Cinematography in Canada Since 1957

#justinblackcsc @justinjblack

Thanks to the CSC for inviting me to host for the next two weeks. I’m Justin Black, a DP from Toronto.

Film for me is a childhood hobby that gradually escalated. At ~9 my neighbour and I would use his dad’s camcorder to make spy movies - I’d shoot his coverage, pass the camera and he’d shoot mine, no editing. I was lucky to have an amazing high school CommTech teacher who let me run with it (shout out Ms Olmsted!), borrowing gear on weekends and using the school’s gym for my craigslist auditions. At this point I still didn’t think it could be a job, and figured I’d have to get a real one and keep the hobby going on weekends. It wasn’t until I was in university when I first tried on being a “DP”, and it clicked that visual storytelling was really what I was in it for, collaborating with others is the whole point, and this was something I could do.

I do want to emphasize that starting film early isn’t necessary to being a successful artist. I’m not even sure it’s better. Learning the craft does take time. But just as important as technique is our perspective. My viewpoint was largely shaped by film, so I focus on finding inspiration outside of its conventions, to keep life interesting, and be a fuller participant in the world. I say this as an encouragement to those who get into it later: I think when you approach film with a life of experience, it’s perhaps easier for you to shape film than the other way around. And maintaining a beginner’s perspective is the most important thing, no matter how long you’ve been doing it.

Tomorrow is my first day shooting a new series, and prepping these posts along with that show has been a fun chance to reflect. Looking forward to sharing some of what I’ve learned over the years, I hope it’s useful to you.

(Photos by the.luis.plana , @lo_sc , Tom Wood)

#BelenGarcia #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

This is my last post here, and I’ll try not to make it too long. Doing this has reminded me to slow down, enjoy the process, and savor the ride—instead of always focusing on the next goal. It might sound cheesy, but maybe what filmmaking is really about is the people we meet along the way ✨

A few days ago, I was talking to @zoedirse about how, as an immigrant, I sometimes feel like an “intruder” since I’m not Canadian, to which she responded: “You are as Canadian as everyone else.” That meant a lot—and it’s exactly how I feel about the @canadiancinematographer. I’m grateful to be part of such an open and welcoming community, one that embraces people from different backgrounds, experiences, and stories. I truly hope it continues to grow.

Finally, a huge shoutout to all the crew, producers, directors, collaborators, mentors and friends who’ve been part of this ride. There are far too many to name, but I’m endlessly thankful for each of you. It’s been a wild journey—full of growth, fun, and wonderful memories! ❤️

✌🏼

#BelenGarcia #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

For my second-to-last post, I want to share the music video “Finger” @mothermothermusic 🐓🍗💥

@sterlinglarose was someone I’d always wanted to work with. I love that he comes in with massive, wild ideas—but always with a way to make them happen, even when the budget is tight. He shows up with the vision and a very “let’s give it a shot” mindset.

When I saw the pitch deck, I immediately thought of those quirky ’90s movies I watched on repeat as a kid. My visual references were a mix of Matilda and Delicatessen—two very different films. Both inspired a heavy, contrasty, saturated look. We shot on wide lenses and leaned into making everything feel just a little bit “gross.”

Music videos feel like such a luxury sometimes—they’re a creative playground. This is where I feel the most freedom to break rules, push ideas, and try things that might be harder to pull off in narrative work.

Production Co. @gardenpartyproductions 🌱

1st AC: @jacobandrewharris
2nd AC: @mahan3540_

Gaffer: @thedaycall
Key Grip: @aleckcampbell_grip
Best LX: @alexkim.lx
Best Grip: chantslush
G/LX Swing: @reese_onset

Colorist: @clintonhomuth
3D + VFX: @eyelidmovie
Editor + VFX: @sterlinglarose

#BelenGarcia #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

This short was written/directed by @tqfilm and it follows a mom and her son escaping Afghanistan from the Taliban in the back of a truck with a group of refugees. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I’d never been this far from home—or shot in a place I didn’t even know existed until I looked it up on a map.

