Bell Media Announces Recipients of Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab Production Apprenticeships

- Lauren Grant, Shaun Johnson, and Jennifer Pun awarded apprenticeships with leading Canadian production companies Temple Street Productions, marblemedia, and Shaftesbury -

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BANFF, AB, June 11, 2014 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today from the Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) the recipients of the inaugural Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab Production Apprenticeships. Lauren Grant, Shaun Johnson, and Jennifer Pun have been selected for six to eight-month apprenticeships with three of Canada's top production companies following an intense, six-week Broadcaster Internship at Bell Media. Beginning later this month, Lauren joins Temple Street Productions while Shaun joins marblemedia, and in November, Jennifer begins her placement with Shaftesbury. During their apprenticeships, each participant will be exposed to the Executive Producer's roles and responsibilities, while honing their production skills. Both Lauren and Shaun are currently attending BANFF as part of the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab program.

**Media Note** - Download photography for the inaugural Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab at BellMediaPR.ca.

"Congratulations to the recipients of the first-ever Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab Production Apprenticeship," said Kevin Crull, President, Bell Media. "We're so proud to help support and nurture these promising Canadian producers and can't wait to see how their creative talents continue to blossom."

"For the deserving recipients of the Production Apprenticeship, this is a unique opportunity to expand their skillsets with three of the most-respected production companies in the business," said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production. "A heart-felt thank you goes out to Temple Street Productions, marblemedia, and Shaftesbury for their participation in the Apprenticeship Program and this investment in the future of Canadian programming."

The first-ever recipients of the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab Production Apprenticeship are:

Jennifer Pun (Toronto) @JennPun
Jennifer Pun has produced over 45 hours of live action television. Her producer credits include the award-winning tween live-action comedy series HOW TO BE INDIE (YTV) and the action-adventure series CONNOR UNDERCOVER (Family Channel).  She is also Co-Producer on the recently completed feature film Fall (written and directed by Terrance Odette and starring Michael Murphy). In addition, Jennifer serves as Business Consultant to various production companies, and is in development on several television projects through her production company Courier Ink. Prior to this, Jennifer held management positions at Heroic Film Company and Capri Films. She holds an HBA and MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, UWO.

Lauren Grant (Toronto) @laurenmgrant
The principal of Clique Pictures, Lauren Grant established her company in 2006 to focus on developing fiction and documentary productions with a focus on working with female creative talent both in front and behind the camera. Clique Pictures is currently in post-production on the feature film Wet Bum starring Julia Sarah Stone and recently completed the documentary Traceable. Lauren's previous productions include the feature film Picture Day starring Tatiana Maslany and the award-winning short films Frost and Savage. 

Shaun Johnson (Toronto)
Shaun Johnson's career in the film and television industry spans more than a decade, and includes credits in the drama, documentary, lifestyle, feature, live comedy, and interactive new media genres. Most recently, Shaun was Head of Production for Toronto's Aircraft Pictures, where he worked on Wingman (X Box) and The Breadwinner (animated feature), as well as a number of other projects in funded development. Previously, Shaun was a producer at Frantic Films in Winnipeg, where he was involved with several successful television series including TODD AND THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL (Space), GUINEA PIG (Discovery Channel Canada), and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival (CBC).

With eight participants from across the country, the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab program began last March with the Broadcaster Internship, a six-week, group-based curriculum where producers met with senior representatives from internal departments at Bell Media, learning about the business models and economics of Canadian broadcasting. They also a participated in various panel discussions and case studies with some of our valued production partners, and received in-depth coaching sessions as part of the program. At the conclusion of the Broadcaster Internship, participants were tasked with presenting their own case studies outlining the life of their own production from pitch to post-production based on learnings from the Internship. The presentations were judged by the Bell Media Selection Committee and the top three participants were awarded the coveted Production Apprenticeships.

About the Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative
The $1.8 million Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative is a suite of national training programs, exclusively funded by Bell Media, which ensure a comprehensive range of training for writers, producers, directors, and showrunners in the Canadian television industry at different stages of their careers. The Initiative supports the Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program (Writers Guild of Canada) for emerging and mid-career writers from diverse backgrounds who intern in a writing room of a Bell Media TV series; the Bell Media National Fellowship Program (Banff World Media Festival), which encourages professional development in the television industry by enabling emerging producers, writers, and directors to attend the festival and take part in mentorship activities; the Bell Media Primetime TV Program (Canadian Film Centre), which provides series development for TV writers; the Bell Media Producer Accelerator Lab, which provides immersive and experiential broadcast and production experience for mid-level producers; the Bell Media Showrunner Bootcamp (Canadian Film Centre), which develops showrunner knowledge and management for TV writers; the Media Leadership Program (Women in Film and Television - Toronto), a biennial program designed for mid to senior-level women and men who want leading-edge academic knowledge and contemporary business and leadership skills required in the Canadian screen-based industry; and the Business Management for Media Professionals Program (Women in Film and Television - Toronto), a certificate program essential for emerging media professionals who want to understand the business of film, television, and interactive production.

About Bell Media Independent Production
Bell Media has commissioned some of Canada's most-watched and most-acclaimed original programming, working with the best Canadian independent producers in the country. Hit CTV series include ratings success stories SAVING HOPE, THE LISTENER, MOTIVE, and THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, the record-breaking, Canadian-produced complementary version of the hit international series. New to CTV in 2014 are hit international format MASTERCHEF CANADA and multi-cam office comedy SPUN OUT, one of the most-watched new comedies of the season. Among the scripted series on Bell Media pay and specialty channels are the two-time Emmy®-nominated hit DEGRASSI, the internationally acclaimed ORPHAN BLACK, the most-watched original series in Space history BITTEN, Bravo's most-watched new drama 19-2, TRANSPORTER: THE SERIES, and upcoming dramas SENSITIVE SKIN, and KILLJOYS. Bell Media specialty channels are also home to hit factual series HIGHWAY THRU HELL and CANADA'S WORST DRIVER, among others. In 2013, Bell Media ordered 27 original Canadian series and currently has 84 projects in various stages of development.

About Bell Media
With passion and an unrelenting commitment to excellence, Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's #1 television network; 35 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran; and is managing shareholder of premium pay-per-view service Viewers Choice Canada. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 106 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out-of-Home, one of Canada's most dynamic and innovative out-of-home advertising companies with a network of more than 9,500 advertising faces in Québec, Ontario and British Columbia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites, delivers TV Everywhere with its innovative GO video streaming services, including CTV GO, TMN GO and Bravo GO, and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

SOURCE: Bell Media