The guests on this episode of the podcast are Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan and Jim Munroe. They have been tasked with finding out what the shift to working from home has actually been like for game industry personnel. They’re putting the finishing touches on a research report about the sector’s transition from studio-based work to home-based work called “Isolation Nation”. Marie Claire and Jim provide us with a sneak peek into some of their interview-based findings so far, such as the challenges of people having to be their own boss at home, the tendency to work too much, and mechanisms for keeping morale up.

In this episode, we meet Jacob Pratt, an Indigenous film producer from Saskatchewan. He’s the co-owner of Los Angeles based Skoden Entertainment, an Indigenous story-focused production company whose first client happens to be Disney. Jacob explains that the best way to fight stereotypes perpetuated by the media, is to use the same medium to break them.

On this episode, we speak to Hilary Henegar and Fiona Rayher, the entrepreneurs behind the startup Hoovie. The platform is making it possible again to watch a movie with other people and have a discussion afterwards, just like old times but...virtually. This new trend is proving to be both appealing to individuals and profitable to film producers.

The gaming industry has been affected pretty hard by the pandemic, as it has historically relied on networking at large annual in person events. On this episode, we check in with a handful of Canadian independent game studios to find out how they’re adapting to changes in their day-to-day operations and with Nadine Gelly, the executive manager of La Guilde, one of Canada’s largest industry associations for game developers, to learn about the initiatives happening at the industry level. For more information about this or other episodes of Now & Next or to consult the show’s credits, visit trends.cmf-fmc.ca/podcast-now-and-next/

Clara George, VP of Studios & Sustainable Production Services at Sim, is the guest on this episode. According to Clara, while the COVID-19 restrictions might seem like a step back in terms of sustainability efforts, they’ve actually provided an opportunity for people to become more aware of unnecessary waste on set, and come up together with new solutions. For more information about this or other episodes of Now & Next or to consult the show’s credits, visit https://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/podcast-now-and-next/

Using a combination of more affordable technologies and open source real time 3D game engines as a foundation, special effects are starting to move closer to mainstream film production. In this episode, Leora Kornfeld sits down with Alberta-based producer Andrew Scholotiuk and director Dylan Pearce to discuss virtual production techniques. The pair share their advice and experience as interconnectedness and collaboration are increasingly hot commodities in the film industry. For more information about this or other episodes of Now & Next or to consult the show’s credits, visit https://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/podcast-now-and-next/

Canada is among the world’s most culturally and racially diverse countries. But what we see on the streets isn’t always reflected on screens. On this episode, Tonya Williams, the founder and executive director of the Reelworld Film Festival talks about the upcoming 20th anniversary of the festival, how she defines success for the various initiatives she is driving, and the important work that still needs to be done to bring increased diversity to Canadian TV and film productions. For more information about this or other episodes of Now & Next or to consult the show’s credits, visit https://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/podcast-now-and-next/

Film and TV production are back in Canada’s major production centres but, not surprisingly, there’s a ‘new normal’ in place. To help on-screen and off-screen talent adjust to the new reality, serial entrepreneur Alex Kolodkin launched a virtual company called Safe Sets International to provide both education and certification to the production industry all over the world. In this episode, Alex talks about getting the company off the ground and why he sees Safe Sets International as a personal responsibility. For more information about this or other episodes of Now & Next or to consult the show’s credits, visit https://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/podcast-now-and-next/

First, a *major* shout out to Toronto’s Buffer Festival and its staff, who were instrumental in arranging this interview. Buffer Festival is the world's largest international digital-first film festival. It features theatrical screenings, red carpets, educational keynotes, and awards — and you should definitely check it out at bufferfestival.com In this episode of Now & Next we explore how a major legacy media company is navigating the shift from the “lean back” experience of linear television to the short, snappy, and on-the-go mode of mobile viewing. We dig into this with Brendan Yam, vice president and general manager of Viacom Digital Studios International. He has been with the company since 2005, and for the past year and a half, has led the company’s short form digital content output — and its conquest of global markets. To dig deeper, visit trends.cmf-fmc.ca

On this episode of Now & Next, a look at the growing call for environmental sustainability in film and television production. A sustainability consultant who worked on large-scale productions such as 'Legion,' 'The X Files' and 'The Man in the High Castle,' Green Spark Group president Zena Harris guides us through the array of environmentally sustainable practices productions of any size can start implementing. To download a transcript of the episode, to dig deeper into the topic and to find all of our content, visit trends.cmf-fmc.ca.