Introducing our Filmable Chronicles Series!
Journey into the past with us as we revisit some of the defining moments of the Filmable 24/25 season. Each month we will take a trip down memory lane and highlight an event, workshop or panel that holds a special place in our hearts, spotlighting the visionary partners who helped us make it all happen and thanking the community who showed up to support.
Kicking off this series, let’s take a look at theFilmable x QuestCoast Studios Directing Workshop!
TLDR:
The Filmable x QuestCoast Studios Directing Workshop was created to provide directors an opportunity to practice their craft without the immense amount of effort to raise funds for a short film. With our partners at QuestCoast Studios, we want to remove the stress of logistics and producing and create an environment where they could truly focus on the creative vision, working with a crew through prep to post and developing performances with their cast.
In November of 2024, four directors from the Filmable Community spent an intensive week working with the QuestCoast team to produce a mini-short. Under the guidance of their Director Mentors, they each had two days to prep, shoot and deliver a two page short film. There were only two scripts, one location and 5 actors, so it was thrilling to see how each director brought their unique vision to their project, demonstrating how much influence a director can truly have on the outcome of a film.
Setting The Scene:
Gabriel Nunes directing on set.
In May of 2024, Avi Prasad, the then Managing Director of QuestCoast Studios, reached out to invite us for a tour of their studio in Richmond. We were absolutely blown away by their facility. Imagine walking into the studios of old, where each department was in-house, practicing their craft and working closely together to make exceptional content. QuestCoast has always held community building at their core and we mutually saw an opportunity to collaborate on a project to create a meaningful opportunity for growth in the Filmable Community.
The plan was simple (well not simple, because it had a lot of moving pieces, but you know what I mean): build one set, write two 2 page scripts, cast 5 actors, bring in two director mentors, work with the same crew and same post team to help the director mentees make the best possible mini-short they could and learn a lot in the process.
We were curious to see how each director would interpret their script, especially the directors who had the same script. Within the boundaries of the same cast, crew and set, how would they shape their film?
Day 1 Team!
Day 2 Team!
The Main Event
The 2024 Director Mentees
With 70+ amazing applications, we had to make the difficult choice of selecting the director mentees. While previous work was important, we looked for people who had the mindset that filmmaking is a community-led endeavour and valued deep collaboration above all else. They were at a place in their careers where this workshop would help unlock that next opportunity. After careful deliberation between the Filmable and QuestCoast teams, we narrowed it down to: Jamie Lam, Gabriel Nunes, Camille Hollett-French and Mimi Dejene. And boy… did these brave souls ever have their work cut out for them…
Michael Nankin, Mimi Dejene and DOP Nicholas Kedrock in prep.
They had TWO DAYS to prep, shoot and deliver their final piece. Not for the faint of heart! The QuestCoast Production team created a staggered schedule where while one director was filming, another was in post and so on and so forth. It was a production machine.
Director Mentors Michael Nankin, Sam Spear and Kailey Spear swapping directing stories.
On Day 1, working with their Directing Mentors, veteran director Michael Nankin and local legends Sam and Kailey Spear, they launched headlong into prep with the QuestCoast team. The directors pitched their vision to the team, and together made a plan on how to capture everything they needed within 4.5 hours on set.
Frank Paige, Kian Pitman and Director Camille Hollett-French in rehearsals.
Actors Kristina Lao, Shane Savage and Director Jamie Lam blocking out the scene.
That afternoon, they switched gears and rehearsed with their assigned cast. Through the generous support of Sonder Acting Studio, Shane Savage formed a team of pros who understood the assignment. Shane Savage, Kristina Lao, Frank Paige, Kian Pitman and Brittany Palmer worked with their directors to bring these pieces alive with heartfelt, grounded and authentic performances.
Mimi Dejene and actor Brittany Palmer on set.
On Day 2, it was go time. Each director had 4.5 hours to shoot their scene. It required precision, communication and confidence. The QuestCoast crew were all-stars bringing fresh energy to each script and encouraging the directors to dare. All the directors successfully captured everything they needed, and were quickly sent to the post-production team where they had 5 hours to edit, sound design, score, mix and colour their projects.
The QuestCoast team making miracles happen behind the scenes.
Camille Hollett-French laying down some directing chops.
Gabriel Nunes making the hard directing choices.
Jamie Lam deep into the edit.
Mimi Dejene working on the final mix.
Wrap Party Poster
After four days of organized creative madness, the teams were ready to premiere their films at the Wrap Party. QuestCoast transformed their studio and welcomed the larger community for the screening and a panel on “How to make the leap from shorts to features” featuring Michael Nankin, Janessa St. Pierre, Caitlyn Sponheimer, Amanda Strachan and Kailey and Sam Spear. Nearly 70 folks joined us for the event proving that Richmond is actually geographically closer than it is in our minds.
The Director Mentors and Mentees in a Q&A about their experience.
The “How to make the leap from shorts to features” panel: Michael Nankin, Amanda Strachan, Janessa St. Pierre, Caitlyn Sponheimer, Kailey Spear, Sam Spear. Caitlyn Sponheimer on the big screen.
Caitlyn Sponheimer on the big screen.
Insights
Avi Prasad moderating the premiere and panel at QuestCoast Studios.
We had a blast working with QuestCoast Studios creating this workshop, and took away many key insights. First and foremost, there is an insatiable appetite for opportunities like this. As mentioned before, without an immense amount of effort, sacrifice and being at the mercy of grant funders, when would a director at the beginning of their careers ever have the chance to simply practice working with a large crew, working with actors and working with a post-production team. It’s a language that needs to be learned, a working-style that needs to be developed and experience that can only be acquired by doing.
At Filmable, our goal is to help nurture the exceptional creative talent that calls Vancouver home and we see workshops like these as ESSENTIAL to building the homegrown, thriving, independent industry that can withstand the uncertainty of macro economic movements.
Second, we can’t do it alone. Making change requires collective action and we are looking for partners who share the same vision for this amazing city.
Let’s build the film industry we all want to work in.
And investing in our industry’s directing talent is a damned good place to start.
Jamie Lam and Gabe Nunes are excited about the future of indie film Vancouver!
