On January 11th Blackstone Season 2 premiers on APTN! I have pulled together a collection of some of the best behind the scenes images from the second season as a thank you to the amazing cast and crew.

For more information on the Blackstone series, you can go to one of the following links. And have your popcorn ready for Episode 1 on Wednesday night!

Blackstone on Facebook

Blackstone Series

I am always so thrilled to be in the company of such creators as Kevin, Yvonne and Robert. Choreographing this piece took nearly a year and three different cities and I was lucky enough to see it all come together. “Level on my Level” premiered with three other choreographies and was presented by Danceworks in Toronto this past April.

All images ©Dean Buscher 2011.

KEVIN O’DAY – CHOREOGRAPHER

Kevin O’Day was born in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He received his early dance training at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. After one year, he joined the Joffrey II; the following year he became a member of the main company. In the winter of 1984, O’Day began his long association with choreographer Twyla Tharp. From 1988 to 1991, he was a soloist with American Ballet Theatre, where he performed in a variety of featured roles. In 1991 he joined William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet, and from 1992 until 1995 he was a member of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project. During that time he appeared frequently as a guest with the New York City Ballet. In 1994 Mikhail Baryshnikov invited O’Day to choreograph a new work for the White Oak Dance Project, marking his choreographic debut. In 1998, in collaboration with composer John King, O’Day formed his own company called O’Day Dances.

In 2002, he was appointed artistic director of Kevin O’Day-Ballett Mannheim at the Nationaltheater Mannheim in Germany. In October 2009, O’Day choreographed his 50th ballet, which was simultaneously his first full-length narrative ballet, Hamlet – based on William Shakespeare’s famous play. O’Day created Hamlet for the Stuttgart Ballet, and the work will also have it’s Canada premiere at the National Ballet of Canada’s 2011/12 season.

ROBERT GLUMBEK – PERFORMER/CHOREOGRAPHER

Robert Glumbek’s passion and sensitivity towards the dynamics of human relationships is what characterizes his emotionally charged choreography. In 1987, Robert Glumbek left Poland for Canada where he danced for 10 years with Desrosiers Dance Theatre in Toronto. Glumbek has been dancing with tiger princess dance projects since 2000 and serves as an Artistic Associate for the company. Glumbek’s recent works include commissions for Ryerson University, the Mannheim Ballet, princess productions and ProArteDanza. In the 8th International Solo-Dance Festival in Stuttgart, he was entered as a finalist for his solo, Subsistence. Glumbek is currently Associate Artistic Director of ProArteDanza. He and Campanella were finalists at the 17th Internationaler Wettbewerb für Choreographen in Hannover for their quartet, Nothing Twice. They again collaborated in the creation of Nine Sentiments, titled after, and inspired by, Michael Ondaatje’s poem. He is a three-time Dora nominee, a finalist in the Hanover Choreography Competition, was named Now Magazine’s Best Dancer Of The Year 2006 and was recently honoured with both the K.M. Hunter Artist Award and the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award. He currently teaches at the National Ballet of Canada, Dance Teq, Mannheim Ballet and Ryerson University. In the fall of 2011, Glumbek will create a new work for Ballet British Columbia.

YVONNE NG – PERFORMER/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Yvonne Ng’s intensity, grace and mesmerizing presence have made her an unstoppable force on the Canadian and international dance scene. Ng was born and raised in Singapore and moved to Canada in the ‘80’s. An honours graduate of York University’s Dance Department in Toronto, Canada Ng is a dancer, producer, choreographer, arts educator and artistic director of her company, tiger princess dance projects. The company’s repertoire includes twenty-two works choreographed by Ng and thirteen works by some of Canada’s most renowned choreographers. Ng has created works for York University’s York Dance Ensemble, Toronto Dance Theatre and The Arts Fission Company (Singapore).

Ng was honoured with a Dora Mavor Moore Award in 2000 and has been nominated eight times. Ng received the prestigious K.M. Hunter Dance Award (2002), the New Pioneers Arts Award (2003) and Chalmers Arts Fellowship (2002). In 2007, Ng was awarded the Premier’s Emerging Artist Arts Award along with Canadian dance legend Peggy Baker. Yvonne is also a certified Open Source Forms (Stephanie Skura) and Ashtanga Yoga teacher. Since 2006, she has been teaching in the Theatre Dept at Juniata College, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. and is a performer in their professional company, The Gravity Project. In addition to choreography and performance, Ng is the Artistic Director of Series 8:08 (since 1994) and the curator and presenter of dance: made in canada/fait au canada, both of which produce the work of choreographers from across Canada. Ng has served on the boards of federal and provincial dance organizations.

