Gallery

Production Photos and Behind the Scenes

Wings Over Everest

Technocrane reaches into our mountain set. The snow was a version of salt.   Mount Everest summit is recreated on one of the stages at Beijing’s film studio.   Two camera setup of Arri Alexas.   Scouting a natural ice cave in British Columbia.   Unbelievable ice cave near Whistler in British Columbia.   A huge glacier crevasse is built in the Beijing stage.   Ace camera operator Robin Lindala uses his EasyRig on the Everest set.   No, not a Star Wars battle. Gaffer Rory Soderman instructs his crew on lighting placement.   Chinese stunt crew rehearses a challenging scene.   Focus puller Jeff Hammerback positions the Alexa on the icy cliffs   Marcus James is a master camera operator.   The Canadians brought a western point of view to the China Film Studios in Beijing.
                                             
Another day wrapped. Raymond, Danny, Chris, Braden, Robin, Jeff and Marcus.   These cameras were NOT part of our movie. Surveillance is everywhere in China.   Visiting the Great Wall on our day off.                                    


Incident in a Ghostland

A lot of effort went into the visual design and art direction for the movie. Production design by Gordon Wilding. Here's actor Rob Archer looking menacing.   Virtuoso camera operator Marcus James and pro focus puller Pascal Boisvert achieve a great angle on the menacing Kevin Power.   A typical car rig on a trailer. HMI lights into a silver pebble bounce.   Car rig monitors for A-camera and B-camera.   Master special effects makeup artist Doug Morrow transforms actor Paul Titley into HP Lovecraft.   Chrystal Reed and Mylène Farmer settle into the spooky old house.   Beautiful Taylor Hickson is lit for the night driving shot with simple Xmas lights taped to the dash.   Here's a couple of shots taken off my monitor. The LOMO anamorphic lenses create amazing flares for the fantasy sequence.   Portrait of Kevin Power as the Candy Truck Woman. Wicked!            


Just In Time For Xmas

Shooting with a GF8 crane and remote control camera head. The branches soften the edge of the 20x20 diffuser.   Wedding scene. Camera crane, sun diffuser, 18000 watt HMI light. Action!   Lighting through the windows of a limo by mounting the lights on the roof.   Chris Tambosso and Lee Buckley operate the silent, battery operated ROVER EV1 Camera Car.   Illustrious operator Keith Thompson uses a RED Epic camera on a two metre 'Overkeeper'.                            

3D Shooting!

A pair of SI2K cameras on an Element Technica 3D rig. Photo by Sabrina Chevallier.   A rolling 3D computer. I miss the smell of celluloid! Photo by Sabrina Chevallier.   The late great operator Rene Smith and assistant Stirling Bancroft set up a perfect 3D shot.                                    

Hiding

Camera operators Dan Dunochel and Brett Manyluk hand-held on a Shotmaker car rig.   A 20x20 overhead frame allows shooting without windshield reflections.                                        

Goodnight For Justice

Setting up a practical effect where actor gets hit with an arrow, then falls off his horse.   Lead actor Luke Perry and his stunt double.                                        

Crimes of Fashion

Sadie LeBlanc, Maggie Lawson and Sarah Edmondson star in one of my favourite productions.   Master camera operator Chris Harris lines up a shot with the Panavision Genesis camera.   Two cameras (Genesis and Red One), or the '2-Headed Monster' mounted on a single Fisher dolly.   It's all about the fashion in this thriller comedy.   With beautiful ladies like this, who needs fancy lighting?                            

Carny

Steadicam underslung on a quad vehicle.   One of these guys is a sideshow freak.   Actor Alan Petrson is about to get clawed by the FX technician.   Director Sheldon Wilson works with actor Joe Cobden.   Last shot before lunch.                            

Passchendaele

In the trenches and shellholes of 'No Man's Land'.   Working with a vintage 18 Pounder artillery cannon from the Great War. It still shoots!   Many of our extras were real Canadian soldiers.   Writer/director/actor Paul Gross and I on the ruined village set.   The real hero of the battle. My herculean focus puller Robin Lindala.   Real amputees were used in the ferocious battle scenes.   Aftermath of a day's work.   Gearing up for my CAMEO!                

Blood Ties

Kyle Schmid as the Vampire Henry Fitzroy. Photo by Ed Araquel.   Colour saturates the 'Blood Ties' universe.   Working in high definition with my digital imaging technician Chris Oben.   Turning a grey carpark into something menacing.   Kyle Schmid and Christina Cox get intimate   John Mann is the demon in the pilot episode.   Contrast, saturation and silhouettes guide the lighting style.   Actor Dylan Neal has been up all night.   A baby-stealing ghoul.            

War

Balancing the light levels as Jet Li rehearses. Photo by Doug Curran.   The Arriflex camera captures a moment with Jet Li   Hong Kong action master Corey Yuen captures Jason Statham on camera.   Steve Moore is steadicam on Dave Dibdin's silent camera cart rig. The 'rolling cheeseplate' allows you to mount the camera anywhere.   Jet Li picks up where the stunt double left off.   Jason Statham is a consumate action actor - and great to work with too.                        

In the Name of the King

Three devilish horsemen prepare to attack from the jungle mist.   Panaflex and Arri cameras capture the action.   Jason Statham and Brian White lead the medieval army.   Industrial cranes for rain and lighting above the night battlefield.   Industrial cranes for rain and lighting above the night battlefield.                            

