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February has come and gone, and here we are in March! This month we’ll be having the Creative Summit Of The Arts! Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Janet & Steve Premiere!

On March 12th, the locally created and produced television show Janet & Steve is premiering on Bell’s Fibe TV1 network! What’s the show about? Here it is in the Creator’s own words:

Real-life married comedians Tamara Bick and Drew Antzis bring their comedic chemistry and razor-sharp timing to the screen in Janet & Steve, a quick-witted episodic series exploring the absurd yet relatable quarrels of a long-term couple navigating life after leaving behind the fast track of Los Angeles for the quieter pace of Peterborough.

Each episode showcases life in Peterborough and the Kawarthas after a move from the big city of Los Angeles, USA. Local businesses, the famous lock system, the great outdoors and of course the community of Peterborough will be the backdrop of the series.

Filming of the show began in September of 2025 and completed in December. You can see the show on Bell Fibe1, and stream it on-Demand on Bell’s app after the episode has aired!

Knowledge = Power

I’m always learning things that expand my skillset. Here are a few things I’ve come across that satisfy my curiosity to learn something new, or better educate me about something I already know!

Disclaimer: Some content I share may be sponsored. I support creators being paid for their work, but sponsorships can shape what’s featured. The ideas still matter, but you don’t always need the exact products shown to execute the ideas.

I ever find myself in a situation where I have affiliate links of my own to share, I will disclose that information.

Shooting On Film

This is an interesting “making of” video about a short film that was shot on Super 8 (8mm) film, by ponysmasher, the name that Director David F. Sandberg goes by online. You may recognize the name as he’s directed a number of films, such as Lights Out, Shazam!, and Annabelle: Creation to name a few. His first feature film, Lights Out, was an adaptation of a short film that he released in 2013. In 2025, he released his most recent film, Until Dawn, which was a film adaptation of a video game of the same name. He also released a short film titled “Call Of The Ocean” in the summer of 2025.

In this making of/behind the scenes video about the short, David talks about the challenges of shooting on Super 8, as well as the process involved from pre-production to release, along with his reasons behind choosing to work with Super 8 for the project.

A feature film that came out recently that also utilized Super 8 and 16 mm film was The Black Phone 2, which use those methods for certain scenes to give a truly unique sense and feel to the events happening in the scenes. The volatility of shooting in that medium meant that even with the fastest turnaround time possible to have the film processed, there were still errors that they would have to go back days later to fix, whether by reshoots, or digital manipulation. Digital manipulation being the last resort of course, because the filmmakers wanted shooting on film to speak for itself. Even with shooting multiple takes, and false starts and incomplete takes, there were certain scenes that had to be entirely reshot three different times because film can be unpredictable.

Shooting Outside (again!)

Last month I shared a video discussing filming outside with diffusion. It was short and to the point, and here is another one that attacks the situation from a different angle (both literally and figuratively)!

This video gets a little more in-depth about different ways to shoot outside, and with different budgets. It talks more about shaping light outside as well, and is definitely useful knowledge to have in your back pocket when shooting outdoor scenes, whether you go for one of the methods demonstrated in this video, or you decide to shoot using an amalgamation of techniques!

Artificial Intelligence

Thank you to everyone who participated in last month’s survey about AI. It was informative and helped to give a real snapshot of the landscape currently! The responses were very interesting, with those in favour of AI considering it a natural (synthetic, if you will) evolution of humanity, and others fiercely detesting it and choosing to stay informed about it, but only with the goal of better understanding why it is a not so great thing.

I am very curious, possibly in a morbid sense, to see in the years to come where AI will take us both creatively and in relation to our everyday lives. The recent issues between Anthropic and the United States government with relation to the ethical use of their AI technology and the refusal to give permission for their technology to be implemented in weapons of war has been a hot topic in this past week, and I am appreciative of the fact that there are some people out there in control of these technologies who have a conscience and are actively choosing to exercise it.

What’s Happening

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

The March 2026 Creative Summit Of The Arts!

On Saturday March 21st at 7 PM, the first Developing Story Creative Summit Of The Arts of 2026 is happening at The Publican House! Come and take part in a relaxed atmosphere where you can connect with fellow local filmmakers and creatives!

There is no pressure to present or pitch anything, and the evening is intended for people to get to know each other and make creative connections, to catch up with friends in the community, and maybe even to spark new ideas for the future!

RSVP here!

The Dead Of Winter 48 Hour Film Challenge (Part 2)!

Last month due to some unexpected scheduling issues and a feature film production coming to the area(!), the Dead Of Winter 48 Hour Film Challenge has been re-scheduled to the weekend of March 27th to the 29th. For more information and to confirm details, please contact info@filmcenteralontario.com!

Gear Swap!

Looking for some gear? Chances are someone else is looking to sell, rent, or trade that gear! Fill out this form and it will be included the next newsletter. Who better to sell to than someone else who shares your passion!

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 for the possibility of collaborating with others, 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? Holding an event? Want to share information about a casting call, workshop, funding, or something you've learned that's helpful and will help to educate others? Then submit that information here.

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March 2026