By Jeremy Brubacher
When he was a young lad, Saint John-based member filmmaker Ian Estey's parents took him to see Star Wars, which was the catalyst for his enduring love for film and filmmaking. That early experience really ignited his imagination, and he and his cousins would record Star Wars radio plays that he assured me have great cringe value, but they were all part of that creative passion that Star Wars stirred up inside of him. What inspires him now is not so much what comes out of the Hollywood system, but more so the films coming from local talent made right here in New Brunswick.
As a child, Ian also did sketch comedies and put together a KISS airband with his cousins in his grandparent's garage. He shot 8mm films on his cousin's camera, which transitioned into him shooting many music videos later, which he still does today. He won a Saint John Music Award in 2013 for the music video he made for the local band Rock Cliff Overview. Ian has also done documentaries, the first of which showed at the Silver Wave Film Festival. The film was about people who use bodybuilding as a way of healing. The story went against the stereotype that people only participated in competitions for vanity and showed that everyone has a deeper story.
On the more narrative film side of things, Ian has done many short films, and he also did an episodic project called Hard Times in Maritimes, which was shot over two years, with each season having 6 to 7 episodes. He also has done feature films; the most recent is Larry Strange, a comedic film about a paranormal investigator. In all these different projects, Ian has taken on different roles, which has strengthened his experience in all aspects of filmmaking. Name a role; Ian has probably done it.
Recently things have changed for Ian. Due to creative differences, he has more free time to help out with Film Co-op member projects. Over the course of our conversation, I realized that because of all the experience that Ian has gained, he has a wealth of great advice to tap into, be it shooting a scene, how to run a healthy set, marketing your film, and finding locations to shoot your projects. Ian has a lot of wisdom to share with his community. He is also willing to take on different roles on set; some to highlight would be Director of Photography and Producing. Ultimately, he is willing to help out in any capacity, so definitely reach out to him, even if it's just for sound film advice, as this article is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Ian can bring to the table experience-wise.
See below for previous work Ian has done. He can be emailed at: iestey@nbnet.nb.ca.
IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6059500/
Youtube Page (Groove Hill Studio)
https://www.youtube.com/user/GrooveHillStudio
"Reprobate Road: A Hard Times Movie"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2X98Kxt2ks
Reboot: Rebuild
Larry Strange Trailer
Ian Estey - Shaken and Stirred by Film