National Apprenticeship Training Program

2009 Apprentice Profiles

Clara Lee (Producing Apprenticeship, Ontario)

Clara Lee is a recent graduate of Ryerson University's Radio and Television Arts program. Among the many things she learned (from picking up a video camera for the first time, to finding out how many people you need to feed on a production set) Clara found her love of television, multi-tasking and making lists propel her to develop skills for television producing. She is interested in all genres, especially children's and youth television. Keen memories of childhood programs inspire her desire to tell engaging stories for the next generation. Clara continues to work on her elevator pitches as to finds opportunities to enter the television industry.

>Barry Liu (Directing Apprenticeship, BC)

Born in Hong Kong on December 11 1986, Barry Liu moved to Vancouver and stayed to finish high school and also to complete his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Simon Fraser University, majoring in Film. In doing so, he has developed an irreplaceable passion for filmmaking. Only film provides him with the challenges, opportunities and thrills that make the creative life worth living.

Candice Mullings (Writing Apprenticeship, Ontario)

As an emerging writer and producer, Candice Mullings writes creatively everyday. Recently graduating with honours from Ryerson University's Radio and Television Arts program, she has already applied her skills to many productions both academically and professionally. During her time at Ryerson, she wrote television pilots, series bibles, as well as several short films and won the TARA Award for Best Writing In A Practicum Script. Within the industry, she has worked as a freelance researcher, a cable program guide writer, and a production and camera assistant for several television productions. With the support of the NATP, she is currently gaining professional creative and business experience through her position at a burgeoning television production company. Ultimately, she hopes to build her career by writing and producing scripted television series.

Immanuel Nwachukwu (Cinematography Apprenticeship, Alberta)

Immanuel was born in Nigeria, but moved to Canada in 2000. Immanuel has always been interested in art. He received recognition in his junior high fine arts class. He also joined the cartoon club in high school in order to broaden his style. In 2004, he enrolled in an outdoor theatre program called Summerstock, and was cast in Fiddler on the Roof. In the fall of 2006, Immanuel began his Bachelor of Communications Studies program at the University of Calgary. While his degree requirements are completed, his interest in film led him to acquire a minor in Film Studies. He graduated in the spring of 2009. Immanuel endeavours to participate in Calgary's film culture. He was a key planner introducing the Show Us Your Shorts film festival and volunteers at the annual Calgary International Film Festival 2009. He currently freelances as a multimedia designer while seeking to develop the film/video production skills that he currently possesses.

Maria-Saroja Ponnambalam (Directing Apprenticeship, Ontario)

Maria realized in high school that she could experiment with her passions for story-telling, music, and art through filmmaking. Now specializing in documentary, she hopes to contribute to society by breaking down social/cultural myths, and by helping underrepresented people and communities through the power of film. Maria recently graduated from the film production program at York University. Her short documentary The Consequence of Rain, about community councils in Venezuela, won best documentary at York University's Cineseige and has been presented at several film festivals locally and internationally. She hopes to continue broadening her skills in documentary filmmaking and producing.

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