January 28,2024 in Toronto at Huculak Centre the most active volunteers and participants of Etobicoke organizations were awarded YVAN BAKER,MP for Etobicoke Centre,former MPP&BCG consultant.
I had the honor of being selected and awarded as an active member of the organization IOUC FOURTH WAVE .It is pride to stand among the awarded and receive an Awards from the hands of YVAN BAKER.
My awards for the Annual Community Recognation Awards nomination include not only scripts and the creation of video content, but also the popularization of the Ukrainian community beyond its borders, among Canadians and the organization and holding of an exhibition that united the Ukrainian community with other Canadian communities.
The past year was multifaceted in this regard, there were many events, I got to know our Ukrainian diaspora better, I spent all my time organizing events to make them as interesting and useful as possible for the diaspora.
Of course, this is volunteer work, which takes a lot of time from my main job and from my family. And I will never give it away time ago. But the year has passed, it is closed, awards have been received and I hope, having received a great experience, there will be new events this year. After all, I got to know an enormous number of people and we became closer and already have many new plans for new events.
First of all we would like you to introduce yourself so that we can introduce you to our audience. Who are you? How long have you been making films?
Over 15 years in film production, last 4 years filmmaking, scriptwriting and producing
And now we talk about your project Mimmis Adventures. What the audience will find?
I wanted to create a film through the eyes of a small clumsy dog. Exactly a comedy , becouse to show the world how it seen dog, animal perception of the surroundings of the city and nature.
Mimmi is 1.5 kg mini chihwahwa and absolutely not trained for filming. I had to adapt to him. He is afraid of street filming and therefore trembling ears are often visible. IBy shooting in different locations, the film turned out to be rich and I have reached my goal to show the beauty of nature.
A special place is given to Mimmi in nature, where he smells flowers and grass, where bees fly and the sun shines.
Were you inspired by any other movie to make Mimmis Adventures?
Absolutely my idea. If you see this little mischievous dog, the first thing you will do is smile. That’s why when he appeared, I created the film with a smile. And this is just the beginning. There is already a continuation. Not yet mounted ,videos already in the files. I would like to complicate the topic and add more adventures.
Mimmi -best actor
And now we would like to know about your cinematographic preferences:
I came to the cinema already as an artist, therefore the image is important for me. I constantly fill my eye by creating video filming. I like editing shots to create the images you see onscreen, creates shot lists, floor plans, and lighting diagrams
I study techniques and try different cameras, study cinematic elements such as lenses, filters, lights, and other camera/lighting requirements.
I have my own three cameras and they are different. I continue to draw
What does cinema mean to you?
This is my life. I came to the cinema in love with work and gradually improved. Now a lot is behind me and I understand. It’s difficult to achieve everything at once.
Apparently I am one of the difficult creators. Shooting a couple of scenes, dialogues, saturating them with special effects is too easy for me. Creating a very vivid script and implementing it in a film is my goal before starting a film.
Therefore, science fiction and horror remains one of the main genres for me because it is necessary to realize the meaning of the script in the frame
Which movie is the best for you?
Metropolis by Fritz Lang and now DUNE by Denis Villeneuve .
I think it’s the best movie in recent years.
What do you think a movie must have as an essential ingredient?
The main thing is an excellent SCRIPT.
Thoughtful, calculated and laid back a little to remove the excess.
Your favorite actor or actress?
The most difficult question of all.
I will try to answer. I am a technician. I approach the work technically. It’s hard for me to name someone I love more than another. When I watch films, and I do it almost regularly, I see the performance of actors and somewhere better, somewhere weaker. But there are no privileges and preferences.
After all, I am a small segment of a large machine. Success with us is not always possible to predict. And you will agree that in some genre some actors are more successful, while in others they lose.
By the way, I run Instagram (@astra_production) where I share my opinion about the movie I watched and even try to determine during past years who will win the Oscar. There is a Sunday contest for knowing the name of the movie. I share videos where I show bts of movies.
What qualities do you see in that actor/actress to have such consideration. What do you like most about them?
I am very picky about projects. On the site, sometimes you have to adapt. I will give an example. In one films, the main actress was a lthree-year-old girl. Her parents forbade her to use a mobile phone. Her shooting lasted a long time, she kept the text, was calm and easily recorded, but there was no fire, no spark was felt. I came up with a scene that she was holding a mobile phone and photographing a drawing that she sent to her grandmother. The girl immediately came to life, I told how to use a mobile phone. In the frame, she herself took a picture. How much joy she had and this is the first time in her life. This happens.
A good movie has to…
Everything worked out perfectly – make-up, lighting, screenwriter, director, cameraman and producer with advertising.
I love my job and am always learning and trying new things.
What movie have you seen most often?
Only one? The last script I did was a historical triller. At the end the producer decided that it was necessary to add a spy movie and I had to watch a lot of spy movies to put together an image. I can’t remember any one that I look at more than others.
What topics are the most inspiring for you?
My last work is historical triller
What helps you to be more creative? Do you have a writing routine?
Yes, I like to stop myself and somewhere in the notes to write down some statements, thoughts, or if something has affected me in the news, then study it in detail.
When you write a script, are you clear about how it will end or are you building it?
Short films are based on ideas and are easy to anticipate without construction. But with the film 130 minutes + you have to build. After all, there is a line of a hero or several, plus climaxes and denouement. And this must be built
Thank you for the interview. It is very full and interesting.Thank you very much for your attention and see you again. I want to note that for me the theme of nature is very relevant and free time, time of relaxation and rest, I actively devote to going out into nature, traveling,hiking.
I am sharing great news, friends for you.
,,Angels,, won its second award yesterday.
This is an award at the festival in Munich New Wave Short Film Festival and I am proud of it.
The film received an award in the category Religion & Faith .
I thank the jury for evaluating the film and am very proud for this award.
When a film is recognized by the jury, it is the greatest joy for the producer, for the filmmaker.
This is a victory for perseverance and creativity, for the set and completed task, for efforts, for motivation, for overcoming difficulties, for the love of cinema.
I would like to celebrate the victory with you and tell you how the shooting took place and show the frame-process of filming.Behind the scene
I already told you about this amazing film
By the way, you can watch it online
https://thinkshorts.com/6788/angels
The film starred a 3-year-old girl Maya, who received an award in the nomination TINY SUPERSTAR at ROMA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL a month ago.
The girl is really very talented. She remembered text well, behaved perfectly and calmly in front of the camera.
In this video you can see how easy it is for her in front of the camera.This is final shot.Final scene.
There were many interesting moments in the film.
At least the one when the actress was supposed to draw an angel, but did not want to.
I had to give her a ready-made drawing and turn on the TV so that she was relaxed and played herself.
Well, and another interesting moment, for the first time in her life, during the filming , in front of the camera, she took a mobile phone in her hands.
https://youtu.be/1ZQImlznyMM
Before that, her parents did not allow her to play with mobile phone.
During the filming , Maya picked mobile and not only took, but she needed a mobile phone to photograph her drawing.
And the did it !
From the first shot.
For her, it was innovation, discovery and pleasure.
In general, the film was shot easily for me.
Let me remind you, this was my first film.
I have been preparing for its creation for a long time, studied and tried a lot.
Therefore, I am pleased with every victories of this film ANGELS
There is a film screening ahead at the festival and I hope that soon it will be free to go to the festival as a filmmaker after a year and a half.
