CNESST and Parade: Directing Portraits That Give Work Meaning
In winter 2024, I collaborated with Parade Studio on a video series for the CNESST, built around the idea of making a difference in workplaces. I handled directing and editing: two complementary ways of shaping a story and letting the people in front of the camera be heard.
Preparation played an important role in my work. Understanding the message, preparing questions and imagining the progression of the portraits allowed me to arrive on set with a clear direction while leaving room for what would emerge there. A good question can sometimes open more possibilities than a fully planned shot.
With Laurence Vézina in production management and the Parade team, the project brought together an agency’s perspective, an organization’s needs and my approach as a director. These collaborations push me to find a shared language: images and words serving an intention while retaining a human presence.
Editing extended that work. Choosing excerpts, giving contributions room to breathe and creating continuity across the videos meant finding the heart of each person’s words. It’s a part of the work I love: moving from what was filmed to what the viewer will feel and understand.
In my independent career, this collaboration represents a connection between directing and building a story. It feeds a practice in which listening, decisions on set and editing rhythm respond to one another, from the first creative conversation to the finished film.
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