Wim Wenders, Martin Scorsese and Floria Sigismondi: The Work That Made Michelle Czukar
Long recognised as one of Canada’s premier commercial editors, Michelle Czukar originally gained international notoriety with her impressive resumé of music videos for artists such as Fiona Apple, Sigur Ros, The Cure, and the legendary, David Bowie. Her keen sense of aesthetics coupled with her imagination, style and emotional sensibilities are notable in her strong body of work.
Today, she is regarded as one of the top creative editors in the Canadian market. Michelle has collaborated on many iconic brands from The Perlorian Brothers Cannes Awarded Vim ‘Prison Visitor’, Mark Malloy’s ‘First Skate’ for Canadian Tire and most recently White Ribbon ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and [‘Day After Day’ directed by Oscar nominated, Hubert Davis.
On par with her love of Prosecco and late night dancing, her passion for the craft of editing continues to push her to deliver top quality creative work.
LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Michelle> McDonald’s ‘You Deserve a Break Today’.
I love ad jingles and I still hear ‘You Deserve a Break Today ’whenever I’ve been in front of my computer too long.
LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Michelle> REM Man on the Moon
When ‘Man on the Moon’ first played on Much Music, my friends and I couldn’t stop talking about it. It was so visually unique to anything that played before, using black and white film to blend surrealism and nostalgia.
LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Michelle> ‘Paris, Texas’ and ‘Wings of Desire’.
Both by Wim Wenders, are such beautiful and inspiring films. They’ve definitely helped shape my filmic sensibilities throughout my life.
LBB> My first professional project…
Michelle> Not to brag but my first ‘professional’ gig was Sharon, Lois & Bram’s ‘Sing A to Z’, a VHS concert special. I just looked it up on iMDB and it currently has a 9.3 rating!
LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Michelle> Hmm… nothing has made me that angry!
LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Michelle> ‘Raging Bull’ by Martin Scorsese.
Is there any editor who doesn’t wish they cut ‘Raging Bull’?!
LBB> The creative project that changed my career…
Michelle> Marilyn Manson ‘Beautiful People’.
This music video won a lot of awards and opened doors for me in my career. Working with Floria Sigismondi was such a joy.
LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…
Michelle> Sesqui _ Horizon.
In 2017, I had the privilege of editing a film for Canada’s sesquicentennial, a showcase of Canadian expression that was captured in 360 and projected in specialised domes across the country.
LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Michelle> I was going to say Sharon, Lois & Bram again, but I’m pretty proud of that 9.3 rating!
LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Michelle> White Ribbon ‘My Friend, Max Hate’.
Recently I cut a short film for White Ribbon that delves into toxic masculinity and hateful influencers on social media. I think it’s a growing problem in our society and I was proud to be part of a campaign that draws attention to it.