My approach to all of my photography wether it is unit stills, fine art, or actor headshots is that there should be something that catches the viewer, something that excites the the person looking at the photograph. In my opinion this is not only the goal of photography but of all art and all creativity. Call me opinionated because I am.  Many of us have heard words similar to the following: “We are all unique, we are all individuals.” – I remember the day when I experienced this with total clarity for the first time and it changed my life for ever. I was with a group of fellow dance students and we were given the most simple theater exercise ever – so I thought. The studio had a black upstage curtain and one at a time, we were asked to walk next to the curtain from upstage left to upstage right. Nothing fancy just walk across the stage. While one person walked everyone else watched and nothing else moved in that studio but the one person on stage. This was the first time that I actually saw and felt how individual we all are in our rhythm, our weight, our energy, our cadence, our posture, our intention…… It was the first look into a bigger but more subtle and more intimate world. And its these unique qualities in each person that I take the time to emphasize and amplify during our photo session, to bring out your uniqueness.

That is s why I am calling my current promotion – Get Noticed Fast.

I want your photos to jump from the inside out. But its not just about the inner actor, it is a total package. My process involves a lot of things and below is the short list of main ideas I am drawing from.

We build wardrobe ideas around stock characters that are both contemporary and archetypal. We emphasize mood and meaning with backgrounds and lighting and we also cover all details with respects to your hair and make up choices. We also talk a little bit about your emotional preparation for your shoot, and where you are in your career and what your aspirations are. These last few things help me to direct you on the day. Once all these details are covered we set a booking date, and your photo session is no longer just a photo session but it is much more like a structured improvisation. One thing you can be absolutely certain of is, now that we have taken care of all the details, your shoot will be a blast! Play time (photo making ) can involve  a ton of different starting points – movement, breath and spine work, sound or script and walking as well! I use lots of different approaches for different actors who are at different ages and at different levels of experience.

All this work is to get the actor in you excited, and focused because the elevation of emotion is absolutely necessary for great photos – photos that stand out and catch the viewers eye.  Emotions change the breath and the expansion of the rib cage, the response of and quality muscles in the body and face, the movement of blood in the capillaries and the response quality and texture of the organ which is your skin. It also changes your scalp which affects your hair the dilation of your eyes and the nostrils. It changes energy movement in the body……. The amazing thing is that while all this is happening it does not happen for any two people the same way. But being alive is a great way to Get Noticed Fast!

And that is exactly what you want to have happen.

The Get Noticed Fast Promotion includes the following:

~ hair, make up and wardrobe consultation
~ about 2 hours of photo coverage time and about 150 photos to choose from
~ an online gallery for viewing your images
~ 2 images retouched and color corrected for printing and forwarded to the photo lab for printing
~ 2 images for web and internet use
~ 2 – 8 x 10′s

Cost: $250 (regular price $300)

If you prefer a 3 look session the fee is $300 (regular price $350)

If you have any questions about the above information, feel free to call me at your convenience, and I look forward to seeing you in the studio!

This promotion ends March 19th.

Dean Buscher

778.928.9132

Do you have an iphone? scan the following QR (quick response) code and be instantly connected to this page and share it with your friends!

If you don’t know about QR codes here is a link to get you started….. All you do is download a free app and away you go….

QR Code getting started.

I have had some time to spend out east in September, and had the good fortune to photograph ProArteDanza’s first feature length work “…in between…” at the Fleck Dance Theater in Toronto. There may be nothing a I like more than shooting production stills for dance because you are tested physically and mentally to be in the right place at the right time, and so much is unexpected and hard to anticipate from choreography you have never seen before. That is what makes dance so exciting! I usually let the photographs do the talking but on this occasion I will also add some words from the program by Artistic Director Roberto Campanella:

“…in between…” represents a calculated artistic risk…. Presenting a a single full evening work is a somewhat radical departure from our past…. The idea was born out of our desire to sink deeply into a single new work and explore the possibilities fully without time constraints. With …in between… Robert Glumbeck and I were drawn to examine the idea of human resilience; our capacity to summon great emotional strength and thrive after the most destabilizing of events. We hope you find the resulting work worthy of the experiment and its universal themes personally resonate.”

My advice go see the show!

