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Hello and welcome to the very first edition of The Developing Story newsletter!

I am overwhelmed by the response of those who signed up after hearing about the newsletter whether through Reddit, Discord, word of mouth, my interview on 99.7 and 96.7 FM, or reading the article on ptbotoday.ca! Please feel free to share this newsletter with people you think may be interested in receiving it, and send them this link so they can sign up too!

Over the past month, people with an extensive background in the film industry, people with no background but much interest and enthusiasm, and people looking for ways to support and uplift others within the community have signed up, I appreciate you all! One of my goals with beginning this newsletter was to let people know that there is a community of people out there in, around, and connected to the Peterborough area who have a passion for film, and you have been proving that by signing up!

2025 In Review

2025 was an interesting and busy year for me personally, and based on the conversations I’ve been having with friends who have been creating over the past year, it wasn’t just interesting for me. Many projects happened over the course of the year that I am aware of, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the community here in Peterborough, for every project that I am aware of, there are many I am not, so here is a small portion of what went down in 2025!

Grist

The past year finally saw the screening of a proof of concept for Grist that I and many others worked on a couple of years ago out at Lang Pioneer Village, following the story of a small village in the 1800s, and how fragile things can be below the surface when everything seems (mostly) fine. In July, cast and crew were shown a trailer for the project, as well as a version of the proof of concept that I edited. A 13 day production resulting in an hour of solid performances from the likes of Naomi DuVall, Aimee Gordon, Marc Ludwig, Matt Gilbert, Lindsay Unterlander, and many others was the culmination of hundreds of hours of work in front of and behind the cameras, as well as in the year leading up to production, where Pawel Dwulit, Drew Antzis, Michael Hayes, Brendan Fell and myself crafted the world and story of Grist.

The reaction to the screening was enthusiastically positive, and people were shocked to learn that something of that calibre could be created in the Peterborough area, by people from the area. The production had a tremendous amount of support from local businesses, Lang Pioneer Village itself, an equipment rental company from Toronto, as well as the support of ARRI in the donation of some wonderful gear that was used over the course of production.

To learn more about the project and to see the trailer, visit https://grist.tiiny.site/

Ring Rats

2025 also saw the production of the independent film Ring Rats, a screen adaptation of the stage play of the same name, written and directed by Derek Weatherdon, starring Samuelle Weatherdon and Brad Brackenridge, with myself behind the camera. Filming began in the Summer of 2024 as a proof of concept, and production on the film began in earnest in May of 2025 after a crowdfunding push to offset some of the costs of filming.

The film is currently in post-production, being edited by the spectacularly talented Rob Viscardis, and as a whole, this film is a testament to the grit and dedication of a small crew who believed in the project, and have seen it through to the end.

Janet & Steve

Filmed in the latter half of 2025, Janet & Steve is a new television series that will be premiering on Bell’s Fibe TV network in 2026. Created by Tamara Bick and Drew Antzis, partially inspired by a previous project of theirs called “Settle This Thing”, Janet & Steve follows the story of a couple who navigate all of those trivial (and not-so trivial) things that come up during the course of a marriage.

Filmed in and around the Peterborough area, featuring Peterborough landmarks, talent, and humour, the show could be described as a mix of Northern Exposure meets Curb Your Enthusiasm. I say “could be”, because that’s how I would describe it!

Enkidu

A short film based on an interpretation of the Epic Tales Of Gilgamesh, written and performed by local playwright and performer John Hedderwick, this was shot in the Fall of 2025 in a location that embodied the themes of the story; loneliness, isolation, depression, and a fantastical representation of Purgatory itself.

After successfully crowdfunding, the short was shot by Rob Viscardis, directed by Zach Barmania, produced by Ayesha Lye, and saw the co-operation and collaboration of many people coming together with the singular goal of creating the film within the pre-determined confines of the set, and on a tight shooting schedule. The short is expected to release in 2026.

Sorority Shark Attack

Filmed in the Fall of 2025 in the Peterborough area, this production came to town with the goal of one thing: To create a shark attack movie that involved a sorority. By all accounts, that goal was accomplished!

The Client

In 2024, Jenish Odigski had an idea for a dark short film, and by working with Chris Brockhurst, Pawel Dwulit, Drew Antzis, and a number of other talented people, they were able to make that short film a reality, with a tight and brutal story about decisions and their impacts. In the Summer of 2025, they filmed a second entry into the universe of “The Client”, which promises to expand the world that Jenish has created, and I expect it to be releasing in 2026.

What else happened this year? Write to thedevelopingstorynewsletter@gmail.com to let me know about a project you worked on in 2025!

