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October 18, 2021

Behind the Scenes: Fragile Seeds

Empress Team Empress Avenue Media Updates, Film Production, Video

Welcome to this exclusive look behind the scenes of Fragile Seeds. It’s been such an amazing experience to work on this feature length film here in Cobble Hill, BC. We are excited to introduce the cast of Fragile Seeds, and couldn’t ask for a better combination of talented, passionate people (with such a strong work ethic!), to breathe life into the script.

Here’s a short video introducing several key people who worked on the film. Read on below for biographies of the cast and crew.

Meet the Cast of Fragile Seeds

As a woman of many talents, she wears many hats: MIA GOLDEN is the writer and producer of Fragile Seeds. She plays the role of Ryann Temple in the film. You can find her on instagram @goldenjamaican.

Mia Golden is a Jamaican-born actor, writer, producer, and director whose background as a counsellor and understanding of human behaviour allows her to delve deep into her subjects. Golden wrote Fragile Seeds based on her novel of the same name. She is a producer on a variety of productions ranging from the award-winning feature comedy Jackhammer (E One Films 2014) to factual series, shorts, and the short documentary Penny Girl (Empress Avenue Media 2019). She has acted in a number of films and television projects over the last few years, including the award-winning comedy feature Open For Submissions (2019) and the upcoming feature thriller Dashcam: Dead Air (2022). She is currently directing her upcoming documentary, Tug of War.

SEAN BAKER plays the role of Gavin Hartstrum in the movie Fragile Seeds. You can follow Sean @coops_tanked.

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Sean Baker has been engaged with theatre/performing his whole life. Sean has performed on many stages throughout Western Canada as both an actor and musician. As a professional musician, Sean performed with his band Celebrity Traffic as well as his own solo project under the name Sean J.E. Baker. Some of his most recent live theatre credits include the Victoria Operatic Society’s production of RENT and Bluebridge Reparatory Theatre’s production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Sean is currently writing and recording a new solo album as well as writing his first screenplay.

DARREN ADAMS is Jordy in Fragile Seeds. It’s been a pleasure to work with Darren. His social handle is @thederwood.

Born in Cranbrook B.C., Darren has been based out of Vancouver since graduating from the Acting for Stage and Screen program at Capilano University in 2016. He has since made appearances on Supernatural (CW), The Arrangement (E!), and When We Rise (ABC).

We feel very fortunate to have been able to work with none other than STEFANIE DOLAN in the role of Violet Temple. Check her out @stefanie.dolan.

Stefanie Dolan is a Canadian born Actor best known for HomeStay (Telus Web Series-2020), All-In Madonna (Feature-2020), Open For Submissions (Feature-2019), Pile of Corpses (Short Film- 2021), Revel (Short Film-2020), Curse (Short Film-2018). She graduated (2016) from The Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts with a diploma in Film and Television and has since performed in a wide range of lead and supporting roles. When not in front of the camera, Stefanie is the Calian lead supervisor/role play actor contracted by the Canadian Arm Forces.

The very fun, very talented KATE BOUTILIER plays Poppy Temple. You can connect with Kate @kate.boutilier.

When Kate Boutilier was 10 years old, she played a caterpillar in a community theatre production, and she’s been hooked on acting ever since. She grew up on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ people (AKA Victoria, BC). Kate moved to Vancouver to pursue her diploma in Acting for Stage and Screen from Capilano University. Since graduating the program in 2017, some of Kate’s highlights have been performing in films The Baker’s Son, V.C. Andrews’ All That Glitters, A Timeless Christmas, Love In Store, and in the CW show DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. She’s also recently voice acted in the short film The Butterfly Affect and Coyote’s Crazy Smart Science Show and has been on stage in both The Vancouver Fringe Festival and the About Love Festival.

In the role of Buddy, we are excited to be re-introducing actor JOEY CRAMER. You can follow Joey @thejoeycramer.

