David Devine (director)

David Devine
Born David Devine
Toronto, Canada
Alma mater Victoria College,
University of Toronto, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Occupation Film director
producer
& original content creator
Years active 1977–2015
Spouse(s) Jane Devine
(1 daughter)

David Devine is a film director and producer. He is a creator of original content for film and digital media and the producer of six classical CD recordings and 16 film soundtracks. He has been the CEO of both public and private companies. His films have 12 EMMY Award nominations and 22 Canadian Screen Award nominations amongst a total of 110 worldwide film awards. Highlights of his directing career include Beethoven Lives Upstairs (1993), Einstein: Light to the Power of Two (1998), Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants (1999), Degas and the Dancer (1999), Edison: The Wizard of Light (1999) and Bailey's Billion$ (2005).[1] Devine has addressed important creative, social and cultural issues in his films and digital media throughout his directing and producing career. In January, 2015, his films had been broadcast in over 110 countries and 3.2M DVDs had been sold. 500,000 of these DVDs have been used by teachers in elementary and middle school classrooms from 2004 to 2015 in U.S. and Canada and over 800,000 dvds have been sold to U.S. parents of elementary and middle school aged home schoolers.

Early life

David Devine was born in Toronto, Ontario. He is the son of Hugh Brian and Beverley (née Brown) Devine. His father emigrated from Belfast to Toronto. He attended Northview Heights Collegiate Institute. In the late1960s, he showed an aptitude for playing music.

Devine attended Victoria College in the University of Toronto, where he studied with his literary hero, Professor Northrop Frye. Devine graduated with a B.A. in 1976. As a student he was the editor of the University Newspaper, The Strand.

He started his career working for CBC Television as an investigative researcher on the television shows: The Ombudsman and The Fifth Estate. He then returned to university to pursue his graduate degree at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, graduating with an M.F.A. in 1982.[2] Devine attended lectures with Eugène Ionesco at the UCLA Theatre school. He also attended classes at the UCLA Anderson School of Management studying entertainment business with Peter Guber, Sir Alan Parker, Lord David Puttnam and Robert Bookman. Devine's Project Three film at UCLA, co-produced and co-directed with creative partner Lon Diamond, starred Robin Williams and David Letterman. David's UCLA thesis film, Jeeves Takes Charge, was optioned from Andrew Lloyd Webber and choreographed by Gillian Lynne.

Professional background

Film

Upon graduating, Devine's first break was working as John Candy's Associate Producer for Big City Comedy, produced by NBC/CTV Television Network and the Osmond Family. He followed this success with producing and directing "the making of" the comedy film, Strange Brew on set with Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (actor). Devine was then invited to direct two immersive rock-and-roll satellite specials for Michael Cohl and Bill Ballard starring Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats and the Chris De Burgh band. David then produced and directed the successful classic children's Raffi videos, A Young Children's Concert with Raffi and Raffi and the Rise and Shine Band. He next directed and produced the children's film drama, Beethoven Lives Upstairs, and won the Prime Time Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program.

Devine subsequently created his own publicly traded NASDAQ and TSX publicly traded company, Devine Entertainment,[3] which established itself as a multiple Emmy Award and Gemini Award winning corporation.[4] HBO Original Programming led by Sheila Nevins requested David to create original dramatic entertainment for the 7 – 12 year old niche market. During this time, David managed companies in four different countries and utilized over 1000 creative employees making 19 HBO Original films over 11 years. He worked closely with his co-producing partner, Richard Mozer, who he met in 1977 when Devine started film classes at UCLA and Mozer started film classes at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. David Devine's first choice for filming was Prague where the Miloš Forman (Amadeus) film crew was hired nearly intact. The next six films were shot in the Český Krumlov Castle and the Jindřichův Hradec Castle, both in Bohemia, as well as in the town of Telč and Kroměříž in Moravia. The films were produced and financed by Devine Entertainment, SONY Classical, HBO Original Films of New York with The Family Channel of Toronto.[5] Further locations were found throughout the Czech and Slovak Republics as well as Istria in Croatia.[6] Even a Roman Coliseum was rented in Pula, Croatia. Devine oversaw symphonic music production for all of the films and produced 6 classical CD recordings distributed by SONY Classical of New York, led by Peter Gelb. One of his loves was directing the ballet sequences with principal dance members of the National Ballet of Canada and the Czech National Ballet for his films, Rossini's Ghost, Bizet's Dream and Degas and the Dancer.[7]

Between 1996 and 1999, worldwide sales commenced to increase, and sales were made of the 13 films to over 45 countries as well as to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Canada after the license window ended at The Family Channel.[8]

In 1999 – 2001, six more films were ordered by Sheila Nevins at HBO in New York and an inter-provincial co-production was done between Cinemaginaire of Montreal, Quebec and the company in Toronto.

A further six films were made back in the Czech and Slovak Republics, as well as the castle owned by Desmond Guinness in Dublin, Ireland. Devine also rented the entire piazza in Feltre, Italy for his film Leonardo: A Dream of Flight. His next film Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants was filmed in the castle of Monselice, the Padova Anatomical theatre—the first medical theatre to teach dissection built in 1596 and the Doge's Palace, Venice. Sales continued worldwide and the films were licensed again in Canada by YTV and subsequently TVO, TFO and Radio Canada.[9] By this time, broadcast sales crossed over the 90 country mark.

