Mike Clattenburg is a Canadian TV and film director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 best known as creator/director of the TV comedy series Trailer Park Boys

Trailer Park Boys

Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian comedy mockumentary television series created and directed by Mike Clattenburg that focuses on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The...

(and the 2006 film, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, based on the TV series), and This Hour Has 22 Minutes

This Hour Has 22 Minutes

This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...

(January - November 2004). His most recent film is Afghan Luke

Afghan Luke

Afghan Luke is a 2011 Canadian film directed by Mike Clattenburg. The central character, Luke Benning , is a journalist investigating the possible mutilation of corpses in Afghanistan, a country that appears increasingly incomprehensible and surreal as Luke undergoes a series of bizarre...

, which was featured at the Toronto Film Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival

Atlantic Film Festival

The Atlantic Film Festival is an international film festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Held annually, the ten-day celebration of film and video from Atlantic Canada and around the world is committed to screening an inspiring and engaging collection of films and videos from Canada and the...

 in 2011.

Early life

A native of Cole Harbour

Cole Harbour

Cole Harbour is the name for a natural harbour located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.It is located in central Halifax County, with the mouth of the harbour located 6 kilometres northeast of Halifax Harbour....

, a suburb of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

, Clattenburg spent his years after high school as drummer in a Police-inspired rock band, The Spawning Grunions. Former Grunion keyboardist, Blain Morris, was instrumental in turning a part on the Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....

 classic "Left My Heart In San Francisco - 0:45sec" into the theme for Trailer Park Boys

Trailer Park Boys

Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian comedy mockumentary television series created and directed by Mike Clattenburg that focuses on the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. The...

.

Career

Clattenburg's jump from music to television began with his co-hosting and production of a Halifax Cable 10 show, That Damn Cable Show, from 1990 to 1993. The program featured on-location interviews and profiles of Halifax entertainers, many of whom were acquaintances of Clattenburg's through his band contacts. Wedged in between the entertainer segments were comedic three-minute clips that displayed his early talent for irreverent film making. That Damn Cable Show was remarkable for its high production values despite being a local cable channel production on a shoestring budget, and made an early name for Clattenburg in film production circles.

Outgrowing the local cable television station, Clattenburg made the move to professional television production with work on comedy and drama programs at the CBC Television

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

, including Pit Pony

Pit Pony (TV series)

Pit Pony is a 1999 CBC television series which tells the story of small-town life in Glace Bay, on the island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 1904. The plot line revolves around the lives of the families of the men and boys who work in the coal mines....

, Street Cents

Street Cents

Street Cents is a teen-themed newsmagazine TV series that originally aired on CBC Television between 1989 and 2006. It was one of a few shows focused on consumer and media awareness for young people. The series was created by producer John Nowlan. He cites Britain's Pocket Money as one of the...

, The Bette Show and a variety of segments for Sesame Street

Sesame Street

Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...

. As well, his credits include the direction of music videos for Gord Downie, Len

Len (band)

Len is a Canadian alternative rock group from Toronto, Ontario. They are best known as a one-hit wonder for their song "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999. The band consists of siblings Marc Costanzo and Sharon Costanzo .-Studio albums:...

, and The Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip

The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...

.

External links