This career development-focused webinar is FREE and exclusive for Film Production Students & recent Grads!

Join us for a talk with Post industry professionals as we discuss what opportunities await after graduation and how you can prepare yourself to enter the workforce. Don’t miss this chance to learn from and connect with some of BC’s finest Post Production talent!

>> Registration is open to both Members and Non-Members of the VPA <<

#VPAStudentTalks

MEET THE POST PROFESSIONALS

CINDY AU YEUNG – Moderator
(Assistant Editor / Picture Editor)

Cindy Au Yeung is a Chinese-Canadian editor and filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. She has worked in post production for the past 7 years and has been a 1st Assistant Editor on various documentaries such as I AM JOHNNY CASH and scripted television series such as DATE MY DAD, HIT THE ROAD, LOUDERMILK S3, and DAY OF THE DEAD.

Most recently, she has edited an APTN Lumi webseries SHADOW OF THE ROUGAROU, produced and edited a stand-up comedy series COMEDY INVASION, and is currently editing her first feature-length film, JONAH. On the side, Cindy also makes her own documentaries involved with #Elimin8hate, an organization dedicated to eliminating anti-Asian racism through the power of film, arts, and media. Nevertheless, documentaries will always remain as Cindy’s first love into filmmaking!

JOHN FRANCO – Panelist
(Sound Designer / Musician)

John Franco, a seasoned musician, has left an indelible mark on the music industry. John, kickstarted his career by releasing numerous records on prominent labels in the Southern California and toured across the United States, Europe and North America. 

In 2006, John decided to further hone his craft by enrolling in VFS Sound Design Course. With determination and passion, he successfully graduated in 2007, armed with a deeper understanding of the art of sound. John went on to make a mark in the vibrant music scene of Vancouver by producing and recording various musicians in some of the city’s most renowned studios. In a testament to innovation, John went on to build Precision Mobile ADR, introducing the first mobile ADR trailer to Vancouver. This innovative venture further solidified his reputation in the field of audio and sound engineering. 

Today, John has transitioned to a new role as a re-recording mixer at Post Modern Sound/Smart Post Canada. His meticulous attention to detail and expertise made him an invaluable asset in the world of post-production sound, enhancing the audio experience of countless projects. With a career spanning music, sound design, and audio engineering, John Franco continues to be a driving force in the ever-evolving landscape of sound and music. 

MIKE LEEMING – Panelist
(VFX Supervisor / Producer)

Mike Leeming has been involved in the Vancouver Visual effects community for over 22 years. Starting early on in the tape room at Stargate Studios, Mike Has grown through several roles as a VFX Editor then on to VFX producer and supervisor on both the Vendor and Client side over the years which is his current role. Mike has also been involved in ground up VFX satellite vendors such as helping start the FuseFX team in BC and Digital Film Tree BC.

As a Visual Effects Supervisor and Producer Mike has been a part of the visual effects on shows in recent years Such as “The Magicians” for SYFY and “Batwoman” and “Supergirl” for CW, and most recently has been worked as a supervisor on the new upcoming “Horizon Saga” feature for Kevin Costner and “Bad Monkey” for Apple TV+. Along with this Mike is currently working on the new Hulu 8 part series “Under the Bridge” as the overall VFX supervisor for ABC signature,

As a proud member of the local community, Mike believes that the best global VFX talent lives here and sees tremendous growth for the future of Vancouver.

LARA MAZUR – Panelist
(Picture Editor)

Lara Mazur is a Vancouver based editor.  Born and raised in Winnipeg, she graduated from University of Manitoba in Fine Arts and apprenticed with the NFB as a film editor.   She has edited 63 television and theatrical movies, and 160 episodes of TV series, collaborating with many of Canada’s top directors and showrunnersfrom coast to coast.  

Lara received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Canadian Cinema Editors in recognition of her body of work and career as an editor. 

Lara moves seamlessly through all genres, from Sci-fi with Van Helsing, The Order, and Ghost Wars and MGM’s black comedy with Dead Like Me to dramatic series such as Virgin River and Strange Empire and Action/ Adventure series with Arctic Air and Flashpoint  for which Lara received a DGC award for Best Editing.  Lara worked as editor on Chris Haddock’s DaVinci’sInquest, Intelligence, and The Romeo Section, all receiving awards and accolades.  

