Martin Henri was starting his third year in film production at Concordia when a local production company called him in a crisis.
They asked if he could fill in as the director of production for a music video featuring instrumentalist Jérôme Minière. He welcomed the challenge.
"Nothing is impossible when you believe in it," says Henri, who is the co-founder, president and executive producer of RF2 Productions.
His production company has worked on hundreds of projects in film, television and digital media, including producing commercials for such diverse clients as Bombardier, McDonald’s, Air Canada, General Motors, Ford, M&M’s, Banque Nationale, Sports Experts and more.
Along the way, Henri has continued to produce music videos for the likes of Céline Dion, Bob St. Clair, Skrillex and Loud.
"You name it, we’ve done it," he says.
Career satisfaction
"I’m passionate about helping young talent get from an idea to a finished product. It’s fun to help contribute artistically and creatively using my experience."
On what’s in the pipeline
"We’re working on a youth television series for TV5 / Unis TV where we got to meet truly inspiring 14-to-25-year-olds who are proud of who they are and what they do."
Career challenge
"When we launched Romeo et Fils in 2013, the production house exploded rapidly while I was still doing publicity for my previous job at Jet Films. We had cash flow issues and that was very hard as an entrepreneur."
The Concordia factor
"My time at university was incredibly formative. Concordia was the place to learn about film production. I learned how to be a productive artist who achieves his goals."
Influential professors
"Production professor Don Terry was direct and tough. He taught us to defend our ideas and pushed us to improve creatively.”
On paying it forward
"Every year, Concordia professor and filmmaker Louise Lamarre gives me a list of her most talented students and I work with many of them on their projects. I’m proud of helping dozens of young artists, directors, producers, art directors and other craftspeople get started."