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When the lights come up on a global Netflix hit, the world sees the story. Behind the scenes, it takes hundreds of people, countless skills, and an extraordinary amount of teamwork to make that story real. For more than 70 students and graduates of College of the North Atlantic (CNA), BELOW offered the chance to help bring Newfoundland and Labrador’s stories, landscapes and folklore to audiences around the world.
The six-episode thriller, filmed in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador and starring Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, and Charlie Heaton, has made television history. Since its October 8 debut, BELOW has become the most-viewed debut for a Canadian title on Netflix. It reached No. 1 on the platform’s Global Top 10 English TV list, and topped the charts in countries worldwide.
For CNA’s students and graduates, the series’ success is a source of pride and a powerful demonstration of what can happen when classroom learning meets a world-class production.
“When a production of the scale, scope, and budget of BELOW comes to town, the opportunities available to our students and alumni grow significantly,” said Allison Short, instructional coordinator for CNA’s TV and film programs. “We always say that film is a machine and when you make a bigger machine, the more equipment and people are required. BELOW did just that, bringing equipment and crew that have never been seen before in Newfoundland and Labrador and even being able to observe that scale of production is significant, let alone participate.”
For CNA graduate Sean Lawton, who completed the TV and Film Creation program and worked as an on-set production assistant, the experience was exhilarating and transformative.
“The experience was just pure fun and chaos," he said. "Working on a large-scale production like this Netflix limited series has always been a dream of mine, and always felt like a very distant goal. So, to actually have been so involved in one was genuinely magical.”
Lawton says the pace and scale of the production were unlike anything he had experienced so soon after graduating, offering an opportunity to put his training into practice in a demanding professional environment.
“It was non-stop GO, GO, GO!” He said, adding the experience reinforced an important lesson about what it takes to succeed in the film industry: Technical skills matter, but so do preparation, confidence, communication and the ability to solve problems under pressure.
“CNA gave me all of that,” he said of his time at the college’s Paul L. Pope Centre for TV & Film.
The series demonstrated the breadth of talent available through CNA’s programs. More than 70 students and graduates contributed across a wide range of the production, drawing on training in TV and Film as well as Carpentry, Architectural Engineering Technology, Paramedicine and other disciplines.
As Short points out, a film set is a workplace where many different trades and talents come together, and where CNA graduates can find a role.
“There is a job for everyone in film, not matter what your background is," she explained. "Film is trades and CNA covers so many different trades that can be utilized in film.”
The experience also earned praise from industry professionals, including Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who have built careers in major production centres such as Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles before returning home to work on BELOW.
“They were consistently impressed by our students that they encountered on set," Short added. "Time and time again, I heard praises for their professionalism, and their understanding of how a large-scale production should operate.”
That reputation matters. As international productions look for locations with the infrastructure, skilled workforce and creative talent to bring ambitious projects to life, the experience gained on BELOW helps demonstrate what Newfoundland and Labrador can offer.
For CNA, it is also a reminder that the film industry is a natural fit for a college whose programs prepare students for careers across a wide range of technical and applied fields.
“The TV and film industry is a microcosm of the work we do at CNA every day,” said Davida Smith, Dean of CNA's School of Academics, Applied Arts, and Tourism. “A production of this scale needs far more than actors and cameras. It needs skilled tradespeople, technicians, designers, builders, emergency-response professionals and people who can keep complex operations running safely and efficiently. Those are the kinds of skills our students develop across so many of our programs. We are incredibly proud of the more than 70 students and graduates who brought their talent, professionalism and determination to BELOW. To see them contribute to a production that is captivating audiences around the world is a powerful reminder that CNA graduates are ready to make their mark and impress the industry at the highest level.”
For Lawton, being part of a series that has reached millions of viewers is something he will carry with him long after the production wrapped.
“It feels extremely rewarding to be part of a worldwide successful series," he added. "I'm beyond grateful.”
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Media Contact
Ryan Crocker
Manager of Communications
P: (709) 699-8981
E: ryan.crocker@cna.nl.ca