Joey is known for various film and TV from the 80’s including the starring role in Disney’s Flight of the Navigator. Fragile Seeds is Joey’s first return to acting since leaving the business as a child actor. Now living on Vancouver Island, he is reigniting his acting career as an adult. He’s recently released a feature documentary Life After the Navigator (2021) and just wrapped another Canadian indie feature Twelve Step Strangler with an upcoming role in a film in South Africa.

In the part of Hazel, we are happy to have SUSAN KO. She can be found @susanko2116.

Susan is an actor from Victoria. She studied at the University College Drama Program in Toronto. She has acted in local community theatre in Victoria, as well as in local independent films. She has recently moved into producing, writing, and directing. Her short film, In The End, has been selected for international festivals, and has won a few awards. She is currently directing the short film, Coming Home, here in Victoria.

It has been a joy working with actor AMOS MITCHELL, who plays Derek Fuller in the film Fragile Seeds. Visit Amos @amosandmitch.

Amos has been a working actor for the past 10 years in Vancouver. In that time, he has performed in numerous plays such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Blind Date and Film & TV My Mom Robs Banks, Recipe for Love, and Motive, as well as many commercials. Amos’ passion lies in telling powerful stories, and that’s exactly why he signed on to do Fragile Seeds.

The well-rounded CLAYTON NEUWIRTH joins our cast in the role of Carlos. His social handle is @usernameclayton if you’d like to check out his demo reel and give him a follow.

Clayton has performed in various television, commercial, and film projects over the last few years. He openly expresses his love for acting and feels it’s the biggest privilege to be given the opportunity to bring someone’s vision to life. Clayton tackled a character with many layers in Fragile Seeds. He feels thankful for the people he’s met and the roles he’s had. Recent films include All-In Madonna as well as McManus and Sons.

We are honoured to work with CHRISTAPOR YAACOUBIAN, who played the role of Howie in Fragile Seeds. Christapor’s DMs are open @afunnythingcalledlife.

Christapor is an award-winning actor who hails from Sydney, Australia where he honed his craft through numerous appearances in theatrical productions and short films, often returning to work with former collaborators. Christapor made his feature film debut in 2019 with Maybe Tomorrow, directing duo Caitlin Farrugia and Michael Jones. Maybe Tomorrow was the 2020 Gold Coast Film Festival Blackmagic Design winner of Best Australian Independent Feature Film.

Through his appearance in Maybe Tomorrow, he was cast in Help:The Series, by series creator Fabiana Weiner. Following these appearances, Christapor relocated briefly to Vancouver, where he developed relationships with Bream Productions, having worked with them on multiple projects. Christapor is currently writing his debut play in Mexico and researching for a short film that will act as his directorial debut.

The very talented JONATHAN MASON fills the role of Anthony in Fragile Seeds. He can be found at @jon_c_mason.

Jonathan Mason is an actor at the Stratford Festival, Birmingham Conservatory alumni a Masters with Distinction graduate from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. While being based on both sides of the country in Vancouver and Toronto, he has also worked professionally in Canada and abroad in the UK. While specializing in classical theatre, Jonathan’s work in television, voice acting, directing and dance gives him a unique and varied perspective on Vancouver’s performing arts scene. Jonathan uses a mix of his classical training along with more modern Michael Chekhov and Laban techniques, giving his students a mix of the old and new worlds of acting traditions

TOR THOMAS has been a vital member of the Fragile Seeds cast team, playing Justin.

Tor makes his on-screen debut with Fragile Seeds. He is grateful to have had the opportunity to bring this conflicted, sympathetic character to film. He is honoured to have met and worked with the brilliant and beautiful cast and crew. Presently, he is further educating himself on the many techniques of acting.

Jonesy is played by WARREN SHERMAN.

