“Victory Falls”
At UBC Theatre and Film, our aim is to produce graduates able to navigate the market providing skills that gets them hired. Film Production student – he’s going into his final year – Mike Johnston works as a Key Grip on independent commercials, music videos, feature films, shorts and TV movies. As a Key Grip, he is the Department Head of the Grip Department, which shapes the light created on set by the electrical team and provides camera support such as a dollies and sliders to the camera department.
Working for local independent production companies in Vancouver, such as Red Castle Films, High Deaf Productions, Trembling Void Productions, etc., most of the time he is an independent contractor who travels from gig to gig.
He is also producing and directing two music videos for artists Dylan “Crook the Kid” Jones and Aaron Trory as well as a commercial for the UBC Hospital this summer.
While at UBC, he has directed Somewhere, Flatline and Victory Falls and is looking forward to producing and directing his thesis film, Things We Lost, a story inspired by the events of the Fort McMurray fires.
Link to Mike’s IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5721023/
What Mike says about UBC: “The UBC Film Production program has provided me with the network and connections to successfully begin a career in the industry. I began my career in film PA’ing and gripping on shows as a volunteer and now I have worked my way up to being a department head. Additionally, these connections have fostered lasting relationships which have led to more creative partnerships and mentoring to my own projects as well.”
