Karen Teoh gets a dream job

 

Karen Teoh, a spring 05 BFA in Film Production, has been named Kodak Canada Cinematography Apprentice for 2005. The award is given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (ACCT) through its national training program.

Karen is an excellent student who already has quite a bit of experience in film.

To win the apprenticeship, she had to answer a questionnaire about her interest in the field, provide references, and supply a five-minute version of a film she shot in her third year in Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema.

Karen told CTR by e-mail that the apprenticeship program is quite flexible. It will enable her to work on a number of productions, some of them accessed through the ACCT, and some she will find for myself.

The first production she worked on as an apprentice was a docudrama TV series for Red Apple Entertainment called Masterminds, now in its third season. She worked on the third episode for the first two weeks of August.

“After that, I hope to work on music video shoots, commercial shoots, feature films, and possibly another television series. The program lasts for three months, so it enables me to work on as many productions as I can.”

A native of British Columbia, Teoh has nothing but praise for her years in the School of Cinema.

“My education at Concordia truly opened up my eyes to the world of fine arts. What’s great about the program is that they encourage students to explore art forms.

“Living in a city like Montreal, full of independent artists, gave me a chance to explore and experience first hand a vast array of art forms.”

Karen’s taste in films runs to drama and fantasy. She particularly liked Le Fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and photographed by Bruno Delbonnel.

“The crossover of cinematic reality and fantastical, animation-inspired aesthetics truly took me into another world,” she said. “I found the film mystical and enchanting, a true cinematic masterpiece.”

She also liked The Motorcycle Diaries, calling it “one of the few films whose message breaks through the film-screen canvas.”

A professional jury selects the top students in the country to receive paid training on professional productions.

For more, please go to http://www.academy.ca/dev/natp.htm.