ABOUT
Michael Franceschini
CSC Associate Cinematographer • Founder, Skypan Pictures Inc.
Montreal, Canada • 12+ years in film
I didn't go to film school. I didn't have a family connection in the industry. I started at the bottom — production assistant, equipment assistant, gaffer assistant, gaffer — and worked my way up one job at a time. Each role taught me something I still use behind the camera today.
12+
Years in Film
22+
Awards & Nominations
30+
Films & Series
CSC
Associate Member
THE STORY
WHERE IT STARTED
My first real job in film was as a production assistant. If you've been a PA, you know — coffee runs, cable wrangling, first on set, last to leave. But what most people don't realize is that being a PA is the best film school that exists. You see everything. You watch how the director communicates with the DP. You see how the gaffer lights a scene. You learn what makes a set run and what makes one collapse.
THE GRIND
I moved into the equipment department. Then gaffer assistant, then gaffer. Lighting is where I fell in love with cinematography — it's technical and artistic at the same time. From there, I became a camera assistant on documentaries and commercials. As an AC, you're inches from the lens, watching the DP make decisions that shape the entire film. I absorbed everything.
THE COMPANY
When I opened Skypan Pictures, I had a camera, some lights, and a reputation for showing up prepared. Other production companies started hiring me to shoot their films. One job led to another. The company grew from cinematography-only into full-service — editing, original scoring, distribution. We own all our gear. No rental houses, no markup, no showing up to set with equipment we don't know inside out.
TODAY
I'm a CSC Associate cinematographer. Our documentaries have earned 22+ awards and nominations — PADRE PIO alone won 15. Our work streams on Prime Video, Tubi, and Apple TV. We've shot TV series, TV movies, documentaries, and commercials with production houses in Canada and internationally. And I still approach every project the same way I did on day one: show up prepared, shoot like it matters, never let the gear be the reason a shot fails.
WHAT WE DO
Cinematography
CSC Associate DP. Cinema cameras, professional lighting, full grip. All owned in-house.
Post-Production
Documentaries, TV movies, series. Post-production suites in Montreal.
Original Scores
Award-winning composition. PADRE PIO won Best Original Score.
Distribution
Prime Video, Tubi, Apple TV. We know the platforms.
SELECTED CREDITS
WHIP CREAM
TV Series (TLN)
Cinematography
2025
LAND OF THORNS
Documentary — 7 wins
Cinematography, Original Score
2024
RISE OF ONLYFANS
Documentary (Prime Video)
Director, Editing
2024
1994
TV Movie
Cinematography, Editing
2024
FIGHT FOR INFLUENCE
Sports Documentary
Post-Production
2023
PADRE PIO
Documentary — 15 wins
Cinematography, Original Score
2022
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
22+
Awards and nominations across our documentary portfolio
15
PADRE PIO
7
LAND OF THORNS
Let's Make Something
Documentary, TV series, commercial, or feature — if you need a cinematographer or a full-service production company in Montreal, let's talk.