Wow! How amazing is it to be featured as part of the NSI's Online Film Fest? I even get a "Director's Bio". Fancy! Check out the feature here with a director's bio and my artist statement.

Check out "Installing..."here:

So, when my mom asks me what I did in film school, this is what I'll have to show.



Assignment: 2 minute process documentary using different shots and edited together


How to Roll a Joint feat. Coco ✌ from Janet Lee Rose on Vimeo.

To be an artist is part of my deeper self, it is a calling that I have had since I was a child. I could not imagine a life not dedicated to creating. I know many others feel the same way. We have this deep hidden connection where we want to share our stories and feel affect and connected. It is the power of storytelling that drives us towards books, movies and music.

So it is painful when those you love and who love you do not understand this calling. It is a long and hard path to go for something abstract and not concrete, so all an artist can ask for is not success or fame or fortune. It is to ask for the SUPPORT of those who love them, to just have them say, "Ok, go for it, I believe in you. I believe in what you're doing." Because deep down, no matter what I do or will do, it is always painful when your closest friend or mother tells you to 'consider other options' or 'get a real job'.

Public Service Announcement: Have an artist in your life? Tell them you believe in them, let them know they have talent or purpose! Cultivate their creativity.

The last time I did a film school post was two weeks ago! I apologize for the big break in posts but it's called an intensive for a reason. I've had some requests to write about my program at Ryerson (Summer Film School) and will be breaking it down to the classes I've attended.

Ryerson's Sound Stage

Motion Picture Production:

The last two weeks consisted of filming our first assignment, a 30 second documentary style film with a still camera. The equipment? A Bell & Howell 16mm. This thing has got a parallax lens, what does that mean? It means when you look through the lens you don't see what's going to be on the film!

Crazy, I know. As a digital age millenial, I had a lot of trouble wrapping my mind around this. We actually had to use a tape measure to check the distance from the lens to the subject, adjusting it manually. Then we had to use a light metre to manually measure the aperture and f-stop.

This was definitely a learning experience, once we developed the film we saw our mistakes, our out of focus shots or over/underexposed shots. Now this may be an archaic way to produce films but the images were beautiful! I would say I have a love-hate relationship with film but I am excited to create more projects using the medium.

So, here is some recommended readings/viewings from our MOPRO class:

No electricity needed, just wind and go!

1.  "Toward True Cinema" - Vorkapich Theory - we are currently learning about film history and now examining experimental film and using the medium not just as a way to reproduce theatre or photography but as a way to play with motion and emotion. Salvko Vorkapich is who we are studying and modelling our assignment #2 after.
   *unfortunately I cannot find the article online but look it up for one of the founding articles of avant garde cinema
   
2. "Meshes in the Afternoon" (Vimeo) - Maya Deren is one of the founders of experimental/personal film. We watched this in class yesterday and were all stunned by the in-camera effects, Freudian themes and eerie storytelling.
   
   
3. "Stages of Production & Personnel" (PDF) - Some film school information about the basics on a production. 

This is my first week as a student in Ryerson University's Summer Film School. The course is a 12 week intensive program giving students a chance to write, produce, edit and direct their own films. I will be chronicling my experience for all who are interested in reading!

First day and I get on the dolly for a scene run-through!

Cheap Tuesdays are a great time to enjoy the cinema. Tonight, I caught acclaimed indie director Jim Jarmusch's newest: The Only Lovers Left Alive. With a wonderful cast and hypnotizing soundtrack, this vampire tale is a prime example of a film that has all the right ingredients.



The following are my Top 3 reasons this film was so special:

1. Soundtrack & Cinematography & Art Direction
OK, I know that #1 is really three things but I want to make the list short!

That first opening shot with the two lovers, each revelling in their existence and the power of music was hypnotizing. The blend of the needle hitting the record, melting into their ethereal faces set the tone for a visual odyssey.

Match this with the selected soundtrack of classical, neo-rock/grunge, Eastern lilts and the lighter moments of the oldies really made the film a stunning montage of two lovers' very long lives.

And don't get me started on the art direction! The night is its own character as the story unfolds in a bustling and isolated Morocco, and of all places, Detroit. Two places that can be believably haunted by vampires. Then the costuming: the play of light and dark on Adam and Eve, the tattered fur of Ava really brings out the 'LA' in her. Also, don't forget the sunglasses. Since when were vampires such rockstars?

2. Cast
I cannot think of a better cast for this film. Tilda Swinton is a magnificent actress who embodies every role, once she becomes a character there is no one else better fit for it. She is both angelic and alien, dangerous and lovely, mother and sinner.