In 2002 and 2003, seeking to expand sales and distribution of the children’s films, Devine Distribution was formed to distribute directly to Canadian and U.S. parents and their children, Canadian schools and libraries and U.S. schools and libraries. Over 500,000 DVDs have been sold directly to US and Canadian teachers and librarians.

To date, Devine's 19 HBO Original films have been broadcast in over 110 countries including Canadian networks like the CBC, Family Channel, YTV, TVO, TFO and Radio-Canada accompanied by 3.2M dvd sales in North America. The children's films have a combined 12 EMMY nominations - 5 wins - AND 22 GEMINI (Canadian Screen Awards) nominations - 5 wins - amongst 80 other worldwide awards.

In 2004 – 2005, Devine produced and directed the family feature film aimed at the 4-7 year olds, Bailey's Billion$.[10] The film had a theatrical debut in Canada, the USA and Russia and has sold 350,000 dvd copies. It is currently being broadcast on television in 24 foreign countries and is a consistent VOD entertainment on Canadian Specialty Channels.

In 2006-2009, David acted as Executive Producer to the prime time dramatic mini-series, Across the River to Motor City for Educated Pictures.[11] It was shown in prime time in Canada for the CHUM Group. It was nominated for 7 Gemini Awards including best mini-series. Also in 2008, Devine Distribution bought the rights to a 4 DVD collection on the history of music starring and hosted by Wynton Marsalis called Marsalis on Music.[12]

In January 2010 – December 2011, Devine worked as a producer for television programming and content with a digital media component. During this time he developed the feature film screenplay, The Runner in collaboration with three time Academy Award winning screenwriter Malcolm Clarke for production in early 2015.

The Runner is based on Billy Sherring - the only Canadian to ever win the Olympic Gold medal in the Marathon at the 1906 Athens Games. Also in development is a 26-episode one-hour television drama series on the life and times of Canadian hero, Dr. Norman Bethune.

On a more adventurous note is a political thriller on the life and times of Bernadette Devlin McAliskey commencing at the Battle of the Bogside in Northern Ireland. This is the story of the attempted murder of an Irish Member of Parliament following her involvement at Bloody Sunday (1972).

In 2011, Devine also directed 5 films on Holocaust survivors living in Canada produced by his business partner, Richard Mozer, for Naomi Azrieli and David Azrieli's Foundation.

Digital Interactive Education Platform: Knowledge Creation through Digital Innovation

David is the President and Founder of The Madcap Learning Adventure. The company commenced in February 2012 with a prime goal to deliver learning for students and teachers in U.S. K-12 schools.

The Madcap Learning Adventure's initial funding came from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Pearson Education. The Madcap Learning Adventure's prime goal is to deliver outstanding creative learning outcomes for students in K-12. Madcap is a digital and interactive education knowledge company witch produces pedagogical resources for teachers and film, animation and interactive non-linear content modules for K-12 students. The Madcap Learning Adventure's business ethos centres on engaging students with collaborative knowledge creation, shared experience and adaptive knowledge creation through digital innovation. Modular prototypes are delivered from a web portal by streaming broadband to all forms of mobile devices 24/7. Testing in the classroom took place in Brunswick, Maine and in Toronto, Ontario and results were published in a 98 page Independent pilot study conducted by the University of Maine's Graduate School of Education. Results of our in-classroom testing are available at: www.madcaplearning.com

The Madcap Learning Adventure improves student learning outcomes so effectively that graduates will evolve, create, collaborate and invent the new jobs needed in the digital age. We believe that the solution Madcap offers will disrupt widely - but educate deeply . . . and the solution will lead us on a path of renewal and reconstruction - that greatly transforms 21st Century learning across America.

Partial List of Children's Film Honors and awards

A Young Children's Concert with Raffi
Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
The Composers' Specials
Handel's Last Chance
Bizet's Dream
Einstein: Light to the Power of Two
Leonardo: A Dream of Flight
Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants
Edison: The Wizard of Light
Degas and the Dancer
Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist
Rembrandt: Fathers and Sons
Monet: Shadow and Light
Bailey's Billion$
Across the River to Motor City

References

  1. ↑ "Tribute Canada Biography". Tribute.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  2. ↑ "Northernstars Canadian Movie Database". Northernstars.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  3. ↑ August 25, 1997 by Cheryl Binning (1997-08-25). "Playback: Devine Entertainment and YTV". Playbackonline.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  4. ↑ "Devine Entertainment Garners Three Gemini Nominations". Thefreelibrary.com. 2000-09-20. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  5. ↑ "COGECO Program Development Fund". Cogecofund.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  6. ↑ "YTV's The Artist's Special Interview on David Devine by jam! SHOWBIZ". Jam.canoe.ca. 2000-01-28. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  7. ↑ "Blockbusters Database on David Devine". Blockbuster.com. 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  8. ↑ "COGECO Program Development Unit". Cogecofund.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  9. ↑ "IPF Annual Report". Ipf.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  10. ↑ "Northern Stars Canadian Movie Database for Bailey's Billion$". Northernstars.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  11. ↑ Leader, The (2007-11-22). "Leaderpost Regina Review of Across the City". Canada.com. Retrieved 2013-08-19.
  12. ↑ "Wynton Marsalis". Wynton Marsalis. Retrieved 2013-08-19.