Warren began acting as a regular supporting actor in Jamaica’s most popular soap opera, Royal Palm Estate. He went on to appear in local commercials and being a guest host on a popular travel magazine program, before emigrating to Canada in 2009. Once here, Warren appeared in two short films, grasping the leading role in Motionless (2010), before taking an acting hiatus. Fragile Seeds reignited Warren’s acting passion where he took pleasure in bringing “Jonesy” to life.

Bringing in a wealth of experience and passion, CHRISTOPHER BAUTISTA fits right in as the character Jazz. Follow Christopher @christopherbautistaa

Christopher is an American-born writer, actor, and producer with over 10 years professional acting experience under his belt. With roots that grew out of theatrical training from a very young age and landed him at The University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts, Christopher has had a successful career with lead and supporting roles in theatre, film, tv, and commercials. Some of his most recent acting credits include Warner Bros.’ Titans (2021), Theatre Passe Murraile’s Dora award-nominated The Negroes are Congregating (2020), as well as BlackLake’s upcoming short thriller Lonely (2021).

The multi-talented AMBER KENNEDY makes her acting debut in the role of June. Check out her Homelys @semicolonmiddlechild.

Born and raised in Prince George, BC, Amber recently moved to Vancouver Island to start fresh. Her natural comedic style, beautiful singing voice and imaginative hand stitched creations called “Homelys” popularized her, and she quickly became a Tik Tok influencer with a loyal following known as “Amber’s Army”. Fragile Seeds is Amber’s film acting debut, however, we are sure it won’t be her last.

The character of Dr. Andrew Stevens is played by the one-and-only TREVOR HINTON. Trevor can be found at @suretrev if you ask nicely.

Trevor has been a theatre actor working professionally in Canada and Europe since 2007, and relatively recently made the switch to film and tv in 2018. Since then he has worked in the independent film scene as well as with Disney, Hallmark, Hulu, National Geographic and HBO.

Long-time friend and actress PANTA MOSLEH plays the part of Carmen in Fragile Seeds. Find her online @pantamosleh.

Panta Mosleh is an LGBTQ2i+ BIPOC Director, Producer and Actor based out of Vancouver, BC. Made in Singapore, she is a test tube baby born and raised in Middle East/West Asia and Canada. Panta graduated from University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition to working on several bug-budget TV shows, MOWs and commercials as a Production Coordinator, Panta independently produced and shot award winning short films and music videos. Panta currently divides her time between producing, production coordinating and acting, bringing her unique flair to every project. Panta’s most recent projects include the Crazy8s film “BABA”, as well as developing a feature script that is an extension of the short film Pass the Salt. Panta has produced multiple award winning projects such as Pass the Salt and Dama Branca, which have aired on CBC, CBC Gem, Telus Optic TV VOD, Super Channel, Apply TV+ and Air Canada. She has also worked as an Associate Producer on Canada’s first Transgender sitcom, The Switch, airing on OutTV and Revry, LGBTQ+ streaming services.

“Mia told me about the script and novel she was writing 6 years ago. I had the pleasure of reading her first production draft back then and thought it was a powerful story and agreed to be in it then. Fast forward to 2020, Mia said to me, ‘Let’s go shoot a feature.’ I got to read the final production draft and realized that she had managed to make a great script into a PHENOMENAL script! I was so excited to work on this project. And the experience on set was like an absolute dream come true. The cast and Empress Avenue crew were so connected. I’ve worked with Ana-Maria, Joseph and Mia before so it felt like a reunion but better, and to see the words my friend had written come to life was so amazing. I have no doubt this film will resonate with many.”

We’re happy to introduce local actress, TRINA (SWEE-THULT) SXWITHUL’TXW for the role of Michelle. Give Trina some love @trinasweetheart.

Trina is from the Penelakut Tribe and was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley. She has a background in acting for film and TV with credits that include Unnatural and Accidental and a recurring role on DaVinci’s Inquest. Trina has also been involved behind the scenes as an Associate Producer on APTN’s show Warrior Games and was the Project Coordinator for APTN’s Tribal Police Files, both produced by Kwassen Productions Inc.