The set was in Dari and Russian, with very little English spoken, so I had a tough time communicating. We also worked with non-actors, but it was a very true-to-life sort of experience.

We brought gear from Kazakhstan, since no Arri’s were available locally (as far as we knew). The film industry there was minimal, but everyone we met was generous and eager to help.

We had planned to shoot with a set of Super Speeds, but something got lost in translation. When the gear arrived, I opened the case to find four Master Anamorphics—very different from what I expected. We had to rethink our framing, and even adjust for weight and ergonomics. Most of the camera crew also came from Kazakhstan with the @alash_rent. They were absolute pros—so skilled, fast, and just dialled.

There wasn’t any lighting or grip equipment locally (we also had to fly that in, and the rates were through the roof), so we embraced a more “naturalistic” style. My gaffer, Willy, flew in from Germany and was incredible—crafty, resourceful, the kind of person who will “make it work with what he has.”

We had a couple of frames built from scratch out of metal, but they were clunky, heavy, and we had no stands—so people had to hold them whenever possible. Willy literally went to a market to see what fabrics he could get—bounces, bedsheets, black fabric, whatever worked.

Our lighting package consisted of a 1200D, a very old Kino light, and a 1 ft Pavotube that Willy brought with him. With that, we had to shoot an exterior night scene in the middle of nowhere. Somehow, we made it work—getting creative with water bottles as snapbags and using the truck lights as our backlights.

I could write a whole article about this film, it was truly an experience!

#BelenGarcia #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

“Are You Hungry?” 🏀 is a short film we created with the support of @voiceswithimpactfest . It’s special to me because, once again, my wife, @rachelronrose, was the director. It was also my first time shooting on film 🎞️. The learning curve was steep, and I spent a lot of time researching and testing so that I could go in feeling at least somewhat prepared.

We shot 95% of it on @kodak_shootfilm 250D because I’ve always leaned toward, or at least used to lean toward, cleaner footage. Looking back, I probably should have gone with a stock that offered more stops of light; it would have made things a bit “easier” given how tight our schedule was. The shoot was really challenging: a big cast, limited film stock, and just one day to film the core of the story.
I went in with one of my most detailed shot lists yet, but on the day we had to adapt. We cut, combined, and reimagined shots to keep pace and focus on what mattered most: telling the story.

💡 For lighting, we used a tungsten/HMI balloon above the gym for ambient and a 4K book light on the floor, moving it as needed. We didn’t really have time to be picky about lighting because we were lighting a big space.

Shot on SR2 / 16mm @kodak_shootfilm

Writer & Director @rachelronrose
Producer @nic.altobelli @naltobelproductions
Co-writer @darkbluespace
Gaffer @cojax_industries
Key Grip @francescobertoluci
G+E @nataliabahamonbecerra @lisa_ouab @israseoane@chafreeart @dani.billington
Dolly Grip @verycoolverychill
Steadicam @doug_armer
1st AC @solomanchiniquay
2nd AC @composition_ok
Loader @lilbosslauren
Stills @lukacyprian
Colorist @camthecolorist

📸 Film BTS @kohree_jax

🎞️ Film developing and scanning @metpostny

#BelenGarcia #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

This is a short film directed by my good friend @tamarajblack💅🏼. Tamara and I have worked together before, but this was our first time working on a narrative project with time on our side for prep. We are good friends and our prep was more casual than with perhaps other directors - but because of that it was also a lot deeper and more sprawling.
We spent a lot of time defining the film’s visual style—sharing ideas over texts, coffee ☕️, and references until we built a flexible set of visual “rules” to guide us on set.

