Film 101 with.....Philip Jackson

Philip Jackson has been a writer, editor and producer and has directed some 40 TV documentaries (ranging from science documentaries such as the 1990 climate change film "The Fateful Balance" to his newest venture "The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett" Philip also produced and directed a number of art house. Philip's first theatrical was Strange Horizons (1993) (aka 'Project Genesis') produced on a budget of $280,000 in partnership with Mark Terry and distributed worldwide, and recognized at countless festivals.
In his earliest years Philip was a TV writer for CBC's children's programming including his first professional gig, episodic writing on the top rated Mr. Dressup Show.
Feature Films also include "Wish You Were Dead" (2002) with Billy Ray Cyrus and Christopher lloyd, and "Falling Fire" (1997) starring Michael Pare. Most recently he has been producing "Lost On The Ice Planet" with Michael Ironside.
Philip Jackson is Head of Production and Development at Starfield Independent Studios Inc, a creative film/TV studio with offices in London (UK) and Toronto (Canada).
Philip first started on the road of film production at the age of 14, using his friend's grandparents super 8 camera. His parents didn't see the need for a TV so the world of film was alien to him. He and 4 friends started shooting silent comedies. "By about the 11th grade, a teacher in the school loaned us a 16mm camera and editing suite. We shot a silent comedy about a golf game gone wrong and sold it to a local broadcaster. The couple of hundred bucks we got from that seemed like a fortune, and in those days it was! I got the bug and I never stopped. I must have shot about 40 or 50 short films, then I moved on to features".
But it has not been plain sailing.
"Film making is either a curse or an obsession. Sometimes there can be great pleasures in seeing an actor or actress deliver a performance, bringing a character to life; when you capture THAT moment, it's terrific!" But he also gave this warning; "If you are picking up a camera with a view to becoming a film maker, it should only be done if you are powerless to stop it. It is a brutal profession."
"You must have an incredible need to express yourself. If you are prepared to make the effort, then all you need is a camera and a simple, executable idea. You will know what that is when it happens, but there are easier, less harmful passtimes".
"When we started out we didn't have high end video cameras like they do today. Everything was done on film and the cost of buying and processing 10 minutes of film was about the same as a months rent and food, so you had to really think every shot, every moment. It was a very restrictive medium but it forced discipline".
"Today anyone with a video camera and a computer can be a film maker. You can re-record on hard disc or tape and it is relatively cheap to make a movie, you can afford to play around with the shots a bit more, but it is very easy to be sloppy. You only have one chance to present your "first feature". You should consider every shot, take care with lighting, sound, casting. And be prepared for criticism."
A wise man once said that if you ever start to think of yourself as being great, look yourself up on the internet. It can be a very unforgiving place and ridicule and gossip can travel round the world twice before breakfast.
I first heard about Philip Jackson about three and a half years ago when he started to produce an original scifi series called "Ice Planet". I asked him what was happening to it now.
"Getting a TV series off the ground can be very difficult. Between the changing allignment of broadcasters and the global financial meltdown, the ability of my production company "Spaceworks Entertainment" to produce "Ice Planet" was effectively killed off. I now head Production and Development at Starfield Independant Studios Inc. and they have acquired the rights to "Lost on the Ice Planet". It charts the story of two paralell universes, the "Ice Planet" universe and the "real world" where a team of creative individuals struggle to get the show off the ground. It will be a two part mini series starring Michael Ironside and also starring the team that struggled against impossible odds to realise the series. It will merge already shot special effects, built sets, test scenes, manga, anime, storyboards; blending together seamlessl to portray battles for survival in both realities.". It is envisaged that Lost on the Ice Planet can be seen on our screens as early as next year."
"Now we are working on a 3-D horror feature called Heliosphere. There will be blood, but it is primarily a suspense film, and will feature an ensemble cast of well known scifi regulars. The film will incorporate recently discovered space phenomenum and will have an engaging level of originality working on many levels and dimensions"