For additional images go to main gallery here: ProArteDanza

What’s an actor Headshot Make Over? The makeover session is a complete review of everything about you your look, where you are in your career and where you are going or want to go.  If you are starting out, mid career or a well established artist, we put a complete package together. Age, coloring, emotional range, hair wardrobe, skin consultation, stylized backgrounds, lighting and make up…. Everything is covered to provide a complete and tailored look to take you out of the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here is a breakdown of some of the looks we are going after.

Headshot Makeover

Once you check the full program set up have a look at results below for Actors Mike Barton and Ana Machado.

READY FOR A MAKEOVER?

The Olympics have come and gone, spring is here and now the production season is soon going to be in full swing. That means its time to brush up your look. On May 26th/27th/28th  I am opening my studio for a special collaboration with hair and make-up artist Robyn Ross. Together Robyn and I will build a series of 3 looks for actors with the intention of giving you a depth, an edge and the distinctive look that’s needed to get you noticed.

So how are we going to do that? Certain looks and stock characters are given emphasis in any era and the entertainment industry today is no different. We are giving special attention to these stock looks and will develop them  keeping in mind the unique aspects of each actor who books a session with us. While you are considering some of these stock looks for your headshot session keep in mind we are not developing character or straying into high style but giving you a placement and tone that will put you on the map.

~Plain Jane/Skid Row/Runaway/Hard Knock Life

This is the makeup, no makeup look for actors that want to show a more vulnerable side and to get the attention of casting directors who are looking for these roles. A more standard headshot would be “too attractive” or too pretty (applies equally to men and women). Of course wardrobe, background, and lighting are a consideration here, and we will bring it all together to make your look right for the part.

~Commercial/Collegiate/High School Student/Mom/Pretty Girl/Natural or “Green” Look

With this look we are showing you off in the best possible light to the broadest audience possible. Your skin is flawless, eyes are bright and open, the lips are flushed with color, and hair is falling perfectly into place. Wardrobe and background will be interesting and creative and designed to bring out your very best in coloring. The idea we are creating is that this the way you wake up every day!

~CSI/FBI/SCI-FI

This is a look defined by power, sophistication and energy. Hair is pulled back (no hiding behind it), eyes are more defined and with lips that make them want to listen to what is being said. This is also a great look for theatre headshots as well. Face on, no holds barred – you control the room.

~Ingenue/Leading Lady/Red Carpet

This is the look that makes them wonder why they haven’t “discovered” you yet. It is full out glam or the look you would have for your nine page spread in Vanity Fair. Sex kitten hair. pouty lips, eyes that scream you’ll never forget me, and sexy form fitting clothes. Basically we are adding some model aspects to your look but we keep the shoot directed to an actor with chops. You are a great actor you just happen to be drop dead gorgeous!

So this is the run down:

1) consultation to discuss stock looks and prep for your shoot

2) Get your wardrobe (5 – 6 outfits suggested).

3) Hair and make up by Robyn Ross

4) Photo session with Dean Buscher to include three looks (we shoot them inside and outside and to give you that natural light and studio look). Web gallery created to preview your photographs and two images color corrected for printing.

We have 2 bookings open for each day on May 26th, 27th, and 28th.  The first session is  at 10:00am and the second one is at  3:00pm.

Each session fee is $500 not including taxes.

Any questions please call the studio and ask to speak with Dean.

778.928.9132

*Special note – while we have designed these three days for female actors if men are interested in the benefits of working with Robyn and myself we can schedule another day and adjust the time, price (and looks) accordingly.

GENIE AWARDS WESTERN NOMINEE RECEPTION ON MARCH 22ND 2010 AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL VANCOUVER

The nominations for the 30th Annual Genie Awards were announced this month by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television at a press conference in Toronto hosted by Gordon Pinsent (three time Genie Award winner) and Tatiana Maslany (Special Jury Prize, Sundance 2010 – Grown Up Movie Star). Leading the pack with 11 nominations is Polytechnique, including nods for Best Motion Picture and Best Direction. Following closely behind are NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY (ten nominations), Before Tomorrow (nine nominations), Grand Ourse: La cle des possibles/The Master Key (eight nominations) and Fifty Dead Men Walking (seven nominations).

“This years nominations reflect a national cinema that is courageous in it s storytelling.” says Sara Morton, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. “They are films created from the wealth of cultures, communities and historical moments that make up the Canadian identity. As the Genie Awards celebrates its 30th anniversary, these nominees will remind us of why it is as important as ever to celebrate and cherish the best of Canadian film.”

