TFS Students Get the Inside Track on the Set of CBC’s ‘Son of a Critch’
Three Toronto Film School students recently got an exclusive, behind-the scenes look at the inner workings of the St. John’s, Newfoundland set of CBC’s Son of a Critch – and now they want to share the experience, documentary style!
“It was my first time going on a real TV set, so it was very exciting,” said newly minted Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre graduate Raha Rou, who acted as host for Inside Track – a short web docuseries that aims to offer insight into all the different creative occupations involved in bringing a hit TV show to life.
“We didn’t have a script. We were just told to go in and be curious, so all the questions came from our hearts. It was incredible to get answers first-hand from people who are actually in the industry, working on a project that’s being produced and has a huge audience here in Canada.”
Filmed back in August, Episode 1 of Inside Track sees Rou and Film Production students Gospell Shanel (on-location sound) and Matt Labra (director of photography), spend four days on the Son of a Critch Season 2 set, where they are given exclusive access to crew members in a variety of roles – from actors and art directors, to costume designers and camera assistants, to producers and post-production managers.
You can watch the full episode HERE.
“My biggest takeaway from the experience is that there’s a place for everyone in the industry, because Son of a Critch is just one series on one channel,” Rou said.
“If you look out, there are so many different mediums and so many different media outlets. And all these channels and all these productions, they all need teams – it’s a huge industry. There’s a place for everyone!”
Among those sharing stories of their real-world experience working in the screen industries in the first episode of Inside Track are Son of a Critch’s young star, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, and its Executive Producer, Toronto Film School President Andrew Barnsley, who speaks of the role TFS can play in being a solution-based stakeholder in the film and TV industry.
“When I sort of put on my producer hat, I really see the value of working with skilled and trained workers, particularly in an industry that’s, frankly, experiencing labour shortages,” Barnsley said, noting that, in 2022, the Canadian film and television production industry has continued to set a record-breaking pace in terms of expansion – a growth so dramatic, the demand for skilled and set-ready labour has begun to far outweigh the current supply, creating a plethora of career opportunities in the industry.
“There’s such a commitment and investment from our provincial and federal governments to invest in this industry, but one thing that’s not moving as quickly as it should is the training of the workforce – and that seems like a huge opportunity for Toronto Film School to help elevate production across the country.”
Indeed, as a solution-oriented stakeholder, TFS welcomes the responsibility to help close those gaps in its role as a higher education institution that trains up-and-coming creatives in the areas of Film Production, Acting, Screenwriting, Video Game Design and Graphic Design, among others.
“My dream is to see Toronto Film School students on the sets of every major production, not just here in Toronto, but all across Canada,” Barnsley added.
“Our graduates are not only be ‘set-ready’ but ‘industry-ready’ – confident that they have mastered their craft and gained important insights into an industry that is fast-paced, exciting and demanding.”
To learn more about all the different unique and exciting career paths opening up for talented young creatives in the Canadian film and television industry, check out the first episode of Inside Track HERE.