Other notable work receiving nominations are the Netflix comedy, Monika Mitchell’s The Knight Before Christmas; Gail Harvey’s No One Would Tell; Ana Valine’s Sitting on the Edge of Marlene; Anne Wheeler’s movies, Suddenly Naked and Horses of McBride; Norma Bailey’s The Pastor’s Wife; David Paperny’s documentary feature, Confessions of an Innocent Man and Rachel Talaley’s On the Farm, starring Élle-Maija Tailfeathers. Lara recently edited Jules Koostachin’s Broken Angel and most recently, Angela’s Shadow, which will premiere later this year.

Currently, Lara is editing the pilot of the new CBC series, Allegiance.

SEPIDEH MERCHANT – Panelist
(Post Supervisor)

Sepideh Merchant began her Post Production career after finishing her Motion Picture Arts Bachelors Degree at Capilano University. Sepideh’s passion for film started at a young age and after completing internships on high profile movie sets, she knew film and television production was the career path she wanted to pursue. 

Sepideh has been working in the film and television industry in the Post Production sector in British Columbia for more than 10 years. She has supervised Post Production and Delivery of 100+ productions for different platforms, including feature films and TV movies for Warner Brothers, Universal, Paramount, Disney, Lifetime and Hallmark. Her TV series work includes both scripted and unscripted episodic productions for eOne, DirecTV and Corus, amongst others. The productions she has supervised have won Emmy awards and numerous Leo awards. 

As Sepideh continues her professional career she is passionate about helping the new generation of talent find a rewarding path forward. 

SIAN O’BYRNE – Panelist
(Music Supervisor)

Sian O’Byrne’s early passion for music lead her to graduation from the Arts and Entertainment Management program at Capilano University, which granted invaluable experience via internships with The Song Rep and Nettwerk Music Group. After graduation in 2014, Sian continued to work with The Song Rep and Nettwerk Music Group. Involved in both music publishing and label duties, Sian received a well-rounded understanding of the music industry from Nettwerk, while in turn applying her knowledge of music clearance at The Song Rep. She later left the music admin world behind to pursue her passion for Music Supervision exclusively. Sian has fine-tuned her Music Supervision skills on various film and television productions over the years and developed outstanding relationships with professionals in both the music and film & television industries.

MATTHEW ROGERS – Panelist
(Composer)

Matthew Rogers is an award-winning film composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist. As a film composer he has composed over 41 soundtracks for feature films, and 9 television series. He has 7 Leo Awards and 2 ASCAP Screen Awards.
In the past decade Matthew has also worked as a producer and arranger on over forty albums. His work has won five Western Canadian Music Awards. His own group, the renowned blues duo, The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer has won three Western Canadian Music Awards, and have been nominated for 2 Juno Awards, and six Maple Blues Awards. They have just completed recording a live album using the legendary Rolling Stones mobile recording studio.
His score for VOLITION has been winning awards at festivals all over the world, including London’s Frightfest 2019, L.A.’s Shriekfest 2019, and the New York City Horror Film Festival 2019. Due for a theatrical release in 2023 is his
film BLOOD, starring Michelle Monaghan, and MERCY starring Jon Voight. Matt recently completed the score to the 2ndseason of FAMILY LAW (Global). His latest series SAFEHAVEN will be coming to Crackle in 2023.

CLAUDIO SEPULVEDA – Panelist
(Colorist)

A veteran with 30 years of finishing experience, Picture Shop Senior Colorist Claudio Sepulveda has worked on wide-ranging credits such the features Beyond the Black Rainbow, Every Breath You Take and Child’s Play, as well as the popular television series Virgin River, Firefly Lane and Van Helsing. Prior to joining Picture Shop, Sepulveda developed his craft at Technicolor, Deluxe and most recently Company 3.

JOE WATTS – Panelist
(Sound Engineer)

Joe Watts is an experienced and versatile sound engineer with many years experience in film and television productions, corporate films, advertising, video games, and multi-media productions available for broadcast level mixing, sound design, and voiceover recording sessions. He has extensive experience in 5.1 and 7.1 mixing, sound FX editing, sound design, music production, ADR recording, foley production, field recording, audio transfers, sound restoration, team leading, and student mentoring.

His experience and enthusiasm for all things audio allows him to integrate seamlessly into any studio environment where he endeavors to invigorate work colleagues, reinforce work flows, nurture client relationships, and execute meticulous sound design alchemy at wizard levels.

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