Then there is Tom Hiddleston, one of the finest theatre actors of our time. Usually when an actor has a big caliber film like Thor under his belt you cannot forget their superhero/villain persona - not the case with this actor! Hiddleston brings out eternal angst with such grace, he is sexy, endearing and laughable. The two leads were meant for these roles. Their chemistry is perfect and they are definitely my favourite vampire couple (ahem, Twilight).

Special note to the supporting cast because they were all perfect, I cannot praise a cast more than I have for this film: Anton Yelchin, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt and Jeffrey Wright.

3. Never takes itself too seriously
When you hear 'indie vampire' film, you usually think of something way too self-indulgent or don't even bother because you've seen it all before.

Let The Only Lovers Left Alive rid you of those notions! With enough smart humour and witty, well deserved laughs, this film will surprise you. Literary fans will enjoy this immensely as there are tons of easter eggs with nods/jabs to various literary heroes. There are moments where the seriousness and angst of these vampires are played upon; the nuclear family they attempt, the packing of their belongings and the hiding of a dead body. Also, enjoy seeing Detroit in its current state,  a filmmaker has never made better use of a city.

Great writing and direction as this film is not a comedy but it's not a drama either, though it's not without its emotional moments. This is definitely something special, an instant cult classic!

Well, those are my three takeaways from Jarmusch's latest. If you're into independent films and are looking for something with wit, style and substance, you've found it.

It's been a while since I've been to an acting class and when I was in Vancouver visiting I dropped into my old haunt, at Shea Hampton's studio. Seeing my lovely friends definitely made me nostalgic to the days of being a thespian, it also made me realize many things from the new perspective of a writer/director.

As a filmmaker it is your responsibility to make sure cast and crew cooperate,  even if you have an amazing script/cinematographer/etc, your film can flounder if there is no teamwork.

Joss Whedon and really famous faces, on set.

1. Learning How to Work With Actors

There is a well known gap on film sets between the crew and the actors. Oftentimes I have found that resentment and tension can arise because of the misunderstanding between roles. Crew will complain about lazy actors and actors will complain about harsh directors.

This is why it is important for filmmakers to attend at least one acting class, to see how much heart and soul actors put into their craft. For filmmakers their craft is the camera, the shot, the story - for the actor, their craft is their emotional life and vulnerability. Two artists with two different tools, one with a camera, the other with their mind and body. 

Actors are actually cry-babies!

Attending an acting class allows you to witness how much work actors put, not only to memorizing their lines, but in getting to be vulnerable. On-set you're so busy prepping the lighting or directing the shot that you don't see how the actor spends their time getting emotionally prepped for a scene.

This is important especially if you're a technical director, it is important for you to go to a class to learn how to direct actors. The acting language can be the biggest barrier between an actor and their director. When the director tells the actor to "Look more sad" this will result in a lot of retakes.

An acting class will show you how actors respond best and how they actually aren't narcissists but sensitive artists that really want to please you!


2. Understanding Different Interpretations

Acting is interpreting the script, it is reading between the lines and responding to what happens in the scene. What makes an actor stand out is their interpretation of the story and character. A lot of the times this can be mistaken for bad acting.

Going to an acting class you can usually see numerous actors doing the same scene and how it changes from person to person. This is important to understand that each actor brings something of themselves to the character and some may be more suited than another. Their interpretation is what can make or break a role!
Seeing various takes from different actors on one scene can really open your eyes. Sometimes an actor will completely surprise you, whether it is with their looks/take on the character/speech!

Going to an acting class will keep your mind open to the possibilities a character and actor can offer, it will also make you realise that most actors aren't bad, their interpretation just didn't suit your vision. 


3. Auditions Are Terrifying

As I come from an acting background I understand the horrors and stress of auditions: the hours you spend pouring over a script or rehearsing with a friend, the money you spend to get an acting coach to assist, that shift you had to get covered at work... all to walk in a room for five minutes and be written off.

Having sat on both sides of the audition room I can identify with the terror of the actor as well as the exhaustion of the director/producer/casting director. Seeing numerous amounts of people a day butchering your script can put you on edge. But if you attend an acting class and see how passionate and for lack of a better word, desperate, actors are you would actually feel more empathy towards them.

After all, they spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on acting training/headshots/submissions, just so they could act in front of you for three minutes.

Lastly, you bridge the gap. 

Everyone on set wants to tell a compelling and authentic story, no one wants to be on a film that is ripped apart. Attending an acting class when you're a writer/director/crew member is an act of good faith, a helping hand to the other side of the camera. We all want to create something amazing and memorable, if you come to an acting class you could find your next muse or a fellow collaborator!

An example of great partnerships.