Knowledge = Power

I am constantly learning new things while working on projects that expand both my world and my skillset. Thankfully there are also many people out there who are dedicated to teaching others ways to improve skills they already have, or introduce them to new skills and methods of executing ideas. Here are a few videos I have come across in the past while that tickle that itch of learning about something new.

Disclaimer: Sometimes people who make informative videos are doing so with the purpose of making money, whether from referrals if you purchase gear that is mentioned in their video or linked in the description, or they have been sponsored by the company that makes the product they are featuring as part of their lesson. This isn’t a bad thing, as I believe people should be compensated for their work, and this also doesn’t mean the information isn’t valuable or accurate. It does mean that there is potential for bias, however. Please watch any and all videos with that in mind, and know that often with concepts being taught, you do not need to buy that shiny new thing being shown on screen in order to execute it.

By all means please support the creator that is teaching you something, while also being aware that there could be a reason they are speaking about one particular product or service over another. Many creators are up front about their sponsorships, while others do not outright mention it. Regardless, if the information is valid and the equipment/software/concept works, I consider that a win!

Time Code

I recently took a dive into the world of Time Code (sometimes called timecode). Having been working with sound and images for a number of years, I had been aware of timecode’s existence, and it always felt like a lofty concept I would never fully comprehend, but always appreciate the usefulness of it. After taking some time to study it as well as the different methods of utilizing it, I realized that this technology simplifies a lot of the post process when working on any project way more than I had thought it would. For those of you out there who are already familiar with time code, you’re not doubt shaking your heads. I know. I’m late.

For those of you who are new to the concept, here is a wonderful video that begins to explain it:

I recently worked on a short project with a fast turnaround, and used a timecoded framework. This helped me to sync up the two-camera operation in a snap, and syncing the audio (which was recorded to a mixing board that did not support timecode) was very simple, as it was a single microphone and there were very clear actions on camera that made it simple to align the audio to.

Editing

How someone edits and what they use to edit differs from person to person. I began 26 years ago by goofing around in Adobe Premiere Pro, then eventually moved over to Final Cut when I switched to using a Mac OS for school, and then yo-yo’d back and forth between Premiere and Final Cut until discovering the software that is Davinci Resolve. There is a free version of the software, as well as the paid “Studio” version. As powerful as the Studio version is, the free version packs a solid punch. There are still new things I learn every time I use Resolve, whether it’s a new way of doing things, or tweaking a method that I have found to be reliable.

This video from local creator Chris Brockhurst dives into an aspect of DaVinci Resolve that people can find quite daunting at first (and sometimes even years after using it!): using nodes to edit the image that you’re working with. While the edit you have in the timeline is of course crucial to your final export, using nodes in the Colour panel can help you to achieve the “look” that you’re going for, fix visual issues, and overall get closer to what you want to achieve with your edit. Chris breaks down the concept of nodes in an easy way to understand and build out your own understanding of it. Having used Resolve for over 10 years myself, I found myself learning some things, and even unlearning some bad habits watching this!

What’s Happening

Here are some things happening this month in the world of film in Peterborough!

Ring Rats Filming

On Saturday January 3rd, additional photography for the film Ring Rats will be happening at The Venue! The filming will occur during a real wrestling match being put on by Great Canadian Wrestling. With this shoot comes the final footage being shot for the film!

This is not a call for performers or crew, however if anyone would like to attend the match, tickets are available on the website linked above to see the acrobatic feats of strength being put on by passionate and professional Wrestlers!

The 2026 ReFrame Film Festival

The 20th annual ReFrame Film Festival is happening January 30th-February 1st in person, with over 20 documentary films being screened at Showplace and Market Hall spanning the three day festival. There will also be a virtual on-demand screening option available, with films available to be streamed from February 3rd to the 8th!

For tickets and other information, visit https://reframefilmfestival.ca/

Community

Peterborough and the surrounding area has a wonderful community of incredibly creative people, and we’re only scratching the surface. If you would like to add yourself to the Directory, please fill out this form.

The Directory is available to everyone who subscribes to this newsletter.

Working on a project? Want to share something you've worked on? Looking for a crew or collaborators on a project? Want to let people know about an event you're putting on? Want to share information about a workshop, funding, or something you've learned that's helpful and will help to educate others? Then submit it here!

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The Developing Story is a free monthly newsletter that I produce with the goal of connecting people in the Peterborough and area who have a shared interest in the creative arts with regards to film and photography, as well as other outlets.

If you would like to support me on this project, please consider making a contribution to my ko-fi. A contribution is not mandatory or necessary to have access to this newsletter. Thank you for reading!

- Adam Martignetti

January 2026