes entangled in the tragic past of a young patient. Beautifully performed, it’s a story that stays with you.

We had a small but mighty crew, and working with Joanne Kelly and Emily Corcoran was an absolute gift — intuitive, powerful performers who brought real emotional depth to the screen. Des Walsh as always was brilliant.

We faced technical challenges due to the modest budget — including night scenes on the original RED Epic MX with only a handful of tungsten fixtures, and one 1200 HMI. DIT Aaron Elliott and I ran a number of sensor tests, and ultimately chose to shoot tungsten balanced with an 80C conversion filter to boost the blue channel, giving us a richer negative and a lot more flexibility in the grade while reducing colour noise.

This project was a true testament to the value of the Picture Start program. So many of the crew have gone on to amazing careers. It was also such a gift to work with Latonia on this, a seasoned pro herself and a natural storyteller. She had a vision and knew how to execute it from start to finish. I’m very lucky to have lensed more projects with her at the helm since.

#redcamera #zeisssuperspeed #blackpromist #nifco

#IanVatcher, #AssociateMemberCSC @ianvatcher

Riverhead was shot in 2016 with a small but mighty crew and an incredible NL cast.

Producer Brad Gover called just as I wrapped operating on Frontier Season 1, asking if I’d take on a micro-budget feature. I jumped at the chance to lens my first feature film.

Written and Directed by the immensely talented @justinoakey the story follows a blood feud threatening to boil over in a tightly knit rural community.

It was my first time working with Oakey. I’d heard great things and was stoked to team up. From day one, we clicked. His style embraces fluidity, letting moments evolve naturally. It feels vérité-esque, dramatic, and always grounded in story. As both director and editor, he knew what he needed and was open to collaboration.

We shot handheld with minimal lighting to keep things raw and grounded. On a tight budget, we had to be smart. We shot on the newly released Sony FS7. Fellow DP @ninesteps and I had tested the camera in low light, so I knew it could deliver. I used Ultra Primes and sweetened them with 1/8 & 1/4 HBM filters.

Gaffer @andrewfbest and I built a lean, efficient lighting package: two Kino 401Qs, a Rotolight, two LiteMat S2s, and some LiteStix. The Kinos were key—we could color match to old sodium streetlights in the small towns we shot in (which we embraced for base exposure).

Key Grip Jay Andrews worked magic with a tight grip kit and got our car rigs up fast.

1st AC @jay.hamel pulled focus like a jazz musician. We’ve been working together for 20 years—we barely need to speak on set. He’s always a step ahead.

DIT @ae_dit built our on-set look to push the FS7’s limits—and did the final grade. A true collaborator start to finish.

📸 BTS: Brad Gover

#IanVatcher, #AssociateMemberCSC @ianvatcher

Happy Canada Day! Today is Memorial Day in NL. Lest We Forget.

I’m Ian Vatcher, a Cinematographer living in NL—and your pilot for the next leg of this journey. Huge thanks to @416cw for having me on board!

I’m incredibly honoured to host this CSC Insta. I love the CSC community and am happy to be a small part of it. I feel super lucky that I’m able to do this as a career. Today I’m shooting the 100th episode of hour-long scripted TV that i’ve done as a main unit DOP. A milestone I could have only dreamed of.

I grew up in a film family. My dad (Director, Producer, DOP) and my mom (Props Master, Make-Up Artist) fostered my love of visual storytelling. I started tagging along on sets around 14, learning from grips and sparks, soaking up knowledge on gear, etiquette, and the best set pranks.

Watching my dad juggle roles was inspiring, but his work as a DP truly captivated me. Seeing him meter light and do stop calculations while wrangling chaos felt like alchemy. I’ve been chasing that magic ever since.

My mom taught me to appreciate light and colour, pointing out painterly skies or the shimmer on a beetle’s back. That early colour foundation still guides me on set.

I started in camera as a 2nd AC/loader at 16 under Paul “Tree” Mitchelltree and Nick Seary, who instilled calm under pressure (like loading an Arri BL4 mag in a moving car). Mark Oneill introduced me to the IATSE trainee program, and my IATSE journey began.

I’ve been lucky to learn under CSC giants like @philiplanyon, @kristinfieldhouse, and David Herrington CSC, whose trust opened the door to my first 2nd unit DP gigs. I’ve also operated for and gleaned from brilliant CSC DPs like Guy Godfree, Michael McMurray, Malcom Cross, Scott McClellan, Stephen Reizes, Glen Keenan, Fraser Brown, and Cabot McNenly

I’ll share past projects, director collabs, gear posts, and people who inspire me. I’ll also be posting from set on the amazing show I’m working on now: @saintpierretv Can’t wait to discuss and learn.

📸 BTS: @derm_carberry_photography @dennydenn @ninesteps @ae_dit

#jonelliott #associatemembercsc @jon.b.elliott

Well that’s it for my time hosting the CSC Instagram page! Thanks so much to @416cw for asking me to do this and giving me the platform to share work and thoughts with all of you brilliant colleagues of mine. It’s been a real treat (while reinforcing my desire to never be an influencer!) and I’m thankful for all the kind words and messages you’ve sent the past two weeks.

I wanted to use my final post to give a huge shoutout to so many of my amazing collaborators; incredible DP’s, Directors, Editors and others that you should check out if you don’t know already. They’re all amazing at what they do and if you haven’t worked with them before you should try!

@kaayla_whachell @keenanlynch @michaelmaddeaux @clint_dp @matjbarkley @michael_bourquin @ramsaypictures @seansecwepemc @sab72 @courtneymontour @tanyatalaga_author @onondagajess @shanerpix @eriorofino @trevorthecreator @johnfilmsstuff @mike_corbs @saradawnnungos @peter.esteves @goforvictoria @romichelangeli @michael_ca0 @comaedits @dinae_robinson @guille_delarosa @_jordanwan @desmondstuartsimon @thezoehopkins

Nia:wenko’wa (Thank you very much) for everything and I hope to cross paths with you all in the future!

#jonelliott #associatemembercsc @jon.b.elliott

As one of my final posts during National Indigenous History Month, I want to share some tips about best practices while working on Indigenous-led projects and in our communities.

Working in Indigenous communities as a DP requires an empathetic, thoughtful and wholistic approach to filmmaking that can be slightly at odds with usual practices.

Indigenous stories being told by Indigenous creatives can often depict specific cultural practices, historic events and community knowledge/lifestyles. As a DP, it’s important to ask as many questions to your director, producers, writers, etc. to understand what their intentions are in presenting these elements. Things such as ceremonies, songs, events, smudging and even sports can have certain community protocols around them that need to be respected.

I encourage DP’s to take time before your shoot to organize a meeting with your camera, G&E teams and a community contact through the project leads to discuss their communities protocols around the events you’re going to be capturing. Being proactive and establishing those personal connections can help share the mental load that’s often placed on Indigenous leads on these projects. Ensuring your crew has this knowledge is crucial as well.

If you’re working with elders and knowledge keepers, plan your time accordingly to be respectful. In many indigenous communities, elders are given the utmost respect and when they choose to share their knowledge, they should be given your full undivided attention. Give them ample time and dont rush them through stories, teachings, etc. While film tends to move a mile a minute, this is your notice to slow down. Be present, be kind, be respectful. If timing is precious, plan your schedule accordingly.

Finally, encourage production to hire locals as crew members for your departments. Encouraging Indigenous community members to participate in filmmaking on projects in their communities helps build the next generation of storytellers and encourages authentic representation of our values and voices in these projects.

Do you have questions? Let’s discuss in the comments!