Film Front Online

... PROJECTS ::

Calm, Careful and Very Canadian

a snapshot of the first-ever canadian antiques roadshow

May 2004 - The Director of Photography moves with purpose, eyes fixed on a target well ahead of his current position. With a camera the size of an overnight bag pressing down on his shoulder, he manages to move fluidly and precisely between people, centuries old antiques and numerous circular tables, as he seeks the best shot for each appraisal; a curious mix of questions, answers and heart palpitations.

An Executive Producer stands on stage, smiling broadly; an unofficial traffic cop, overseeing activity as any proud, new parent would.

The Publicist, hand extended, with a smile as wide as New Brunswick, rolls a silky smooth "H-i-i-i  Kendr-a-a-a!..." before her name is called by someone to the side.

The Stills Photographer, straddling a tripod perched high above the stage, crowds as many images as he can onto the memory card of his newly purchased professional digital gear. We compare equipment, comment on each other’s LCD screens and histograms, and part ways; two camera geeks eager to freeze an extraordinary moment in time, for different, yet somehow remarkably similar, reasons.

The crew of the Canadian Antiques Roadshow performed flawlessly during the first-ever live-to-tape show, hosted by Saint John’s Imperial Theatre. Close to two thousand people snaked their way through doors, aisles, seating and stage to bring their treasured goods to some of Canada's most highly regarded appraisal professionals, and it couldn’t have been any better, by all accounts. 

To the credit of the collectors of this region, a knowledgeable and respected consultant to the program remarked that the overall quality of the items brought to the Imperial Theatre was higher than that of items brought to tapings of the Antiques Roadshow in England. So, we are discriminating collectors. Well done, New Brunswick. 

A total of seven Canadian cities will host the Canadian Antiques Roadshow before it wraps production in Vancouver at the end of May. 

Broadcast of the Canadian Antiques Roadshow is slated to begin on CBC Television in Fall 2004.