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| Niagara Broadcasting Graduate Lands Once-in-a-Millennium
Gig Tues. Nov.18,2003 N-Compass Broadcasting Grad lands... In 1999 commercial film editor Barry McMann got what he calls a "once-in-a-millennium" gig: he was hand-picked to edit Ford Motor Co.'s "Global Anthem," a two-minute ground-breaking television commercial celebrating the turn of the millennium. For that and other successes of a career that sees his work viewed by millions every day, McMann can thank a failed music career. He can also thank the enthusiasm, drive and creativity that made him enroll - and excel - as a mature student in Niagara College's Radio, Television and Film program. McMann didn't get into Niagara College the first time he applied. He was fresh out of high school, where he candidly admits he was a terrible student, uninterested in the curriculum. So the music-loving McMann joined a heavy metal band and went on the road, touring the hot spots of Northern Ontario. Returning to St. Catharines with $5 in his pocket and the realization that he hadn't made the best of career choices, McMann applied again, this time successfully, to the College. Filled with an enthusiasm and focus he doesn't think he would have possessed a few years earlier, McMann embraced the broadcasting program. His real interests lay in television commercials and music videos, the direction of which he chose as the topic of a major research assignment. In fact, interviewing actual directors and producers for that essay gave him industry contacts he still has today. "Making these contacts was such a great bridge from college to the real world," says McMann. McMann also appreciated the fact that the College sometimes brought in teachers who were professionals in the broadcasting field and who could give a "real-world" perspective. He remembers being impressed by artist/filmmaker Annette Mangaard, as well as by regular teachers Greg Darling and Elias Petras. "These people are filmmakers first, then teachers. They were a major influence on my success at college." That success is reflected in McMann's winning of several student awards, not to mention his production of what he calls an "action/musical/Rambo parody," which was subsequently invited to Montreal's Festival International du Monde in the student category and then to Belgium's Media 10 10 film festival and Festivale HUY, where it received a certificate of recognition. McMann's early work experience after graduation ran the gamut from production assistant and boom operator to key grip and electrical assistant. But he knew he didn't want to spend his life as a grip. He calls it "fate" that led to an interview for a position as apprentice to Richard Unruh, whom McMann describes as "one of the gurus of Canadian advertising." Unruh was also owner of a new Toronto commercial post-production company, Third Floor Editing. Hired for the position, McMann quickly worked his way up - with emphasis on "work" - to his current position as senior editor. His approach to editing is creative; he admits he doesn't always read the script that comes with the raw footage he's given. "I'm not the kind of guy who's just going to push buttons. I let the film tell me where to go and allow an organic process unfold. If you want someone who's going to lend an attitude or perspective that may be a bit different from what you originally considered, I'm your editor." In a career that has seen McMann edit commercials for the likes of Toyota and Bell ExpressVu and win Canadian "Bessie" awards for his Lubriderm and Ethical Fund ads, the Ford "Global Anthem" commercial stands in a league of its own. Personally chosen by New York director Edouard Nammour, McMann was given over 18 hours (100,000 feet) of raw footage - and rough story boards but no script - to whittle down to two minutes. It was a four-month project. McMann then watched the one-time airing of the commercial in a local pub with family and friends, and the awareness that up to a billion other people around the world were also watching the results of his work. McMann keeps in close contact with his Alma Mater, as a member of the Alumni Association and as sometime guest lecturer. He passes on his enthusiasm for the college experience to anyone thinking of going. "I tell them, go do it, because it's the only time in your life you're going to have the freedom to do exactly what you want to do. My teachers were amazing in the support and freedom they gave me. They were there to guide me but gave me a chance to get my creative 'ya ya's' out." |
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