PHOTO : ANDREW LEYENHORST wasn ’ t related to film , but it was more related to architecture . I just wanted to take it because I thought , “ Okay , there ’ s something there for me to learn that I can take away and bring back to film sets ,” which is something that my peers and co-workers didn ’ t really do . But since I was in the program at Ryerson , I discovered a whole new industry in lighting design , but for architecture . That really just sparked something in me , it just opened up another door . It ’ s another way of using lighting that I didn ’ t think of before . So , my last course was a placement course and it ’ s where I ’ ve worked now for the past five years .
PL & P : How does the overall energy of a production change in a shooting environment versus a “ live ” environment ?
PHOTO : MICHAEL EDWARDS / PIXABAY the shooting floor , programming . And then we ended up doing this new series .
Leroux : I spent a couple years working at CTV where I did mostly lighting technician type work . I used to do the Much Music Video Awards , MTV when it was a channel , I also did Space Network , E-Talk ... So , I used to do that mostly on the lighting side , but also a bit of camera control . A lot of lighting technicians in television studios will operate these things called CCUs ; there ’ s camera operators out there in the studios focusing the camera , moving the camera , but it allows me to have iris and colour control over all the cameras so I can match them all on my end . I did that a lot , too , for CP24 and Space for about a year I think , but overall probably worked at the station for about five or six years .
Most of the stuff I did was basically either live TV , like CP24 , or recording like it ’ s live TV , essentially . Like , not redoing takes and stuff . For instance , CP24 is a news channel , right ? So that ’ s obviously mostly live . For the most part , you cut rarely .
Sepulveda : Originally my path started with performing arts , and that trickled its way into filmmaking . So , then I wanted to become a cinematographer , and I went to Sheridan College , studying Advanced Film & TV , with a concentration on Set Lighting & Production Design . And then eventually I joined the Cinematographers ’ Guild , IATSE 667 , and as a permittee in Local 873 in Toronto . To become a lighting designer or cinematographer , one could go from the lighting department , the grip department , or the camera department . So , on a film set , you have the camera crew , and the lighting crew , and the grip crew , and the cinematographer sort of has their hand in each department .
So basically , I went from being a camera trainee , to second AC ( assistant camera and occasional focus puller ) within the Union . I also worked on a few independent projects as a first AC , camera operator , and cinematographer , but I also worked in the lighting and grip departments with 873 . Eventually , I took a course at Ryerson University for lighting . The course
Sadler : They ’ re very different for sure . You know , very rarely do you stop a live show and say , “ Hold on , we ’ re gonna do that again .” Although I have seen it .
So , there is certainly an energy around a live show , but you know , there ’ s a similar pressure in TV as well . We ’ ve been in situations where if the lighting department wants to stop the take to redo it , it ’ s sometimes a big thing to ask ; you don ’ t want to be the person saying , “ Can we do that again ? We weren ’ t quite ready .” So , there ’ s a different kind of pressure , in a way , that makes you want to let it go and not want to stop it either , because then nine cameramen have to reset , the director is going to reset , all the talent has to reset . So , it ’ s a big deal on some productions to have to stop and start again . So , although it ’ s a different pressure , I think there ’ s still pressure in both situations .
Keenleyside : From an overall production standpoint in television , at least episodic television , things tend to happen on much shorter timelines and the flexibility required was the biggest learning curve , I think , from live entertainment . Also , there are so many moving parts and so many contributors working on such tight timeframes that you need to be flexible and able to change elements of your department ’ s work in ways that you never would have imagined .
Not at all a bad thing , it ’ s just that until you start getting the hang of it , the strangest things change because of weather or camera or special effects or any of the other department whose expertise is so different from your own that you cannot take everything into account . So , just being more adaptable , and planning things in advance , anything you design or plan or execute needs to be done with flexibility in mind .
Leroux : A shoot is typically much more preplanned . There ’ s a lot of rehearsal , very closely scripted , and lots of preparation . There ’ s a lot of moving pieces in that world . I was never the lighting designer for the MMVAs ; I was at the end of my time [ with CTV ] there with some musical artists as their lighting director , implementing my design into what they had already , if that makes sense . But I worked setting it all up underneath the lighting designer and the other people that work at CTV , and it ’ s very , very well prepared . With concerts you get rehearsal time ,
32 | Fall 2021