A Long Evolution of a Simple Idea:
The idea of Imaginarium Studio Inc. was initially conceived in 1999, long before Piotr or I knew what form it was going to take, where it was going to exist and how it was going to work. It did however, start with a thought that is as true today as it was over a decade ago. The simple concept was that we will, one day, need to combine Piotr's creative talent and vision; his love for the process of creating motion pictures; his passion for storytelling and his eye for capturing beautiful and compelling images with my business sense, education and experience. Future success would require both skill sets. It was clear to us then, that inevitably, we will one day form a company that will both challenge and enable us to create film, video and media content at the highest possible level. We parted ways in 2002, each with an unspoken understanding that our responsibility in the coming years was to develop the skills that will be necessary in our mutual future endeavors.
The idea of Imaginarium Studio Inc. was initially conceived in 1999, long before Piotr or I knew what form it was going to take, where it was going to exist and how it was going to work. It did however, start with a thought that is as true today as it was over a decade ago. The simple concept was that we will, one day, need to combine Piotr's creative talent and vision; his love for the process of creating motion pictures; his passion for storytelling and his eye for capturing beautiful and compelling images with my business sense, education and experience. Future success would require both skill sets. It was clear to us then, that inevitably, we will one day form a company that will both challenge and enable us to create film, video and media content at the highest possible level. We parted ways in 2002, each with an unspoken understanding that our responsibility in the coming years was to develop the skills that will be necessary in our mutual future endeavors.
Piotr: Education and Film Projects
Piotr attended the Confederation College Film Production program and completed a number of short films including his thesis film, "Cat and Mouse." He went on to complete 'Poverty Line' in 2005, 'On The Rails In Red' in 2006 and 'Free Press' in 2008 under Photoplay Productions, a company that is still actively pursuing film projects. Photoplay Productions is currently developing it's first feature length screenplay, "Gaining Ground" with funding from the Ontario Arts Council.
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Following my studies at Niagara College in Business Administration Marketing, I completed an Entrepreneurship course at the Institute for Enterprise Education and in the meantime gained valuable business experience managing rental properties. In addition to metaphorically getting my hands dirty in business, property management taught me to physically work with my hands and fix everything from floors to walls and plumbing. I moved to Vancouver and was fortunate to be hired with PayPal, an eBay Company where I helped launch a fraud department and worked as a supervisor managing a 'resolutions' team. The experience taught me how to build and manage teams, and helped me gain confidence in making decisions, especially when faced with challenging situations. My next job brought me to Milton, Ontario where I worked as an office supervisor for Metro Canada Logistics and was responsible for managing a team that handled distribution of Canon copiers to half of Canada. While there, we had some noteworthy successes in significantly reducing processing time and costs.
Working Together on Films From a Distance:
In those days, we were separated by thousands of kilometers but Piotr and I continued to share ideas, discuss films and contemplate the future throughout the years. I was fortunate to come to Thunder Bay in 2005 and partake in the pre-production efforts as well as being on set for the full shoot of 'On The Rails In Red.' This was the experience that ultimately convinced me that my future would lie in producing film and video projects though it would be a few years before that was to become a reality. Piotr edited the film while staying with me in Vancouver and helped me understand the demands of an edit as well as the need for resources. A little bit later, in 2007, I was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to writing the voice-over for 'Free Press' and earned my first co-writing credit.
The Film Project That Brought Me To Thunder Bay; For Good As It Turned Out
It was December 2007 when Piotr came to visit me in Milton. He proposed that it was the right time to combine our efforts on a project that would become the short fiction film titled 'Undertow.' Piotr can be very convincing, and we quickly agreed.
I left Milton in April of 2008 and as soon as I arrived in Thunder Bay, jumped right into my new role as production manager / co-producer. We brought in professional ACTRA actors for the first time to Thunder Bay and built a fantastic team of local production personnel. Many of the people we worked with, including Jessica Graham and Sarah Furlotte, would become vital to the Imaginarium team later.
