The Producers

Melanie Wood - Director/Producer

Melanie Wood’s work pursues themes that are both universal and deeply personal – from School of Secrets, about girls who were instructed to keep silent about their sexual relationship with a teacher, to Liberia ’77, about brothers returning to the war-ravaged land of their childhood. She also directed and produced a limited documentary series Living in Hope, which chronicles the lives and thoughts of people struggling with mental illness. Melanie’s deep understanding of the complexity of human relationships is undoubtedly informed by the geometry of her own family. She’s the eldest of seven, from several different marriages. Melanie related immediately to Shane Koyczan’s search for family since her parents split when she was four and she didn’t see her mother again until she was a teenager.

Stuart Gillies - Collaborator

Stuart Gillies and Shane Koyczan have collaborated on a number of different projects, most recently being Shane’s music promo titled ‘Heaven or Whatever’ which premiered at VIFF. Stuart has filmed in Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, India, Dubai, Lebanon, Nigeria, Germany, France, The UK, Canada and America.
Stuart has worked in many different mediums of film making, including, television series, short films, documentaries, content, advertising and music promos and is well versed in all areas of film production. Stuart and Shane are currently working on a feature film script which they hope to produce in the coming year.
Stuart evokes emotion through an understanding of all the different elements within the production process. Stuart has a French wife and owns a Beagle... called Rocket... and that’s pretty awesome!