While growing up on an acreage near Ardrossan, working on a Hollywood blockbuster was a dream for Todd Cherniawsky, but with a little perseverance the Alberta native made that dream a reality, working as an art director on James Cameron's Avatar.
"My mom and dad were farm kids and I think growing up on the acreage, when something broke down you took care of it yourself, so that kind of tactile stuff I think set the ground" said Cherniawsky.
Going from a small Alberta farm to snagging a job as a supervising art director with fellow Canadian James Cameron on his blockbuster film Avatar may seem like a leap, but Cherniawsky says he used what he learned in Alberta to get the job.
Cherniawsky studied architecture at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and also learned interior design at the University of Alberta. He says local schooling helped him build a foundation for a career in movie-making.
"It was while I was at school that luckily my profs were very encouraging to go give it a try, see what you can do," he said.
Now that he has seen his dream go from the drawing board to the silver screen Cherniawsky encourages other Albertans to dream big.
"There are other examples of very progressive-thinking people that are cutting their own path and I think it's possible for anyone to do that these days, but it takes a lot of perseverance, a lot of passion and you have to dedicate yourself," he said.
The Hollywood blockbuster Avatar held the top spot during the biggest box-office weekend of the year. According to studio estimates "Avatar" earned $75 million for 20th Century Fox this weekend, only a slight drop from the $77.4 million earned on the film's opening weekend.
With files from Jessica Earle
