Career Options
Award-winning film, TV and digital media producer's life takes some interesting turnsMore than just a filmmakerIn November 1996, Howard Rosen found himself enjoying a "somebody pinch me" career high. |
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 [ 2007-08-08 ] |
Howard Rosen attributes his professional success to his interest in challenging himself and trying new things, his passion for the skill-evolving field of new media, and his "anal retentiveness -- which sometimes drives people crazy."
It was 3 a.m., and he was on the set of Picture Windows, a Showtime TV series being shot in Markham, Ont. To his right was Norman Jewison, his co-executive producer; on his left was the show's star, Alan Arkin.
"Here are these two heroes of mine, and I thought, I guess I should just go on a siesta, because what more can I possibly do in my career?" says Rosen, 47.
In fact, there would be many more milestones to come, ones that would entrench the Torontonian as a leading and award-winning film, TV and digital media producer, and would open doors to him as a teacher and health-care technology innovator.
The MBA Rosen completed in 1983 at York University centred on international finance and marketing. Upon graduation, he began working as a business affairs professional for Independent Pictures Inc., the production company of established Toronto film producer Peter O'Brian, and was instantly seduced by the world of film.
"When you transform a film script -- a black-and-white document -- into an actual film, it's quite an experience, and it's very addictive," recalls Rosen of working with O'Brian on such films as The Grey Fox and My American Cousin, which, respectively, won seven and six Genie Awards.
In 1989, Rosen left Independent Pictures Inc. to work as vice-president of Cambium Film and Video, which produced music specials and kids programming, most notably Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show.
From 1991 to 1996, as vice-president of business affairs at TV production company Skyvision Entertainment, Rosen oversaw the development and production of more than $100 million in programming for clients such as CBC, CTV, NBC, CBS and Discovery.
In 1997, he took the entrepreneurial plunge and founded Roadhouse Productions Inc., where he worked on projects for clients such as Paramount, Viacom, Showtime, CBC, CTV and Disney.
Today, he serves as CEO of his newest company, Nova Motion Pictures Ltd., a niche film, TV and digital media production company that focuses on both traditional entertainment and corporate projects, and has done work for clients such as Universal McCann, GlaxoSmithKline and the University of Toronto.
During that time, Rosen was involved in the production of dozens of feature films, TV series, live TV broadcasts and corporate projects, including three editions of the Canadian Country Music Awards; Stock Market Place, a DVD presentation developed for the Toronto Stock Exchange; Nature walk With David Suzuki; and Nunavut Protocol, a 180-minute live presentation of the birth of Canada's newest territory, which aired on 25 channels worldwide and attracted approximately one billion viewers.
"The Nunavut show was a real whirlwind -- the whole thing took place in three weeks. We had 75 crew members and 65,000 pounds of equipment," he says. "We went up there with seven engineers in case we had an emergency, and someone needed to build a transmitter out of whale bone and caribou whiskers."
When not working in the industry, Rosen shares his knowledge of it with the next generation of producers as head of the Film & Television Production and Post-Production program at Trebas Institute.
Rosen is also the inventor of a patent-pending technology called Life:WIRE, a health management system that gives users health routine reminders through their cellphones. The project is currently in trial phase and Rosen is seeking financing for it.
Rosen attributes his professional success to his interest in challenging himself and trying new things, his passion for the still-evolving field of new media, and his "anal retentiveness -- which sometimes drives people on the set crazy."
As well, he says, at a time when cameras and other tools of the trade are widely accessible and anyone can make a movie, he understands what continues to be the most important aspect of any production: a good story.
"It doesn't matter what you're shooting, if it's 10 seconds or two hours, you still need a great story," he says, "something that's engaging, makes sense and grabs an audience."
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