Jordie LePage directed 2021 WMFF feature “Leap Year.” We asked him a few questions, see our Q&A conversation below:
What is in your gear bag/kit?
We shot Leap Year on a few different Cameras, the primary being a Red Gemini with canon zooms and the other main camera being the Black magic pocket 4k, we also had a DJI inspire 2 and a DJI Phantom 4. These types of shoot usually call for adaptable gear choices so Patrick Henry our producer and other shooter and I will pack my truck full of everything we have, cameras, lights, stands and gimbals to just be as prepared as possible so we can scale up or down…
What item can you not live without?
Other than a camera of any sort, one of the most important things I’d hate to live without is good set of ND (neutral density) filters. In documentary film making there often isn’t the luxury of controlling the light, sound or location but with a set of ND filters you can at least control your depth of field.
How do you choose music for your films?
I’ve always taken the approach of editing as much of a film as possible without music in the timeline. Along the way I’ll develop an idea of what the music should resemble but It’s important to not let the music drive the film. Your direction or intent should come through visually before the music can dictate it, you often will have a better rhythm to the film this way and won’t find yourself cutting to a new shot just because of a beat.
Most necessary character-quality for a director?
There can’t be just one. Different qualities make for different types of film makes. My co-director Chase White has a much different set of skills than I do and it’s the different qualities we each have that made our film unique to anything we’ve done individually in the past.
Who has been most influential in your directing career?
I honestly have only briefly worked for other people and I think I’ve taken something from every experience along the way. The biggest influence on any director or filmmaker for any given job comes down to the people on that particular project. If the crew works well together the film will likely show it.
Favorite on-set memory?
I feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend time in places like Northern BC and it honestly feels like every day up there is the best day I’ve ever had. One of the coolest moments of this film was while I was high up on a river bank, watching a steelhead come up and eat natural bugs off of the surface for the whole hour we spent at the spot.
Craziest on-set/en route to set adventure?
We did a lot of jet boating on this trip and some of the places the guides are able to squeeze those boats get your heart pumping. Those guys are truly masters.
More About Jordie LePage
Jordie is a cinematographer and director based in Squamish, BC. Jordie has been creating outdoor adventure films and commercials since 2014 and prior to that worked as a freelance photographer and filmer in mountain biking, BMX, and snowboarding. Jordie is a co-owner of Topo Films. Jordie spends his free time exploring British Columbia’s endless network of mountain bike trails and searching BC rivers for steelhead.
