My latest documentary RESCATE has been accepted to even more festivals now and continues to rack up the awards! We recently won best documentary of 2017 on BOOOOOOOM TV (The most subscribed Vimeo Channel), it received a Vimeo Staff Pick and also picked up Best Short Film for the RedLine Film Festival. On June 3rd 2018 it will be making it's US debut at the Brooklyn Film Festival. More special announcements to come soon!
RESCATE - OUT NOW!
Very excited to have just released my documentary, RESCATE, in association with Film Supply Presents. The film follows the heroic efforts of the Rescate Ambar volunteer Paramedics, a group that sacrifices sleep and safety to provide medical attention to the thousands of motor vehicle accidents that plague the Dominican Republic. Here's the trailer below. Watch the full film at: https://www.filmsupply.com/presents/rescate
Dominican Paramedic Documentary
I am currently just wrapping up post-production on a documentary that I'm directing about volunteer paramedics in the Dominican Republic. The DR is the most dangerous country to drive in the entire world and has very little public EMS or Ambulance services. I spent a couple weeks down in the country with a team of paramedics called "Rescate Ambar" who provide, free 24hr emergency response services in Puerto Plata, answering over 3,000 calls a year. They have no government assistance and have to work days jobs in order to support their work as paramedics. Here are some screen-grabs from the edit:
FILM SUPPLY: "MEET YOUR NEW DP"
Much love to filmsupply.com for the shout out and feature on their website for my footage collection. I have love collaborating them and having them represent my catalogue. They're great people, very creative and very easy to work with.
NIKE// DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK
Natalie Achonwa is one of Canada's top female athletes. Two years ago she had an injury which almost sidelined her entire basketball career, but through a gruelling rehab she's been able to return to the court in top form. She shared her journey with us for this Nike spot leading up to the Olympics.
NIKE// COME OUT OF NOWHERE
Here's a series of Nike spots I directed with Demar Derozan for the Nike: Come Out of Nowhere campaign. We only had 2hrs or so with Demar so we had to make quick work.
Luckily my DP Chris Lew works real fast. Assistant Director Jason Bourke worked his magic as always under the time constraints.
Frank & Oak
Producer Evan Landry brought me on to direct a commercial this past year to launch Frank & Oak's new State Concept clothing line. Cinematographer Chris Lew and myself got to follow local photographer and Instagram sensation @jayscale as he snuck around the city taking pictures everywhere from on-top of skyscrapers in the financial district to the bowels of the TTC subway system,
This was no doubt one of my favourite projects to shoot in recent days. Frank & Oak was super chill to work with and we had a great crew on set, heaps of fun.
GHOSTFACE KILLAH
Ghostface Killah came to Toronto to do throw a private house party show alongside the talents of BADBADNOTGOOD. Here's the quick promo we shot for it.
Director/DP: Mark Bone
Copywriter: Marko Graziano
Art Director: Jason Kerr
Play On - Girls in Sport
This past summer I had the opportunity to travel across Canada and direct a series of videos that that explored high school girls strained relationships with athletics and exercise. Almost 90% of high school girls end up dropping out of sports after grade 10, their sports programs are under funded and often considered a distraction from their studies. The Playtex Play-On grant was created to help these high school girls sports programs to attain proper equipment and infrastructure in oder to enable more girls to continue their pursuit of athletics. Here are some of the highlights below. (Montreal commercial to come soon)
Old Love
A dynamic look into the themes and inspirations for latest studio album by artist Eric Brandon.
The rushing waters of Niagara Falls play as a backdrop to the life events Eric has endured the past 3 years. Navigating this journey birthed the creative concept and message behind his album, Old Love.
I captured this video on my new Sony Fs7 using the Slog2 profile and Metabones speedbooster with the Canon 24-70mm series 1 lens. All of it was edited in Premiere Pro and coloured with FilmConvert.
ericbrandonmusic.com
"Sleep" - written/preformed by Eric Brandon
Gdansk - Atlas
Directed a music video alongside Matti Haapoja for our good friends in Gdansk. Lots of fire and ice! Big thanks to Devin Kelly and Naomi Cowan for braving the cold. Shot entirely on the Panasonic GH4 using a Metabones speed booster adapter and Canon EF L Series glass.
Aerials captured on a DJI Phantom 2, with a GoPro 4 Black
Edited in Adobe Premiere and graded with Magic Bullet Colorista.
Westjet - Vegas
Last week we surprised 150 guests on a plane from Toronto to Vegas with the ultimate upgrade. Upon landed they were whisked off the plane and into a airplane hangar where Cirque do Soleil, Jabbawockeez and many other performers put on spectacular performances. Afterwards they all hopped into limo's back to their hotels but the upgrades didn't stop. I had the chance to direct the piece alongside the Studio m team, who are always a blast to collaborate with.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - REMEMBER
Last summer I had the chance to collaborate with Academy Award nominated director Atom Egoyan on his latest feature film Remember, starring Christopher Plummer. Atom had me DP a small unit that traveled Alberta filming various exteriors, scenery, wildlife and traveling shots. He is a pleasure to work with and was very helpful and considerate through the whole process. It was a very gratifying experience in the end getting to see the footage play out in the film. You can see some of it here in the latest trailer
Under Armour
A recent Under Armour spot I directed for Under Armour & Studio M. I had the chance to collaborate with DP Kiel Milligan on this spot. He's crush in' right now, happy to have had the chance to work alongside him.
Mother's Day
7 Million views and counting! This was one of the most fun shoots I've been on in a while. 3 Weeks of traveling with Teleflora & Studio M all over the US, from coast to coast. We captured four different stories of people who don't get to see their mother's due to their careers. We had the pleasure of working with some amazing people including top athlete Blake Leeper. The series was directed by Bryan Reid and I shot B-Cam alongside DoP Simon Shohet CSC. Here's the first released spot with Navy officer, Ryan Breed.
UNDER ARMOUR
Had the chance to Direct the new Under Armour spot with pro-athlete Kaylyn Kyle. Here she is before she had to "farmers carry" a ton of weight... repeatedly. She certainly was a great sport for us! Collaborated with DP Kiel Milligan on this piece.
Jump
Last June I trekked through the Dominican jungle to get to a waterfall with good friend and humanitarian photographer Benjamin Cole. Upon arriving, the locals didn't disappoint and provided us with some high flying entertainment.
South Africa
I spent a week in Kruger Park in South Africa this past December. The park was as vast as it was breath-taking. We lucked out and saw all of the 'Big-Five' (Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Cheetah & Water Buffalo) as well as a live hunt & kill of an Impala by a pack of lions. It's certainly been one of my favourite places I've ever traveled to.
WestJet Christmas Miracle: Dominican Republic
I had the pleasure of working with Studio M on the latest WestJet Christmas Miracle video; "Spirit of Giving." It was a special experience for me having worked so many times before in the same village with Live Different (local Canadian Aid Organization). I'm so used to seeing these people in their impoverished conditions, but through this event they had the chance to experience Christmas to the fullest and they certainly deserve it. They have always been such caring, wonderful people to me and others and have been so accepting of me during my time filming in their village of Aguas Negras. We shot this with 5 Camera operators, all on C300, 5D MKIII and GoPro 3 Black. Aerials were shot on the DJI Octocopter & Phanton II Quad-copter by a very talented team of local Dominicans. The filming took part over the course of about 5 days.
Latest Instagram Roll
Filming in Dominican & Jamaica