I didn't go to film school. I didn't have a family connection in the industry. I started exactly where most people start — at the bottom.
The Early Days: Production Assistant
My first job in film was as a production assistant. If you've ever been a PA, you know what that means: coffee runs, cable wrangling, and being the first person on set and the last to leave. I was 20 years old, hungry, and willing to do anything to be near a camera.
What most people don't realize about being a PA is that it's actually the best film school you can't pay for. 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 smoothly and what makes one fall apart. I treated every day like a class I was auditing for free.
Equipment Assistant → Gaffer Assistant → Gaffer
After proving myself as a PA, I moved into the equipment department. I learned every piece of gear — what it did, how to maintain it, how to troubleshoot it in the field. That knowledge still serves me every time I'm on set. When you understand the equipment at a mechanical level, you can solve problems before anyone else even notices them.
From equipment, I transitioned to gaffer assistant, then gaffer. Lighting is where I really fell in love with cinematography. The gaffer is the DP's right hand — you're shaping light, controlling shadows, creating mood. It's technical and artistic at the same time. Those years as a gaffer taught me that lighting isn't about making things bright. It's about making things feel right.
Camera Assistant: The Bridge to Cinematography
I spent several years as a camera assistant on documentaries and commercials. This was the bridge. As an AC, you're inches from the lens. You see exactly what the DP sees. You pull focus, you swap lenses, you manage the camera department. And you absorb everything.
The documentaries I worked on during this period shaped my visual style more than anything else. Documentary cinematography is different from narrative work — you have to find the shot in real time. You can't block and relight. You have to be ready, and you have to see the story unfolding through the viewfinder before anyone else does.
Opening Skypan Pictures
When I opened Skypan Pictures, I didn't have a master plan. I had a camera, some lights, and a reputation for showing up on time and delivering quality work. Other production companies started hiring me to shoot their films. Word spread. One job led to another.
What started as a cinematography service evolved into something bigger. Clients started asking: "Can you also edit this?" Then: "Can you score it?" Then: "Can you handle distribution?"
I said yes to all of it.
Today, Skypan Pictures is a full-service film production company in Montreal. We shoot, edit, score, and distribute. We own all our equipment — no rental markups, no waiting on vendors. Our work streams on Prime Video, Tubi, and Apple TV.
What I've Learned
If I could go back and tell my 20-year-old PA self one thing, it would be this: every job is an audition for the next job. The way you carry C-stands is the way you'll carry a camera. The way you treat the PA today is the way the director will remember you when they're staffing their next film.
I also learned that owning your equipment changes everything. When you own the gear, you're not at the mercy of rental house availability. You can prep longer, test more, and show up more prepared than anyone else on set. That confidence shows in the work.
What's Next
I'm always looking for the next story to tell. Whether it's a documentary, a TV movie, a commercial, or something no one's tried yet — if it needs a camera and a vision, I want to be part of it.
If you're a producer, director, or studio looking for a cinematographer or full-service production company in Montreal — let's talk.
— Michael Franceschini, CSC Associate Cinematographer