Trina lives on beautiful Vancouver Island and devotes much of her time to her two children, Mason and Wyatt. Trina’s day job is as the Director of Ocean Resources for the Beecher Bay First Nation, which includes managing many major projects in the marine space.

It’s been a pleasure to work with the amazing DUSTY SMITH, who plays the role of Brian in the film.

He shares, “A lifelong dream of being in a movie came true for me in 2020. A friend on Facebook messaged me saying “I forgot you were an actor. Want to audition for a movie we are making?”, and I said yes. I’d done a tiny bit of extra/background work, and been interviewed on TV, but this was different. And magical.

I have loved acting since I was a kid. In kindergarten, I played Doc in Snow White, and have loved the stage ever since. I was thrilled to get good reviews for my roles in The Laramie Project, The Boys in the Band, and The Normal Heart.

In the role of Jeremy, we are fortunate to have AMBROSE GARDENER lending his acting skills.

Ambrose Gardener is a classically trained actor with over five years of experience. He has co-starred on network television shows such as Project Blue Book, iZombie, Nancy Drew, and Twilight Zone. He is also known for his role as Clark Witchel in Alien Ore, written and directed by The Spear Sisters and presented by 20th Century Fox and the Alien franchise.

With a background in eurythmy and a unique mime influence from his father, Ambrose studied alongside Matthew Harrison focusing on text analysis, scene structure, body language and grounded emotional presence. Once he completed this training, he joined Jeb Beach’s Advanced On Screen Technique, as well as vocal lessons with Clare Durrant.

Ambrose’s first introductory role to acting was his character Aaron in the award winning indie short film with a great festival run, Kids Who Jump Off Bridges (2015), directed by Zoe Neary. You can find him in two upcoming feature films coming soon: Miles Away, written and directed by S.C. Wilson, and Fragile Seeds written and produced by Mia Golden.

Ambrose is currently working on scripting a miniseries of odd short stories and is in pre-production as the director of photography for a 25-minute short film.

JOSHUA KALEF plays the role of Brad. His IG is @kaleforniacation

Classically trained, Joshua has appeared in television and movies over the past two decades. His passion for performance and telling a story drives him in each production. Joshua lives in Victoria, BC with his young daughter Marilyn.

Meet the Awesome Kid Actors Behind Fragile Scenes

Some of the best times on set were working with these awesome kid actors, who truly showed us that talent does not always come with age. Without further ado, we’d like to introduce and thank the talented young actors in Fragile Seeds.

It was especially fun to cast the young Ryann Temple (MIA GOLDEN) who is played by Taliya.

Niam plays Young Carlos.

Diyal plays young Jazz.

Siome plays young teen.

Remy plays young Buddy.

Aila plays young Violet.

Leon plays young Anthony.

Elizabeth plays young Poppy.

Cameron plays young Gavin.

Kairo plays young Jordy.

Tyson plays young Howie.

Keaton plays young Justin.

Thanks so much for lending your talent and presence, and for bringing the theme of the film to an undeniable reality.

Meet the Crew of Fragile Seeds

But what good is a talented cast, if not in good hands. Introducing the stellar crew of Fragile Seeds; they’ve each been a vital part of the telling of this story.

JOSEPH BOUTILIER has been an integral part of the film from day one, in the role of Director. More about Joseph @josephboutilier.

Joseph Boutilier has worked in the film and television industry in a wide variety of roles ranging from 1^st Assistant Director to Director of Photography to Production Designer on various series and features including Runaway Christmas Bride (2017), New Year’s Kiss (2019) and Honeymoon in Paradise (2020). He recently directed the short documentary Penny Girl and just completed the feature film Dashcam: Dead Air (2022) which he wrote and directed. He is currently working on numerous projects including serving as Director of Photography on the upcoming documentary, Tug of War.

