Biography
Lisa Santonato
Lisa Santonato is a Digital Media Content Creator and freelance Shooter-Producer-Editor with many years of experience working in the digital media sector. An expert in digital video, Lisa is known for shooting, editing, and uploading online video content for artists in the music industry during the 7 years prior to YouTube, having gained experience in the camera department during her formative years in live-action film production.
From 1996-1998, Lisa was the Senior Editor of a free-press publication called Taxi Vancouver mag.zine, one of the earliest magazines to go online in Canada (at www.taxionline.com, now defunct). In this role she recruited and trained new writers, and led the magazine's style and editorial organization while also managing the website content development in partnership with Blast Radius Communications. Lisa also published numerous articles, restaurant and music reviews, and interviewed many of Vancouver's up-and-coming artists. She left her post as Senior Editor in order to return to Toronto in 1999.
In 1999, Lisa founded Forward Thinking Productions, a Sole Proprietorship dedicated to developing and producing digital media content, which launched on the web at ftpmedia.com. She has been operating under the name FTP Media Inc. since incorporating in 2003. Over the course of her career, Lisa has held full-time Associate Producer and in-house contractor positions at various Toronto-based production companies, including: Bruce Mau Design, ZoomerMedia/MZTV, and Unikron Inc.
In 2013, after a period of intermittent study, Lisa returned to full time studies at the University of Toronto. In 2016, she conferred her Honours B.A. with a double-major in Cinema Studies and Anthropology (Social, Cultural, Linguistic), with a minor in Environmental Anthropology. She began pursuing her Master's Degree in Cinema and Media Studies at York University that fall, however, when an unexpected health issue arose in 2017, Lisa paused her program to focus on necessary healing. In 2018, she completed a Certificate in Data Analytics at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies, hoping to jumpstart her left-brain thinking. In this highly demanding 24-week program, she gained new skills in Excel, SQL,Python, and Javascript, and developed a basic understanding of machine learning models. She aims to complete her Master's degree within the coming year.
Lisa has collaborated with a diverse range of recording artists and producers, creating online videos and working in live performance and corporate conference environments. Her broadcast production credits include: Associate Producer, Script Writer ('THE ROYAL WEDDING INSIDER', ZoomerMedia, Vision TV), Second-Unit Director ('POPSTARS: THE ONE', Lone Eagle Entertainment, Global TV), and Co-Director ('REALITY QUEST', Blinding Flash of Light Productions, TVO). Until COVID-19, Lisa worked as a “live-eye” videographer, shooting corporate conferences for the audio-visual events company, bb Blanc.
In 2017 Lisa co-produced a VR experience called 'ANTARCTICA IN DECLINE' which virtually demonstrates the impact of a massive ice shelf breaking away due to global warming. The project was developed with a team at York University as part of a course in 'Future Cinema', taught by Caitlin Fisher and Graham Wakefield. It was showcased at the COP23: UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, in November 2017.
Today Lisa shoots with the Canon R5 and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, and is recognized as a Certified User for Editing with DaVinci Resolve. Current projects include directing a music video for veteran Producer/DJ VersionXcursion (Lee Castle) and the record label System Echo Recordings, and co-producing a documentary feature called POWER QUEST: ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME, with first-time filmmaker and producer Dave Stephens.
Photo by Steve Carty Photographer, 2017.
Writing Samples
University of Toronto
- Ecocinema paper: "From Chinatown to The East" (Cinema Studies, 2015)
- "Mad Max: Fury Road" Movie Review (Cinema Studies, 2015)
- "The Royal Cinema: A Case Study" (Cinema Studies, 2014)
- "Yorkville: Tomorrow Should Be Ours" (Architecture, 2013)
Taxi Vancouver Mag.zine
A Bit of History
Cultural roots
Drawing upon her Italian-Canadian roots, Lisa is equally passionate about food and beverages as she is about digital storytelling. During her university years she held many customer service positions in the Food and Beverage industry. While providing excellence in service behind the bar, in 2015 Lisa also began hosting guests at home via her personal Airbnb. With 30 years of experience in hospitality, Lisa is a five-star rated Superhost who has to-date hosted over 45 guests from 15 different countries all over the world. She loves to create a beautiful and welcoming home environment for all of her guests to enjoy.
A passion for film
Lisa's first foray into film and video production began in 1992. After initially investing four years in the study of acting through scene study workshops, Lisa switched roles and began working behind the scenes in film and video production. She began training as a Production Assistant and Production Coordinator on independent short films before commencing a 2-year apprenticeship at the Canadian Film Centre at the age of 21. Lisa had been accepted into the Live Action Film Production (Honours) Degree Programme at Concordia University, and had expected to begin her studies in 1992 —however, her plans were thwarted by lack of financial support. Having left home at 18, Lisa had been supporting herself with full-time employment as Production Clerk at the Art Gallery of Ontario. The Ontario Student Assistance Programme refused her funding because she was under their determined age of maturity (set at 21); therefore, she was expected to be receiving full parental support, and this support was unavailable. With two weeks prior to course work commencing, and one week prior to her scheduled move, Lisa's plans for life in Montreal and her university education were immediately and unexpectedly cancelled.
Theatrical forays
With four years of actor's training gained during her most formative years, Lisa has played various central and supporting roles in film and theatre and continues to be occasionally invited to play various roles on film and television. Her most recent appearance was in the role of Tamara in a feature-length romantic musical comedy called LOVE IN THE SIXTH (2015), directed by Judith Classen. She does not have an agent, nor is she actively looking for roles, but she always enjoys having the opportunity to play a character whenever the opportunity should arise. Aside from the great value of enjoyment that she receives from engaging in this fun activity, the most valuable lessons Lisa learned from her years of scene study are those related to understanding story and character development. From navigating through life, her personal relationships, and developing good storytelling practices, the knowledge Lisa gained during her earliest years of study has provided the bedrock and foundation for living a life that is full of depth, love, and strong self-awareness.
TESTIMONIALS
STAY TUNED!
A trained actor with a natural on-camera presence, Lisa Santonato makes a new appearance in the forthcoming release of a new feature film called Love in the Sixth, written, directed, produced by, and starring Judith Klassen, with Mika Kay, Wendy Sinclair, T.C. Folkpunk, Brett Butler, Jason Butler, and Shay Steinberg, alongside a host of star performers including Mikela Jay, Dennis Trainor, Collette Savard, John Lefebvre, John Doyle, and Les Stroud. Watch for more exciting news and updates!