What makes a great filmmaker is not just their dolly shot or expensive equipment or groundbreaking script - it's their ability to lead a team to create a world where audiences can escape. Be a great and partner with your actors and crew! 

James Cameron is a household name, whether you're a fan or not, you've seen his films. Cameron made his mark with The Terminator (1984), following with the classic horror/sci-fi film,  Aliens (1986) - a personal favourite of mine. This is just the beginning of his career, what we attribute to him now is the development of 3D Technology for his epic, Avatar (2009). He was one of the co-developers of what Hollywood uses now for its 3D flicks. 

And of course, there's Titanic (1997). Not only is he the director of the two biggest films of all time, he is also a deep-sea explorer, producer, editor and environmentalist. 


Yesterday he did a Reddit - Ask Me Anything, one of the best public forums on the internet! Here are some highlights from the acclaimed filmmaker that I feel contain some great advice for aspiring creative types. 

Check out the full AMA here.

On Creativity and Filmmaking:

On the Future of Filmmaking:

On Working With Actors:

And just for fun: 

This weekend's biggest movie is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Tons of large scale marketing along with the success of 2012's The Avengers guarantees that theaters will be packed this opening weekend.
In the 50's we had the Golden Age of Hollywood, with classic film stars taking over the world. I think when we look back at today we will remember it as the Age of the Superhumans. All the biggest blockbusters that have enchanted our world today deal with extraordinary humans facing large scale destruction. Maybe globalization has made us realize how small the world is and how fragile the balance is?

Anyways, getting back to Captain America - this movie does not disappoint! The Winter Soldier amps up the action, the stakes and the story. Superhero fare has never been better. Here's a sequel that doesn't suck and gives it's audience and fanbase a meaty story with great characters and themes. Big blockbusters with superheroes are no longer shoddily written Hollywood films, here there is depth, decent acting and a plot that will surprise you!

The Winter Soldier opens with a charming scene where we are reintroduced to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and newcomer, veteran Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).

The Captain is struggling with his role in the modern world and his role as a protector. Natasha Romanov (played by a scene-stealing Scarlett Johansson) quickly impedes on his self-reflection with a covert SHIELD operation that acts as the first toppling domino.

Following this first action filled scene we are brought to SHIELD headquarters where things are not as they seem. Who can you trust? Who is entitled to protect or spy on us? Is a big theme throughout this movie, which resounds with the audience in our day of social media transparency and the recent uncovering of the NSA.

Director Nick Fury is at the middle of this chaotic conspiracy. He has a much larger and meatier role in this film that really fulfills Samuel L. Jackson's screen presence. After a very impressive action scene involving Nick Fury and The Winter Soldier, we are taken on a mission with The Captain and Black Widow.

I don't want to spoil the rest of the movie for anyone but Marvel Studios has really outdone themselves. There is such a great balance of stunning action scenes paired with well written dialogue that does not exposition or monologue itself to death. I was definitely not expecting to enjoy it this much. Don't expect Marvel superhero films to die out anytime soon.

The Winter Soldier is not just a great sequel, it is a great bridge movie for the rest of the Marvel movies. They've opened up a can of worms for the Marvel Universe, make sure you stay around after the credits for one hell of a stinger.  It will make you wet your pants with excitement for The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Horror is a genre of film that can sell, it's the highest grossing genre worldwide and easy to make on a low budget. The thing with horror is that as bad as it can be people will still watch it because it's great entertainment and audiences enjoy being scared.

There is an art to making a good horror film though. It is easy to step over the line of gore or cheap thrills. I recently watched a horror film this weekend that inspired me to write this blog post.

Now, I cannot watch horror because I have a wild imagination and get scared out of my mind! I usually have to spoil the plot for myself then I can stand to watch it because I know what's coming. This film I let myself go on the ride and really enjoyed it, as scared as I was.

This blog post will study the film and be a plan for any aspiring horror writer, *warning spoilers*.

Key point of horror films/scripts: most scripts will have your ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, the main thing in horror is that your script must always get worse for the characters.

"The Descent" (2005) is an older horror film by English Director/Writer Neil Marshall, and I think it is a fine specimen of horror that also breaks convention.

The first thing about this film is that it weaves a finer subplot into the relationships of the women that are being terrorized. We open with a close group of thrillseekers finishing a trip of white water rafting. Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) is our protagonist and we are shocked right away with a tragic freak accident where she loses her husband and young daughter.

One year later, she is reunited with her group of girlfriends, all strong women. Another bonus point for Marshall's script is that he went with an all female cast. This creates an interesting dynamic and a fresh perspective for horror films.