The Big Hit

Director Kirk Wong and Danny.   Behind the camera on The Big Hit   Actor Sab Shimono contemplates in the moonlight.   Superstar operator Peter Rosenfeld and genius focus puller Roger Finlay set up a shot.   Tough guy Antonio Sabato Jr. gets caught with his new hobby.   The final confrontation on the video store chandelier.                        

Dragon Boys

Using cheap christmas lights for a softer source in a car interior.   Working with a great director like Jerry Cicoritti brings out the best in my cinematography.   Keith Thompson operates the camera jib down the aisle of a bus.   Actor David Coles gets some gorifying makeup.   A home-made rickshaw allows steadicam operator Cliff Hokanson to lead a foot chase.   Our hansome and clever camera crew.                        

Belly of the Beast

Amazing locations in Bangkok.   Steven Seagal, Danny and a admirer.   International camera crew from Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia and Canada.   Can you tell that Steven Seagal passed through here?                                

Romeo Must Die

Action unit director Conrad Palmisano lines up a shot.   Daredevil operator Keith Thomson.   Two 'Shotmaker' camera cars set up for a car chase scene. The farther one has a crane arm and remote control camera head.   Inside a stunt car, the grips have secured a camera mount.                                

The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess

Joely Collins and Ben Bass meet on a whimsical soundstage version of Stanley Park. Compare this with the actual shot on my drama reel.   Bruce McDonald, myself and Keith Thompson capture the action on the 'Gillian Guess' stage. Photo by Leanne Henscher.   It was great fun using old fashion specal effects. Here Joy Hanser paints a glass matte for the Stanley Park sequence.   Director Bruce McDonald and Hugh Dillon rehearse a scene.                                

The Goodbye Girl

Richard Benjamin is a wonderful director to work with. Here we’re shooting in Greenwich Village, NYC. Photo by Ken Regan   Jeff Daniels and Ross Benjamin in a campy ‘Richard III’.   Jeff Daniels in a NYC downpour.                                    

Hard Core Logo

With Hard Core Logo and director Bruce McDonald. Photo by Lianne Henscher.   On stage with Hard Core Logo. Photo by Lianne Henscher.   The scene that was cut from the movie! Director Bruce McDonald got trounced by skinheads the night before…                                    

The Burial Society

Camera operator Scotty MacDonald lines up a shot.   Cliff Hokanson is a skillful stedicam operator when it comes to shooting feisty characters.   I’m filming actor Rob Labelle in Death Valley as director Nick Racz (in grey) looks on.                                    

Laughter on the 23rd Floor

Nathan Lane sits for his shot on the ferry. Note the diffusion on the left and bounce board on the right. The camera will dolly on the plywood into a closeup.   Here’s a New York cyc used when we’re looking through windows on our shooting stage.   Setting up for a shot of the 23rd floor.   Rigging a tow car in Toronto with lights and camera mounts.   The comedy writers hit their marks for camera.   Our producer makes a perfect New York cop for his cameo.   Setting up soft bounce reflectors for a studio scene.                    

Twitch City

Twitch City... more blood!   A lonely Don McKellar in Twitch City                                        

The Sports Pages

Virtuoso camera operator John Davidson goes for a ride with Bob Newhart and Kelsey Grammer.   Bob Newhart is accused in this cockeyed courtroom.                                        

Miscellaneous Photos

Gaffer Phil Klapwyk (r) and assistant construct a false ‘horizon’ to be used outside of our train window at night. The unit slowly travels on the dolly to make the lights seem to be passing in the distance. From the pilot of 'Dead Like Me'.   Danny shooting during WTO protests in Seattle   The unparalleled key grip Chris Tate   Johnny Walker commands the Phoenix Crane and Power Pod.   Shooting from a helicopter with an over-the-shoulder Tyler Mount   A Cineflex chopper mount allows framing controls and image stabilizing   Shooting a car chase, your life is in the hands of the expert pilot   Sharing the great shot we did with the earthbound crew   Jason Priestly and partial crew of Barenaked in America.   Shooting 'Heaven's Tears' in the incredible city of Prague.   The ghost of Edgar Allen Poe visits a literary critic. Photo by Laura Carter   The Technocrane is an incredible tool to put the camera almost anywhere.
                                             
Pogocam. Director Kari Skogland and operator Andriss Matis   You can't do this anymore!   An anti-ad I directed for Adbusters Magazine. Happy lovers go swimming and find a surprise   An anti-ad I directed for Adbusters Magazine. Happy lovers go swimming and find a surprise. https://vimeo.com/126572781   The Unknown Soldier. Former grave of an unknown Canadian soldier in Cabaret Rouge Cemetary in northern France. His remains were removed on 25 May 2000 (4 days before this photo was taken) and now lie interred at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. He represents one of the 18283 Canadian soldiers in World War One whose bodies were never found or identified.                            

Capilano Cinematography Class

Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Janusz Kaminski visits our cinematography class.   Janusz Kaminski visits our cinematography class.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.   Cinematography class at Capilano University.    


Graveyard Photo Series

 

'Ligea' Photo taken in Paris. ©Danny Nowak   'Edinburgh Graveyard'. Photo taken in Scotland. ©Danny Nowak   'Antichrist' Photo taken in Prague. ©Danny Nowak   'Unredeemed' Photo taken in Prague. ©Danny Nowak   'Unknown'. Photo taken in Tarnow, Poland. ©Danny Nowak   'Melancholy'. Photo taken in Prague. ©Danny Nowak   'Polish Crypt'. Photo taken in Tarnow, Poland. ©Danny Nowak                    


Cinematographer