Another essential member of our team is producer ANA-MARIA BUTCURA. We appreciate you, @ambutcura!

Born in Romania, Ana-Maria fled with her family to Canada as a young child. Her experience living in Communist Eastern Europe is the backdrop to her drive to realize her dreams. Butcura is a talented producer, director and actor who also has a diverse background in corporate management in the restaurant industry. Her business savvy, drive and creativity guide her work. Ana-Maria has produced a variety of short films including the recently produced, Betsy and is in pre-production on her next feature film, as well as a series she co-created based on her Romanian culture.

We couldn’t have made Fragile Seeds without talented producer EMREY WRIGHT of Empress Avenue Media on the site. More about Emrey, @emreywright.

Emrey co-founded Empress Avenue Media, building on over twelve years of experience in the entertainment industry. He has worked on a variety of films in various capacities including Production Manager, Assistant Director, and Producer for theatrical, broadcast and VOD feature films. Fun fact about Emrey, he grew up on a sailboat.

JOSH TERRY-BRAND has been instrumental in getting this film through post-production as the Lead Editor. We feel so fortunate to have his amazing editing skills at work on Fragile Seeds. You can find him @joshterrybrand

Josh is a 21-year-old full-time video editor, born and raised on Vancouver Island. He has spent the majority of his life working on video projects. As a young sailor, Josh entered the industry by using the connections within his maritime family to create dozens of video projects for the Coast Guard and Navy. As Lead Editor of Empress Avenue Media, he has worked on documentaries such as Penny Girl and the upcoming Tug of War, features such as Victory on East Hastings, as well as countless educational and promotional videos. In 2021, Josh completed his debut short film Cool Affections, as well as the feature edit of Fragile Seeds.Outside of work, Josh spends his time with friends, family and dogs, biking and creating within a variety of art forms.

Not only are we lucky enough to have talented composer and musician ADRIAN BENT score our film, but he’s also a such genuinely nice guy to work with and be around. We appreciate you, @abentimus!

Adrian Bent, a well-respected musician and producer, is a multitalented, multi-instrumental musician who has become the go-to talent for live and studio projects for the world’s most relevant musicians. Playing drums, bass, guitar, and piano, he is best known as the drummer for hip hop artist Drake, performing on his live tours and select studio productions. He’s also played for world-renown artists such as Jay Z, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, TLC, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Usher, H.E.R., Florence and the Machine, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Daniel Caesar, Chris Brown, Meek Mill, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Jhené Aiko, and DVSN. Adrian has also served as composer on many tv and film productions, which include Mariah’s World (2017), Steve Harvey’s Funderdome (2017), Making It (2018), and Tournament of Laughs (2020).

Fragile Seeds – The Trailer

We can’t wait to share this film with you. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and to learn more about future screenings.

The World Premiere – Hamilton Film Festival

Saturday November 13th, 9:30pm, $10

Tickets: https://filmfreeway.com/HamiltonFilmFestival/tickets

June 19, 2021

5 questions with Mia Golden

Empress Team Empress Avenue Media Updates feature film, fragile seeds

Mia Golden wrote, produced and acted in our new feature film, Fragile Seeds. We spoke with her about how she applied her voice and experience to screenwriting, and how her career and education lead to the screenplay and production of this film.

Mia Golden has worked as a producer, director, writer and actor on dozens of independent media projects. She served as Associate Producer on the cult Canadian comedy feature Jackhammer (2013) featuring Robb Wells, Nicole Sullivan, Jamie Kennedy and Pamela Anderson. She co-produced the short documentary Penny Girl in 2019. Mia is currently producing and directing the documentary Tug of War as well as developing a feature film and several factual series for Canadian distribution. Outside of film, Mia is a family and youth counsellor and is the coordinator of a crime reduction and exploitation prevention program. She has worked in the counselling field for over 20 years.

