Career Profile - Film Director and Producer
Lisanne Pajot
After graduating with a degree from the University of Winnipeg and a diploma at Red River College in Creative Communications, Lisanne Pajot began her career at CBC working as a video librarian. She moved from the library into researching, then into producing documentaries and lifestyle television.
Eventually, Pajot left CBC to join James Swirsky at BlinkWorks Media, a commercial production company. Together, they produced videos for some of Canada’s biggest brands, and ventured out to produce their first feature film, Indie Game: The Movie. This documentary film about making video games has been receiving awards and accolades since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Winning Best Editing Award in World Documentary Cinema at Sundance, HBO acquired the rights for a fictional TV series based on the film.
Indie Game: The Movie has screened in theaters all over the world, online (iTunes, Netflix and their own website), and is available in 20 languages. Not bad for two first-time filmmakers from Manitoba.
“We dedicated three years of our lives to making and promoting this film. It’s been exciting to create something that connects a lot of people” said Pajot. “It’s been an interesting process and we’ve learned so much. You soon realize that you have to be more than a filmmaker. You have to be an entrepreneur and know how to run a business.”
Pajot’s advice to budding filmmakers is to make your own opportunities. “Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to make something. With all the accessible technology out there, you can start creating films and videos now. The more you produce, the better you get at your craft and the more you learn.”
For more information about careers in the film industry, visit: www.filmtraining.mb.ca
