At Home-2010

At Home-2010
Self Portrait

Tony Wade's Television Factory

Note*** ALL the videos below are now on my You Tube channel-http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTonywade

Please visit and comment if you feel like it.

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"SURVIVORS OF THE 60's"


An archival television recording of interviews and reminiscences of people who went through the massive socio-cultural changes of the 60's.

For better or worse, arguably the 60's changed the world.

I am compiling a videotaped record of the people who lived it, and/or changed the 60's.

We will be shooting all over the world, but mainly in the Westernised countries of Europe, UK, North America and the South Pacific.

The tapes will be used to create a mammoth documentary series on how the 60's influenced the world.

This oral/visual history will consist of interviews with regular people, 'stars' and anyone with something to say.

Visual elements needed are home photos-stills/movie/video/archival material, and updated shots of now.

The project is in the formative stage. I need input from people willing to contribute their time or personal interviews, to this aural/visual archive.

The people that 'made' the 60's, are now in their 60's.
This massive TV documentary needs to be done NOW!

Aural history, is how the bible was passed down, and how we will more personally remember each era.

It is working for every decade since radio & television were invented.

Lets's do it for the 60's. We after all, have the technology.


NEEDED:
-PEOPLE WILLING TO TALK ON CAMERA
-VIDEOGRAPHERS
-IDEAS


I need interested parties and willing participants, to contact me at:

tony@yesterdaystudio.com

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THE BODY OF THE BLOG!

Welcome to my first blog. Actually it will be a video blog, not filled with my tiresome musings, but hopefully resplendant with creative television programs and other visual detritus.

I am a Television Producer/Director/Writer by trade. 1967-??

The blog will have thoughtful, insightful, superbly crafted, award-winning motion pictures, devoted to humour and information, presented in an entertaining manner.

It will also contain some home movies shot between 1969 and the present, as well as a few television programs that I have produced and directed over the years.

I have done about 2137 documentaries, TV series and episodes since 1967; most of them I don't have copies of, as I didn't, and still don't, own them.
I mostly worked for networks and production companies in Canada.
Before 1985 much of it was shot on film, before we had home video to record them off air.

In 1973, I interviewed 2 veterans of the Boer War, 1899-1902.

After the film had been on the air, the network, CTV, threw the film away!

This was historic original footage of guys who fought in a war during Queen Victoria's reign. (They were about 97 at the time of the interview).

I still can't believe that CTV could chuck an important piece of history into the bin...Bastards!

What I do have are from old VHS or Betamax that happened to be lying around in boxes. Some of it is not in great shape.

Please check out the titles here, then go to YOU TUBE and view them on my channel-http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTonywade

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FYI, please check out the WADE FAMILY HISTORY at my son Adam's site... http://www.adamwade.ca/


"It is a sordid account of wanton disregard for human values and great skill at wrecking ships off the Cornish coast since 1137 AD. ;-)"

(We love it. Adam Wade is continuing the job done by Jean Wade of Yakima WA. and Arthur Wade of Trevalga Cornwall England, who have done a fantastic job of research over a period of 80 years)




My eldest son Markus, is motorcycling around the world...Check out his travels and adventures...

http://www.flibbertgibbet.com/hoipolloi/?p=1392






Mt Steele, Yukon

Mt Steele, Yukon
Base camp, 10,000 feet

About Me

My photo
St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Tony Wade is an Award-Winning International Television Producer/Director/Writer. He is the recipient of the International Film and TV Festival of New York Medal, among many others. In his 40 years in the business, he spent 20 years with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as other networks. He has been a partner in TV production companies, and freelance for many networks and production facilities. His work has taken him to Australia, USA, Yukon/NWT and all areas of Canada. His four children, Markus (44), Adam (35), Christopher (21), and Hayley (19), live in Canada. His granddaughter Sadie (15)and grandson Mason (2) also live in Canada. His company 'Yesterday Studio' is currently editing videos and developing television programs and internet video content, including production and distribution, based in St Leonards-on-Sea, England. Tony is available for Producing/Directing/Writing and Editing worldwide. -http://www.yesterdaystudio.com -tony@yesterdaystudio.com

Monday 15 December 2008

Diamonds and Dragons (Charlotte Diamond)

A half hour music program we did for CBC. It stars Charlotte Diamond, the legendary children's entertainer.

Dan Noon and I collaborated on a number of projects including some award winning documentaries. For this one Dan produced and I directed.

This show was the 2nd of two musical 'edu-tainment' programs that we did with Charlotte Diamond.

