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INTERVIEW WITH ALUMNI MEMBER FILMMAKER
DELIA MARTIN

By Cat LeBlanc

May 24, 2009

Cat: Can you remember how you became involved in the Film Co-op? Who got you involved if anyone and your very first activity done at the Film Co-op?

Delia: In spring of 1984, my next door neighbour saw an advertisement calling for actors for Spectre of Rexton . She called the Film Co-op to enquire if there might be any parts for her small children - which there weren't - and ended up volunteering to work as crew. She talked me into joining her. I was a little reluctant at first because I also had small children and wasn't sure if I would have time for something like that.

I went along with her to a pre-production meeting and I was hooked. Everyone involved was so friendly and interesting and I must've been a little starved for adult company. I threw myself into the production and never looked back. I loved the whole filmmaking process and how like a family we became.

I worked on many small productions through the 80s and 90s and sat on the Film Co-op board of directors for over 6 years. I attended Film and Video Producers Conferences on PEI on 3 or 4 occasions. I also worked on a few professional shoots - film and video - and was actually paid to do work that I was happy to do for free at the Film Co-op.

Here it is, 25 years later, and I'm still involved with the Film Co-op, albeit in a much reduced role - volunteering at Silver Wave and occasionally at the Monday Night Film series. My friend? She lost interest in filmmaking shortly after Spectre wrapped. She missed out on a LOT.

Cat: What was your sense of the people involved at the time in the mid 80's? Did they strike you as a really passionate group of people who were in tune with each other and the Co-op's objectives? Can you list some of the people you knew then?

Delia: I found all of the people I met at the Co-op to be extremely friendly, helpful and interesting. They were, and still are, a very diverse collection of souls from all age groups and walks of life. Everyone seemed committed to making the Co-op a vibrant film community. Everyone was more than willing to share their skills and knowledge with others. Everyone was…well…co-operative. I remember working with Tony Merzetti, Bob McLeod, Scott Webster, Heinz Gloss, Jill Benn (then Canney), Shawn Fitch, Kwame Daws, Chris Campbell, Kevin Matthews, Tony Sekulich, Andrew Long, Janet Clarke, Errol Williams, Dave Clark, Rick Seguin, (rest in peace, Errol, Dave and Rick), and many more.

Cat: Do you have any funny funny moments whether on an early set or meeting or social that has stuck with you all these years?

Delia: I'm not very good at recounting humourous events. I do know that I shared a LOT of laughs with a LOT of Film Co-op people over the years. My favourite moment occurred on the set of A Darker Side . One of my jobs was to operate the slate. A simple enough chore, one would think. One afternoon, I had to leave the set for about an hour to pick up Kevin Matthew's wife at the airport because he was operating the camera and couldn't leave. I was the most dispensable person on set at the time, or so it seemed. One of the actors was given the job of using the slate until I returned. Imagine my surprise to receive a standing ovation when I walked back on set. Apparently, the actor completely botched the job by doing everything one could possibly do wrong with the slate. I felt quite important for the rest of the shoot.

When working on a film shoot, the people involved usually become quite close-knit. Everyone shares in the work, the waiting, the aggravations, the temper flares, the satisfaction of a perfect take and, of course, the laughs. I loved working on films and I wish I had the time to still do it.

Cat: You have observed many changes at the Film Co-op over the years…what would be three of the big changes you have noticed over time?

Delia: Well, of course, there's the move to the current location from the one on York Street. I still miss the York St. location sometimes because it holds so many fond memories for me, but the Film Co-op really outgrew it. I think it's good for the Film Co-op to be in such close proximity with other arts groups.

There has also been a huge change in technology over the years. The shift to digital media is phenomenal and makes the visual story-telling process so much more accessible.

Also, the Film Co-op has been more in the public eye these last 10 years or so. The film festival and the Monday Night Film Series have helped to bring the Co-op to the attention of the general public and that's a very good thing. I remember getting a lot of blank stares when I mentioned the NB Filmmakers' Co-op back in the mid-80s, but it seems that more people are now aware of the existence and function of the Co-op.

Cat: What do you think the magic is at the Film Co-op that holds Tony Merzetti here when others have moved on over time to other jobs, activities etc... This year, he will turn 50 and in a lot of ways, he is also celebrating volunteering and working at the Film Co-op long term. In fact, it will be 23 years by the end of this year (2009) that he has been involved.

Delia: Tony may have been coordinator for 23 years, but, as you know, he was involved in the Film Co-op long before that. He was already a fixture at York Street when I joined in 1984. Tony is lucky enough to have found his true vocation. His skills and personality make him perfectly suited to his work. Not many of us find our dream jobs - the place where we can feel fulfilled, challenged and rewarded (though Tony was always underpaid for his services to the Film Co-op and I can only guess that he still is.) I think Tony found his "happy place" and I wish him all the best.