We aimed for offbeat, moody framing that felt painterly and expressed how the characters are stuck or confined within their environments. Choosing a 3:2 aspect ratio helped us compress horizontal space while opening up the vertical, emphasizing the architecture and making space a key storytelling element. That spatial tension added a feeling of voyeurism, often observing characters from a distance.

Our frames are built around deep shadows, rich contrast, and layered compositions inspired by the drama of baroque art. Saltburn was a big influence too—with its lush, textured look, rich moody lighting, and slow, deliberate camera moves that balance opulence with a quiet, uneasy tension.

💡The shoot itself was particularly fun when it came to lighting. We were fortunate to have stunning locations that naturally lent themselves to interesting compositions. However, with a tight three-day schedule and several spaces to light, it was a challenge. Gaffer @charlie.ouab and their team execute the setups seamlessly, despite being a small team working in big locations with limited time.

BTS 📸 @bruceyyan @lilbosslauren

Writer @alexlovekink
Director @tamarajblack
Producers @miloshmariya @livmflanagan @sambuzza @jessicaqnto
1st AD @carl_the_ad
Production Designer @i.bakersmith
1st AC @lilbosslauren
2nd AC @composition_ok
Gaffer @lisa_ouab
Key Grip @microwave_massacre
BB @cojax_industries
G+E @paige_lennox_ @_octaviajohnson_
Color @clintonhomuth

Camera Package @panavisionofficial
Grip and LX @cojax_industries @pacificbacklot @mbseco

🎥 Shot on Alexa Mini LF + @panavisionofficial Primo Artiste

#BelenGarcia #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

Vertical Productions 📱started coming my way over the past year. Since then, I’ve been lucky to work on projects that are pushing to raise the bar every time.

These shoots often feel like a mix of commercial and narrative work. From the commercial side, we’re already used to framing for mobile content and having a client or agency on set. But with verticals, you also have to tell a massive, expansive story, and shoot 12-15 pages a day on top of all that. Balancing those expectations is challenging—but it’s an important exercise.

As a viewer, I still have mixed feelings. The format can really limit the sense of space in a story. But as a DP, I’ve learned to embrace it—to find ways to compose shots that work with the frame, to reimagine vertical space as a storytelling tool. It’s become an opportunity to experiment, and it’s made me faster and more decisive with camera and lighting across the board.

The industry’s always changing. There’s something exciting about being on these sets—seeing new voices come up, watching the format evolve, and knowing we’re building something. For now, I’m doing what I can to make the most of it—and to help grow it into something better and more sustainable.

Slide 6-8: 📷 BTS 🎞️

#BelenGarcia, #AssociateMemberCSC @mabelengg

Animals is a coming-of-age short that explores how society shapes young men’s understanding of boundaries and consent. The film is only five minutes long and was commissioned through @artwithimpact Voices With Impact grant.

Honestly, it’s pretty hard to tell a slow, contemplative, subtle story in just five minutes — but that’s exactly the challenge the @michaelmakaroff brought me. He cared so deeply about telling this story right, and it was really cool to be a small part of it 💙

From the start, we knew I wanted the style to be on the darker, moodier side but still feel real. We kept the whole film pretty simple and set a few “rules” for ourselves — things like lens choices and camera movement. We wanted to be really intentional about our shots and how the camera moved. At the same time, we stayed flexible and open to what happened on set. That flexibility and lean into realism helped us work with whatever lighting situations we couldn’t afford to control.

I used the Alexa 35 because we had some night scenes and a tight lighting budget. This allowed me to use ISO to my advantage and embrace the grain. We barely used any lighting in some of the night scenes. Plus, the @panavisionofficial Primo Artiste gave us a very dreamy look and helped soften the grain — at least, that’s how I saw it :)

Writer/Director @michaelmakaroff
Producers @gardenpartyproductions 🪴
Steadicam Op @doug_armer
1st ac @jamiejptm
2nd ac @rosemarybrutonjoe
Trainee @mahan3540_
Gaffer: Ed McClung
Key Grip: @by.vitral