Lost Worlds was Jen's first experience working on a professional
film. Initially, she relied on the film's director, Bayley Silleck,
producer Jeffrey Marvin, and line producer Daniel Ferguson, to show
her the ropes. But she soon found her feet. Her job included everything
from researching a potential location to taking care of travel arrangements
for the crew. She bought all the supplies for filming on location,
from the camping gear and the bug spray for the Mount Roraima shoot,
to the butterfly nets and magnifying glasses used in the New York
segment.
It was Jen who tracked down one of the stars of the movie—the
black jaguar Shadow, who appears in the Tikal sequence. Among her
many responsibilities, Jen ensured that all exposed film arrived safely
at the film laboratory for processing. and booked team screenings
to view the material afterwards.
Work never fell into a dull routine. Every day was different, with
tough new challenges to be faced and met—situations that Jen
thrived on, as these gave her a great sense of achievement. She enjoyed
watching the rushes with the rest of the team. Watching beautiful
images on screen—a tribute to the hard work of everyone working
on the project—felt like her reward at the end of a long day.
Jen has always loved film and television. As a child, her father had
to wire the television set to make sure that Jen could not watch it
all the time. Undeterred, she soon figured out where her parents hid
the key and continued to watch! Determined to work in the media, Jen
attended Concordia University in Montreal where she received a degree
in communication studies. She specialized in media production, sound,
film, television, and media theory. After college, she worked in the
creative marketing department of a large computer graphics company,
making demonstration videos and multimedia marketing materials.
While at university, Jen produced, wrote, and directed a video documentary
that was shown at the Montreal International Film Festival. A longtime
fan of the documentary genre—because it combines entertainment
and information—Jen believes in the educational potential of
film. She describes the IMAX experience as especially unique because
the large-screen experience allows the viewer to become immersed in
the action and location of the film.
For those interested in a career in film, Jen warns that there's no
magic bullet. Her advice is to be persistent and network as much as
possible. Make contact with people in the film industry, especially
in the area that you're interested in: camera operators, set builders,
coordinators, writers, directors, or producers. Films are made by
a diverse group of people with a range of backgrounds. And be prepared
to work hard!