Our first one, '10 Carrot Diamond' won the NEW YORK FILM AND TV FESTIVAL medal for Best Children's Special.

'Diamonds and Dragons' was financed by Charlotte's company and was shot during some magical weather in Vancouver.

This show was the first one where I managed to focus on the directing, and leave most of the producing to Dan Noon. It was one of my best directing jobs as a result. (thanks Dan).

The shoot was 5 days and was a SINGLE CAMERA SHOOT, with even the first number, 'Slimey the Slug'. This looks like a multi-camera production but it wasn't. I am proud of directing that song.

As always, the CBC Vancouver production crew were exceptional. Unfortunately, many have since left CBC to work in the huge feature film industry around Vancouver.

We had hardly any budget and Jackson Davies, a well know actor in Canada, worked for scale as a favour to us. He added a lot and is a delight to direct.

My other favourite song is 'The Laundry', where Charlotte had to perform 'in synch' with the special effects that were happening behind her. No mean feat.

Charlotte Diamond is such a professional to work with, and a great person to boot.

[25 Mins]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/8c93d8b91219e008

Fro MAC/Mov: http://www.motionbox.com/videos/3097d1b51f1ee4c1be?iid=switch_player_&type=hd

Friday 5 December 2008

The Last Streetfighter, (The History of the Georgia Straight)

The 'Hippy Rag underground newspaper' "The Georgia Straight" was started in 1967 by Dan MacLeod in Vancouver.

Over the years 'The Straight' was busted more times than any other newspaper in the world and is still going strong.
Today it is a multi-million dollar business.

Alumni of the 'Straight' include Tom Crighton and Sir Bob Geldof.

Tom Crighton, now of Brighton England, was my co-conspirator on this one.
We both produced and Tom wrote it...I directed

We shot it for a total budget of $17,000.
That includes our wages, shooting production costs, music rights, crew and editing, and a few beers.
We made absolutely no money at all on the production, but pulled in some favours from friends, and got a few pats on the back.

The show won the 'Can-Pro Awards' for 'Best Documentary' and 'Best of the Festival'.

John Collins, my favourite cameraman shot it. (www.johncollinsvideo.com)

We shot this in 1997 and this upload is crap. I will re-do it asap.
[47 Minutes]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/0a99dbb21115e0c087

Saturday 22 November 2008

Glitter or Gold?

Michael Olajide was a Vancouver boxer with brains. Michael 'The Silk' Olajide.

Yea, he was flashy and good looking but he was also well educated, unlike some of his colleagues.

In 1987 we went to Las Vegas and got involved in the hype and hope surrounding his IBF Middleweight Championship fight with Olympic Gold Medal winner Frank Tate from Detroit, at Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino.

This was a trip. Everything was glitz and glamour. Penthouse suites and babes. Even for us, the media bozos, we got our chances.
Being accredited media at a title fight in Vegas, gives you accreditation that goes beyond just showing up with a camera crew.

I got accosted by a 'Silk' fan who wanted to be 'friendly' because I was shooting a doc with Mike...Go figure? I had to work, so I didn't avail myself of that opportunity.

Frank Tate was a basic tough guy from detroit, who had all the personal pizzaz of a used car hubcap. He had however, won the gold medal at the Olympics.

Olive, Mike's Mom, was a wonderful lady and became a really good buddy at that time.
Yes she was shattered that Mike didn't win, but she was very proud of her son, that he gave his all. A classy lady.
He did have a bad night, that night.

The fight ended at about 10.00 pm and our crew went to the casino.

Greg Schofield (Soundman) and I, played Blackjack until we couldn't see what was left of our chips anymore, then we grabbed a cab to the airport.

The flight back to Vancouver was early in the morning and I hadn't yet been to bed.
The show had to be written and edited that day (Sunday) for airing on Monday, so I went from the airport to the edit suite at CBC.

By about 8.00pm that Sunday evening, I was so bagged that I left the edit suite and had a drink at the Media Club across the street.
Suitably refreshed, I worked with my favourite editor Paul Wong until about 2.00 in the morning and the show was done.

It's amazing what you can endure when you are younger.

