Canadian Cinematographer Magazine on art installation Uninterrupted "Vancouver DP Athan Merrick on Capturing Salmon Run"
“There are obvious challenges involved in shooting a film destined to be projected onto an enormous, uneven, and oddly lit structure like an urban bridge. “When I joined the project, I knew that they had chosen the Cambie Bridge as the exhibition space,” recounts Uninterrupted DP Athan Merrick. “We made a lot of decisions based on the space and orientation of the bridge. It’s very different from a screen. It’s much larger, and it’s a 360-degree environment, all above you, in front of you, and behind you, when you’re standing in the middle of the space.”
Globe and Mail Newspaper on art installation Uninterrupted “Exploring New Depths”
“What I saw there changed my life. It was so profound. It was so heart-stoppingly moving and beautiful,” Wild says. “I thought I was looking at colossal, moving abstract art.” The 25-minute experience has audiences in awe – and sometimes in tears. “It’s not weeping over the tragedy of our river; they’re moved by this heartbeat that we can’t lose,” Wild says.”
NoFilmSchool on horror feature Don't Look Away "How this DP Resurrected the Giallo Look"
"One was finding a club location that had a bit of built-in lighting already that we could utilize and augment and control. This little Jazz club had a basic DMX board and an overhead grid with a fair amount of control. We then used a lot of various Aputure lights, like the little MCs, B7c bulbs, 300xs with the spotlight attachment, i.e. a Leko, and some 60xs, to mix and have even more control through the Sidus link app. At points, we were hand-bombing a light or two for effect. We even had some dedo HMIs in the deep background. My gaffer, Kohl Fast, and key grip, Oliver Wynden, did a great job with this scene. Complicated scenes like this I am very thankful for my background in the lighting department."
1428Elm on horror feature "Interview Don't Look Away Director of Photography Athan Merrick"
"I’m a big fan of lighting locations and not people. This allows for more freedom with the director and actors to move freely and change the blocking if they desire. So lighting Don’t Look Away starts with evaluating the location and thinking about how these frightened characters are going to move through the space."
POV Magazine on "VIFF Review: The Whale and the Raven"
"The mammal dives, with us in tow, into the story and the camera captures the full majestic scope of a humpback whale circled by its reverberating waterlines. The images of BC-based DoP Athan Merrick play with the rich textures of the ocean. And while he shows us fairy dust (or is it plastic?) trickling through the murkiness of disrupted waters, the soundtrack is provided by singing whales and a pod of orca."
Coast Mountain Culture Magazine on Numinous Trailer Release
“With Numinous we are seeking to share the richest of experiences, numinous experiences, feelings of connectivity and even spirituality. At Dendrite we are huge proponents of visual storytelling and the power of the moving image married with beautiful music/sound, but sans voice. This allows the viewer to keep their own voice or emotions applied to the film as they watch it, and thus we feel a more indepth experience is then facilitated.”
Powder Magazine on Numinous winning “Movie of the Year” at the Powder Awards
“Numinous, a stunning film that followed Kye Petersen into the mountains to pursue some of the biggest lines ever skied. A story told without words, Numinous was recognized for its artistry and vision. Add to that next-level drone footage and music, Numinous is a ski movie that deserves to be in any skier’s collection.”
Hollywood North Magazine Crazy 8′s Getting Crazier and Crazier
“Another huge personal favourite of everyone’s, Small Fish didn’t need dialogue to deliver its point across. The visuals and the use of paint are stunning.”
CSC (Canadian Society of Cinematographers) Experimental/Unique Award 2018 - Uninterrupted Art Film Installation
Best Cinematography Short Documentary Leo Awards 2018 - Numinous Ski and Snowboard Film (50 min)
Best Cinematography IF3 Festival 2018 - Numinous Ski and Snowboard Film
Best Cinematography Madrid International Short Film Festival 2023 - The Doctrine Short Narrative Film
Best Cinematography Largo Film Festival 2018 - Atone Short Narrative Film
Best Short Film Cinematography FESCINAT Festival 2014, 2013 - The Malibu Fable and Parallels Ski Short Films
Best Student Cinematography Vancouver Short Film Festival 2008 - The Escape of Conrad Lard-Bottom Short Narrative Film