Charles Officer and Sara Morton

Tantoo Cardinal, Peter Leitch, Sara Morton

Chad Willett and Sonja Bennett

Terry McKeown and Ben Mink

Gabrielle Rose and Tantoo Cardinal

Garry Chalk and Karen Robyn

Scott Weber, Stephen Adams and Lorne Wright

Stephen Hegyes

Jim Finn

Terry Mc Evoy

Sonja Bennett

Clare Contini and Sara Morton

Ben Mink

Gabrielle Rose

Mayor Gregor Robertson

Mayor Gregor Robertson

Charles Officer

Stephen Hegyes

Paul Armstrong and Ryan Catherwood

Jim Finn, Pamela Finn, paul Quinn and Clare Contini

Daniel Ingram, Stephanie Swedlove and Jeff Chiba Stearns

Leslie Wooton Tom Adair and Colleen Nystedt

Tantoo Cardinal

Its a hard thing to keep up with all the publishing isn’t it? Back in February 2009 I presented James Longley’s “Iraq in Fragments” at our weekly Tuesday night gathering at the Vancouver Film School theatre. Created by Dave Rocnin and Kryshan Randel the “VFS Movie Night” was conceived to introduce significant cinematic works both new, old and obscure to the passionate movie making community here in Vancouver. Knowing that many of these magnificent films will almost never be seen on the big screen for years to come – if ever – this was an opportunity to make it happen and to talk afterwards about what makes these great films succeed with a passionate articulate group of artists and filmmakers.

So it was that I brought Iraq in Fragments to the attention of my colleagues, but not before I tried to contact James Longley about his film. I am not going to spoil the viewing for those of you who have not seen this work (because I recommend it highly) but I had one important question for James – how dangerous was it in Iraq? I actually did not even expect to hear from him but amazingly James emailed me from Iran where he is working on his next feature film (see the accompanying photos in this post which he sent me).

The fact is being in Iraq after the US invasion had to be dangerous but if you watch this movie you dont sense that the access James got put him in danger and this is a remarkable testament to the camera work and filmmaking. Really watch the movie.

In James’ own words:

“Of course my life was in danger while filming in Iraq — but that is not unusual given that Iraq was the most dangerous place in the world at the time of filming. Everyone’s life was in danger.

The same thing was certainly true in the Gaza Strip, where I made my film feature-length documentary; I was shot at by Israeli soldiers twice while filming there. This sort of thing just comes with the territory, as you know.”

Anyways go rent this movie! Below you you can read an intro and some trivia.

*Winner of 12 major international awards including 3 Documentary awards at Sundance (2006) which has never happened before including Best Documentary Cinematography, Best Documentary Directing, Best Documentary Editing.

*”….a one man production of startling audacity and aesthetic provocation. ….If Longley’s astonishing feat of poetic agitation has a precedent in the entire history of documentary, I am not aware of it.” Rob Nelson – The Village Voice

“An opus in three parts, Iraq in Fragments offers a series of intimate, passionately felt portraits: A fatherless 11 year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad garage; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the US presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied.

To Join the VFS Movie Night.

More info on Iraq In Fragments.

All images are Copyright James Longley.

“A popular part of Motion Picture Industry Week in Vancouver, Career Expo ’09 offers a rare point of access to the people, organizations and companies that make the Motion Picture and New Media Industry tick!” Yes and this early shot of the day showing all the exhibitors and the beautiful Roundhouse Community Center, a perfect location for this event. Some of the industry organizations in attendance at the Carreer Expo included: Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, MPPIA, BC Film, BC Film Commission, BCIT, Canadian Film Center, Center for Arts and Technology in Kelowna, CFTPA, Annex Pro, Amethyst Eye Creative, Capilano University Film Center, CIS Vancouver, Creative Women Workshops Association, Deluxe Vancouver, FTX Events, IATSE 669, IATSE 891, Directors Guild Vancouver, First Weekend Club, Celluloid Social Club, MPC, SHAPE, UBC Continuing Studies, UBC Department of Theatre and Film, Vancouver Film School, Whistler Film Festival, Women in Film and TV Vancouver.

all images © Dean Buscher 2009

http://www.productionheads.com/2009/11/883/#more-883

Panelists included: Casting Director Stuart Aikins, Literary Agent Anna Archer, President of Force Four Entertainment Rob Bromley, Producer/Development Executive Louise Clark, Producer/Director Gary Harvey, Manager Elizabeth Hodgson, Producer Reunion Pictures Matthew O’Connor, Producer No Equal Entertainment Larry Sugar, Producer Brightlight Pictures Shawn Williamson.

All Proceeds from this event went to the Performing Arts Lodge Vancouver.

all images © Dean Buscher 2009