Michael Olajide is now living and working in New York City where he co-owns a fitness/health club called Aerospace. (He is still flashy and good looking)
[11 mins]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee93d2b5191fe464

For MAC/Mov: http://www.motionbox.com/video/show/3097d1b01c18e5c0be

Monday 10 November 2008

The Crusoe of Lonesome Lake

Well, this journey was an eye-opener into the amazing story of Ralph Edwards and his 'kids'.
We shot this in 1988 and stayed at the Edwards cabin on Lonesome Lake.
John Edwards helped us a lot, and unfortunately he died in 2007 from cancer.
We played previous television programs of the 'Crusoe' for the first time ever in the homestead. John, his sister Trudy and her husband Jack watched courtesy of a battery powered monitor. There was never any electricity at Lonesome Lake.
This remarkable family carved a life out of the British Columbia wilderness (1912+) and along the way, saved the Trumpeter Swans from extinction and learned how to fly...all of them! (The Edwards' and the swans)
This documentary was a 'trip' to shoot and again made me closer to the god of nature.
Terry Glecoff wrote and hosted, and also wrote and played the music on his computer credited as 'The Nimpo Symphony'.
Rick Warren shot it and my good friend Dan Noon was Co-Producer. Greg Scofield did the sound and Paul Wong was my fantastic editor.
Unfortunately the Edwards homestead burned to the ground in 2004 in a giant forest fire...Nothing remains except the 4 published books from the Edwards' journey, the memories, and our documentary.
Enjoy.
[50 mins]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee98d0ba1f17ec64

Sunday 9 November 2008

The Voyage of the Thomas Crosby V

In 1985 I directed a documentary on a United Church mission ship travelling the west coast of Canada to Alaska and back.

This journey includes spectacular scenery viewed by very few people.

Rae Corelli was host/presenter/writer and had his own cabin. His writing is some of the best from his television days.

The rest of us (4 film crew and camera gear etc) squashed into a tiny, smelly cabin next to the engine room. Washing facilities for our people and the ship's crew were neglible. (It was also a 'dry' ship).
There was no casino on board, but the food was filling.

When we got to the destination in Port Hardy after 10 days at sea, Rae kissed the dock like a visiting Pope.

It had been a wonderous shoot but very hard work in lousy conditions.

Our crew (except Rae), went to the pub and drank more than all the sailors from an aircraft carrier after 6 months in the Pacific.

This was the captain/missionary Oliver Howard's last voyage. The Thomas Crosby mission ship is no longer in operation.

Oliver Howard died in 2008.

Rae Corelli died in 2004 and I miss him.

It was one of my most memorable life experiences.
The most beautiful coastline in the world.
[50' 45"]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee98d1bd1d1ae564

Thursday 23 October 2008

The Criminal Mind (Psychopaths)

If you like psychopaths you will love this little romp of a documentary I did in 1996.
This was the pilot programme for a series I was proposing to the CBC. It deals with the mind behind psychopathic behaviour, not just killers but those that are amongst us all the time.
We shot in prisons around Vancouver, and were thankful to get the cooperation of some noted forensic psychologists, among them Dr Robert Hare is the world's leading authority on psychopaths. His book 'Without Conscience' is worth reading if you want to find out about the people around you who could be dangerous individuals.
Thanks to Douglas Adams and Stephen Hart, psychologists who gave extensively of their time.
The series did not get picked up for some known reasons.
Fanny Kiefer hosts.
See if you can pick out my cameo performance in the killing scene.
[23'30"]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee9ad9b11a1be564

For MAC/Mov: http://www.motionbox.com/video/show/3097d1be1419e3c1be

Saturday 18 October 2008

Underground

This is my eldest son Markus Wade's first short film.

It was made under extreme conditions in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...

Markus started working with good buddies of mine in the film industry like Gerrall and Tweeds.

Film/TV spans the generations; sons work with friends of fathers/mothers and others.
The circle of life is a circle of people.

Mark is a boom operator in the sound departments of major motion pictures around the world.

Enjoy.
[13"28']
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee9adeb6191de064

Adam Wade's Visionraising

My second-eldest son Adam Wade is the creator of a highly successful website design company in Canada called, VISIONRAISER.
Although he has very high profile clients, his company is still accessible for more modest budgets, and I believe offers the best web design prices in the world.
Adam was always a gifted artist even as a child, and since the internet revolution, he has combined his artistic talents with his high-tech skills to offer quite an amazing service.
Most 'geeks' are just that, 'computer geeks' who can't spell. When you combine an artist, with computer expertise, you get the best possible combination...
A Visionraiser!
This site is the capital of the WADE FAMILY HISTORY from 1187 a.d. in England and Cornwall
Please check this out.
http://www.adamwade.ca/

The Bathroom Poet

My eldest son Markus works in the movie industry as a boom operator on major international films, working with the likes of Brad Pitt and Richard Attenborough, Michael Caine, Harrison Ford, Bob Hoskins, Robert Carlisle etc etc.
He has directed and written a couple of short films. This is the second one, made in 1998. Director of Photography was Bob Riddell (an old buddy of mine).
[23'25"]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/ee9adcb11115e564

Monday 6 October 2008

Police Academy 1985-86

In 1985 I had the brilliant idea of doing a program on the 100th anniversary of the Vancouver Police Department in 1986, the year of Expo 86.
We started shooting in 1985 and this aired at the beginning of 1987.