The film was produced with funding from the Ontario Arts Council and National Film Board of Canada and in association with Cinevate Inc. (where I would later work) and Applewagon Films.
Piotr received the Best Director award in 2009 Music and Film Awards from MFM for his efforts.
Editing, Commercial Work and Cinevate Inc.
The process of editing a film is a long and deeply engaging one and it would, for some time, occupy the bulk of Piotr's time. It was in between editing, that Piotr introduced me to the world of commercial video production. In February of 2009, I got the fantastic opportunity to join Cinevate Inc. as a business manager and took it without much contemplation. It was at Cinevate that I learned not only about film and video production but also about marketing a business in the online world and most importantly, through Dennis Wood's example, to pursue a vision with persistence and vigor.
The First Incarnation: Catchlight Video Solutions Inc.
By June 2009, a small group of us, consisting of Dave Clement and Michelle Derosier in addition to Piotr and I, had identified some significant challenges that we felt we could overcome as a unit. We established Catchlight Video Solutions Inc. and set out to organize a business that would enable us to achieve an even higher level of quality in video production more efficiently then we could do independently. While Michelle and I could commit ourselves to the business only after our day jobs, the company supported Dave and Piotr on a full time basis.
Catchlight Video Solutions turned out to be a great success story in the Thunder Bay's commercial video production industry. We quickly established ourselves as the professional video production service provider and built a client base that would settle for nothing less then the highest level of production quality. We engaged a significant number of young film graduates in various projects and created the conditions where they could not only gain valuable work experience but also get paid appropriately for their work; something that unfortunately doesn't happen enough here in Thunder Bay due to downward pressure on production rates and a client base that until recently, was willing to accept mediocre results.
In May of 2010, I left Cinevate to join Catchlight Video Solutions on a full time basis. The decision was a challenging one but was fundamentally supported by a deep belief in all the local talent I have seen in Thunder Bay over the years. I made it with a vision for what could be built here; with a vision for a video production company that is second to none in the world; one that would compete in quality, creative vision, talent, technical expertise and production resources on a global level; and I left Cinevate with a deep respect for Dennis' entrepreneurial vision and boldness, and committed myself to pursue my business keeping his example in mind.
The Decision to Close Catchlight Video Solutions Inc.
By September of 2010 we had made a decision to close Catchlight Video Solutions as the company was not able to serve all our needs equally. Dave and Michelle initially came from Thunderstone Pictures where their focus and first passion was production of documentary and educational films with a significant focus on First Nations content. The success of Catchlight Video Solutions and the demands of producing high quality commercial video ultimately cut too much into the time that Dave and Michelle needed for their own film projects. Just as we built the company together, together we decided it was best to dissolve it.
Dave and Michelle are two of the most successful and talented filmmakers in Thunder Bay. I have deep respect for their work and commitment to their cause. Check out the new Thunderstone Pictures website for updates.
Second Incarnation - The Beginning of Imaginarium Studio Inc.
Imaginarium Studio Inc. opened in November of 2010. It is based on the successes and values of Catchlight Video Solutions with the addition of new values and strategies that we believe will elevate the company to a whole new level.
The goals of operating a sustainable video production company in Thunder Bay and producing world class content while developing local talent remain. We've added a new vision for the creative process, greater focus on developing a talented core, development of a company culture and brand, a plan for acquiring adequate resources and some very exciting marketing efforts aimed at a global market. There's much more to come on this so stay tuned.
Here's a sample of our recent work.
Check out the Imaginarium Studio Inc. website, vimeo page, youtube page and subscribe to our facebook page for updates.
This blog is my space for discussing video production and the video and media production industry; local and global, with special attention to how it affects local people in the industry and our clients. You can subscribe to it in the right hand menu or check back anytime.
Sincerely,
Milosz Skowronski
Imaginarium Studio Inc.
www.imaginariumvideo.com
www.imaginariumvideo.com
Thunder Bay, ON Canada
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