College good for TV producer
Sell yourself, be respectful, socialize, find solutions, be remarkable and surround yourself with great people were just some of the tips New Metric Media president and executive producer Mark Montefiore shared with Niagara College broadcasting students.
A Niagara graduate, Montefiore is producer of the CraveTV hit original comedy “Letterkenny,” as well as the halfhour CraveTV comedy “What Would Sal Do?”
The former St. Catharines resident spoke to students in the college’s broadcast centre Friday and told them they need to sell themselves when pitching a project.
“It’s really about you, not your project. Be engaging, be yourself,” he said, adding being honest is also key.
Montefiore graduated from the college’s broadcasting program in 2003 and, in addition to the Crave TV shows, produced the six-episode, one-hour City/FX Canada limited series “Bad Blood” and Toronto Film Festival Film Circuit Audience Choice winning feature film “Cas & Dylan,” starring Academy
Award winner Richard Dreyfuss and Emmy/Golden Globe nominee Tatiana Maslany, and directed by Jason Priestley.
“You need to socialize … it’s so important for the industry. You can meet a lot of important people … people who will go off and do great things. You should get to know them and keep up relationships.”
Montefiore said when he started in the industry, he volunteered as a driver, production assistant and with craft services.
“Craft services is a great way to meet and talk to people. Any way you can get into the business is the right way.”
While in college, he told the students, he was more passionate about the film side of the broadcasting industry and figured that if he was going to end up working mostly in television that he may be better off going into film just to get that experience. “But that’s not the same answer for everybody.”
He said the college program prepared him for his career tremendously.
“It allowed me the opportunity to access equipment, be around people that were passionate and that wanted to do things.”
The college, he said, encouraged students to go out and make things, get things done, get hands-on.
“The benefit of the program is there’s not a lot of students. It allows you, and kind of forces you, to wear multiple hats, to experience all of the different facets of production, from distribution to development.”
Having an understanding and somewhat of a skill set in every area can go a long way, he said.
During his talk, Montefiore showed videos from three of “Letterkenny”’s actors — series creator Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales and K. Trevor Wilson — who each encouraged the students.
“Letterkenny” was brought to Montefiore’s attention by writer Dane Clark, also a Niagara graduate.
The series started on YouTube with five videos called “Letterkenny Problems” and once he watched it, Montefiore fell in love with it.
“I related to it … growing up in St. Catharines I saw myself in the characters. I saw the potential in it,” he said, adding he reached out to Keeso.
The show is now in its fourth year on CraveTV. Montefiore said as much as he and New Metric would love to find another “Letterkenny,” there’s nothing that compares to it.