I directed the show 'starring' Constables Janet Scott-Pryke and Dan Scott, two new recruits to the VPD, going through their training in and around the Justice Institute in Vancouver while they went through the Police Academy.
This program shows some of their training, graduation, and work on the mean streets of Vancouver as police officers.
Over the years I did a lot of work with the VPD including some fairly graphic documentaries with beat cops on the street. A great police force.
(These shows are missing in tv-space).

UPDATE: Janet is now the community policing officer for the Nelson, BC police dept. and has two teenage sons who still can't 'take her down'.
Dan Scott, where are you? Please get in touch...
(The video quality is not great on this, I will try to improve it)
Program: Pacific Report

[length 24'45"]
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/a790d3b51313e32e

Sunday 5 October 2008

Adam Does Expo 86

This was done by the CBC at Expo 86 in Vancouver Canada. My son Adam Wade was the 10 year old who 'starred' in the short segment. The purpose was to show what kids might like at the Expo.
4'33"
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/a79fdfb61e10ed2e

Saturday 19 July 2008

A Driving Tour of Palm Springs 2002

This is a little tour of Palm Springs done mostly from a renta-car in 2002.

My wife Sidonie is the driver.

We (I) have spent many years in Southern California and the desert is my favourite place.
I love the heat 30-45 F and I love the laid back atmousphere.

It is only an hour driving from LA, so that megalopolis is on the doorstep if you want.

Palm Springs is also only 1.5 hours drive from San Diego and the Mexican border.
I like the heat and lying by the pool all day reading books.
[6'35"]

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/d491dbbb1e19e75c

A Snapshot of Brighton 2008

This is a little one minute video I did as a test for TIVA.TV in Berlin.

It gives a small taste for the city of Brighton on the south coast of England in East Sussex.

I shot it very quickly in a couple of hours. My external mike broke so I had to use the camera mike.

I am now a stringer VJ shooting for the international video distribution company, TIVA.

Brighton has many great neighbourhoods and a lot of character. It also has the largest per-capita gay population of any city in the world.
[1 minute]

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/d491dbbb1b1be05c

Stay tuned for a similar but longer movie I am making on St Leonards-on-Sea, (Hastings), East Sussex. A run down Victorian seaside resort. Beautiful architecture in need of restoration. I love it.

Sunday 6 July 2008

THE WADE ARCHIVES

This film is just that FILM of the 16mm variety.
Shot between 1969 and 1983, it is a collection of bits and pieces I shot using a 'borrowed' camera from various TV stations I worked at, using black and white reversal film.

Unlike modern video cameras, all exposures have to be manualy set, so some of them aren't great especially after a couple of beers or other substances.

I started shooting 16mm in 1967 and unfortunately most of it is missing believed lost.
I have one left, which I will get transferred to digital very soon.
[42 minutes]

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/d49fdbb31e18e05c

VANCOUVER BOUNDARIES

The WADE, ATKINS, MITCHELL FAMILIES 2001-2002
This Stunning Motion Picture has been hailed as a major breakthrough in the production of home movies.

'An Hilarious Romp, reminiscent of the Adams Family'. NY Times.
'An Epic of Feral Proportions'. Variety.
'Nothing but Talent, In front and behind the camera?' Hollywood Reporter.
'This Film Makes Gone with the Wind look like a first year student movie'. The Daily Mail.
'We Thought Boundary was in Burnaby?' Vancouver Sun .
This movie is in HD.
[36 minutes]

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/d49edfb51a1de25c

Yes Folks, a triumph of latter-day amateur home movie-making, especially if you are in it, which most people are not.

Monday 23 June 2008

MICHAEL J. FOX, documentary (1987)

This documentary was shot in LA and Vancouver as part of a series I was Executive Producer of called 'Pacific Report'.
It shows Mike Fox in his initial years of stardom, and when this was shot he was doing 'Family Ties' all day, while shooting 'Back to the Future' at night. He was pretty bagged to say the least.
The host is Marlene Trotter. [24 minutes]
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7794402009053974228&hl=en

It was directed by Dan Noon and is owned by CBC Television, Vancouver.