CHANTELLE BONOGOFSKI
Arts Writer

Antonio “Tony” Hrynchuk of Fahrenheit Films has a lot to be proud of.

Over the last 10 years, the Saskatchewanian has directed television commercials, short films, documentaries and music videos. His music videos can be seen on CMT, including his latest project: Doc Walker’s video for “Coming Home.”

The video “Coming Home” debuted on July 3, 2009 and rapidly climbed the charts landing in the number one spot on Sept. 11. Hrynchuk shot the video in the Qu’Appelle Valley near Craven. This was Hyrnchuk’s second time working with the band who were so impressed by the “Coming Home” shot that they used a still from it for their Go album cover.

So why did a man with a degree in psychology, who was starting a masters degree in neuropsychology, start working in the film industry? Hrynchuk says he was looking for something involving more creativity.

Hrynchuk started as a volunteer for CFCR and quickly landed a job there. After being discovered by a creative director for CTV, he switched jobs and remained at CTV for three years. Then opportunity came knocking on his door; Hrynchuk got an offer to shoot a music video. CTV refused him time off, so he quit and the rest is history.

Staying true to his roots, Hrynchuk explains that Saskatchewan is a key location for shooting music videos. He says there are numerous advantages to shooting in Saskatchewan, such as the distinct locations, the government’s support of the film industry, big suppliers in the province and the friendly and helpful residents.

Hrynchuk tries to film music videos in Saskatchewan for these reasons. However, if an artist wants a specific location he will go there. He also tries to accommodate artists’ schedules and is willing to meet them wherever they are touring.

When asked why his videos comprise the country music genre, Hrynchuk expressed that a lot of country artists are more down-to-earth and willing to come to Saskatchewan. He also likes that CMT plays videos continuously and has a better budget than other music channels.

Although Hrynchuk enjoys country music, the videos he is hired for mostly fell into place because of where he is located.

His approach to country music videos, according to Hrynchuk, is that he doesn’t approach it like a stereotypical country video — no Pollyanna theme here. However, he treats the video as just that: a video with perhaps a bit of an edge.

Hrynchuk explained that some musicians require quite a bit of creative involvement, while others are very hands off. Some will state they want a “rock quarry, pretty girls and a tour bus” and leave it in his hands, like Jason Blaine did for his video “Rock In My Boot,” shot in Moose Jaw.

All in all, Hrynchuk affirms his main job is to make the artist look great. He makes sure the artists he works with are comfortable in front of the camera and uses the best angles to flatter them. During the editing process, he picks the best edits to ensure the artist looks like a star.