Sarah's best friend is Juno, played by Natalie Mendoza. Another bonus for Marshall is casting a woman of colour in one of the lead roles.

These women aren't your archetypes that you find in horror films, they are strong, smart and gutsy. Their reunion is an attempt to reconcile their friendship after the accident.

Lesson One: Strong, interesting characters with relationships - open the film with something shocking.


Cue the part where a group of friends drive out to a remote location to indulge in an adrenaline filled adventure, gone wrong. This is the plot for most horror films and as a writer or director it is up to you to twist the tale as much as you can.

In "The Descent" the women enter an unexplored cave system, their only entrance falls in on them. The film is scary already without any fantastic plots as the claustrophobia, darkness and hopelessness of being trapped in a cave system is so real it's frightening.

All female cast

Lesson Two: Your audience can be scared simply by grounding the film in reality and using basic human fears - darkness, closed spaces, no chance of rescue

The women band together to get out of the cave system. My favourite part of Marshall's script is when the characters are all panicking about being stuck and Juno speaks up - "If we stay here we die." I loved that line as it just showed truth, there's no point in dallying around and freaking out. She is a smart character with strong will.

Now, they begin to explore the cave and come across a chasm. This is a great scene that audiences cannot take their eyes off of. We watch as the women light a flare and see the width they have to pass, we tense up as they drop a rock and await the sound of rock hitting bottom - and it's a long way down.

Lesson Three: Create suspense by putting your characters into a situation that they have to solve, make the audience watch on the edge of their seats and unravel the story through this scene.

One of the women starts to climb across the cavern, inserting anchor plates into the cavern and roping across so that everyone can get through. This is a masterful scene in teaching us suspense, each anchor plate inserted tenses us up - we know something has to go wrong, what Marshall does is makes us wait and wait for it. He also reveals plot when she finds an old anchor plate in the cavern ceiling and uses it - someone's been here before.

I would say we are a third way through act two and this is where it gets good. Marshall builds tension by creating realistic circumstances - the women start to panic, one runs off and breaks her leg! The situation has just gotten worse, now what do they do?

Along with this obstacle, Sarah has seen something. The audience is with her when she shines her flashlight in the cavern, a single light searching for the source of sound... where is it? She shines her light, we watch in anticipation - and then, it's revealed! A creepy humanoid figure (humorously reminiscent of Gollum in LOTR). Then it's gone.

Lesson Four: Use darkness to your advantage, use the audience's imagination to play.

The women are now faced with a mysterious clan of cannibalistic humanoids (known as Crawlers). They are attacked in the dark, throats ripped out. It is a bloodbath, everyone runs off, scattered.

My favourite scene in this movie is when the Crawlers attack the women: one of them is down on the ground about to be devoured and Juno steps in, they fight over her friend, a bloody tug-of-war. She takes out her pickaxe and kicks it's ass, stabbing it - and then more crawlers come.

Natalie Mendoza as Juno.

This scene is amazing simply because the actress is faced with such an incredible circumstance and she does not give in. Her animal instinct comes out and she fights for her life.

Lesson Five: Give your audience a character to root for,  a champion that the audience can't help but admire in the situation - but give them flaws.

From here the film gets incredibly bloody and intense. A fight scene using a night-vision camera is admirable.

I don't want to spoil the rest of the film because it is an excellent study in horror, so I will leave the post at Five Lessons plus the Golden Lesson:

GOLDEN LESSON: This film really sticks out because of the emotional depth the characters are given: a love affair, betrayal, loyalty, friendship. All things that every film should have, regardless of genre!

The Descent is available on Netflix Canada.

  Forget Me from Janet Lee Rose on Vimeo.

Film Poster

 Inspiration comes from anything: it can be the way the light dances on the water or someone on the bus whispering to their friend. Life inspires me, from these little snapshots a voice will pop up in my head, What's their story? Who's story can I tell? And then it all unravels from there, an idea sprouts and grows and changes.

With 'Forget Me' I wanted to create fond memories, a summer that is long gone but often revisited in the mind. I wanted an epic love story, something tragic. I also wanted it to be unconventional, in the narration, the characters, the plot. I was blessed to have Jazmine as my lead actress, she trusted me and allowed me to create this.

 I will cite Terrence Malick's "To The Wonder" as one my stylistic inspirations. I know it's not for everyone but the film truly moved me with it's images and narration. I wanted to create something just as eye catching and honest.  


The film transformed from a voice over to narration to a silent film with captions. I love the way it turned out and was inspired by it's theme of death, love and remembrance. From this I chose to dedicate it to my Uncle Hai who passed away this year.

Forget Me is a dedication to relationships, to how love and people can change us and to anyone who has ever lost someone.