In this two-part article, we are chatting with young Canadian independent film maker, Jeffrey W. Pike.Photo by Bruce M. Walker

A few months ago I met Jeff Pike and one of his lead actors, Jay Tabugay,  at a local film and media meeting we were having. Jeff was telling the group about winning an arts award for his first film, Love and Defiance, and how much winning that award helped him by encouraging him in what he was doing and helping to give him the impetus to move into his next project.

At that time, he told us about his second project, a short movie called Minatory.  He showed us an excerpt from the movie, and it looked really good. Jeff said he was going to enter it into the Mississauga Independent Film Festival later in 2012.

Photo by Bruce M. Walker

Minatory was subsequently accepted by MIFF (Mississauga Independent Film Festival), and we attended the screening in August, 2012. We were very impressed with the level of professionalism in Minatory. It had a very polished feel to it. The script was excellent, as was the cinematography.

I missed talking to Jeff at that time, but decided to follow up with him later in the year. And so we met with Jeff in late fall of 2012  in his home town of Mississauga, to do an interview, take some still shots and to do a short video.Photo by Bruce M. Walker

Jeffrey W. Pike, like many other indie film makers I have met, had the desire to make films from an early age.  

Jeff's big chance to try his hand at movie making came when he was 12 years old: His Dad bought a VHS camcorder.  Neither Jeff nor his brother were allowed to touch the device, but one day when his Dad was at work, their Mom took pity on the boys and let them try it out.  That was the first of many occasions when they would make some short films. After a while, when he realized that they were being very careful, their Dad relaxed his opposition to their using his Video camera. Jeff and his brother spent many a happy hour shooting short movies. Jeff says those interludes with that camera fuelled the spark in him to be a film maker (He added, with a smile, that it also kept the boys busy and out of trouble!)

 

Photo by Bruce M. Walker

After high school ended, decisions needed to be made about college. Jeff was still set on becoming a film maker, and enrolled in the Humber College one-year media foundations course, which he loved. He then enrolled in the three year Centennial College Film program.  After his graduation, Jeff made his way to Hollywood and volunteered on a few sets, met some interesting people, and gained a lot of really great experience.

Photo by Bruce M. Walker

We asked him what his parents thought about his film making aspirations, given the uncertainties of this profession … "Not too keen really" he said. Clearly they would have preferred he take something which would guarantee him a reliable way of making a living. However, after his 4 years of college in this discipline, and his exposure to it in Hollywood, Jeff was more determined than ever to pursue film making.

To be continued…