Hi Mia, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. We’re really excited to learn more about the work you did on Fragile Seeds, and can’t wait to see the finished film.

You have quite a wealth of knowledge and experience. Can you speak about your work as a counsellor and how that influenced/inspired Fragile Seeds?

My first job was working with youth who had been convicted of sexually based crimes. Up until then, my notion of sex offenders had simply been what I had seen on TV and in the movies. And as a result, my thoughts were always that they were one dimensional type individuals. Monsters and that was it. Throughout my career, not only working in the residential sex offender program, but across the spectrum of counselling programs, my naivety was quickly scrubbed and replaced with an understanding that there is always a story behind the people standing in front of us.

How did you come up with the idea for this timely film? Did it start out as a fragment of an idea, or was it pretty much fully fledged when you sat down to start writing?

I originally began writing it as a novel, which I recently finally finished. The focus was initially going to be on one character (Howie). I was originally going to call it Under the Table with Howie. Howie, to me was a combination of many individuals I have come across not only in my career but just in general. Early in my career, I worked in a high school as a substitute EA. My first day was spent chasing one young non-verbal student under his desk. I quickly realized this was his way of self-regulating and so we sat there until he was ready to come out.

Now in Fragile Seeds, no one sits under a desk, but originally that scene was going to play out with Howie. And then I thought about introducing more characters and making it about a group and then changed the title to The Stories of Me. I say all this as a drawn-out way to say, the idea was not completely fleshed out. But once I got the first chapter out, it took on a life of its own and I just wrote and once I was about a third of the way through, the fragility of the characters and the importance of their origin stories became the focus.

across the spectrum of counselling programs, my naivety was quickly scrubbed away and replaced with an understanding that there is always a story behind the people standing in front of us.

It sounds like the story went through quite an evolution from novel to script and back again.

Although the story of the student under the desk didn’t make the cut, does the film reflect any life experiences? Are there autobiographical, biographical or memoir elements in Fragile Seeds?

I knew people would ask this. It is not autobiographical; however, I will say there are definite elements of all three sisters as well as Hazel that I recognize in myself. As far as the men in the film, they too are made up, but again, my imagination was triggered by some of the things I have had to see and hear.

I can only imagine the kinds of things you’ve seen and heard in your line of work.

You are a recipient of the Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative fellowship, congratulations! Can you speak a bit about how the film is informed by your identity as a woman and person of colour in Canada?

Ooh, that’s a big question. Well first of all, and I know this sounds cliché but representation to me is very important. I moved with my mum from Jamaica back to her hometown of Hudson, Quebec, when I was about 2. From there with the exception of living in Toronto for a year, I have always lived in towns with very few Black people. People always thought I was adopted and when we moved to Northern BC, they assumed I was a member of one of the two families who were Black.

I think for much of my childhood I didn’t have a full understanding of my colour or what Black really looked like except for when I was called racially based names. I remember wondering if I looked a bit like Maria from Sesame Street but I really wasn’t sure. People’s understanding of what mixed BIPOC families can look like really stood out for me when I would audition for parts where there was a family. Most people generally don’t know that people of colour can have children that can look like any or none of their BIPOC genetics. And so, at times I was told I wouldn’t get a part because the children were white.

As a result, I made Hazel have children with different fathers, to show the range of looks a family can have. As far as being a woman, well that is another can of worms. Women just naturally have an unconscious and ongoing risk assessment playing out and for those that have experienced some sort of violence or trauma, that unconscious threat assessment turns to hyper-vigilance and can impact relationships, choices and more.

Families can take on so many shapes, sizes and forms, and it’s not necessary for people to look alike to be a family, that’s for sure! Thanks for representing a different kind of family in your new film.

How did you realize the Fragile Seeds script? Do you have a personal method for putting your knowledge and research down on paper? Were there any specific techniques you used in writing this script that specifically helped make it more workable as an indie film?

Changing it from a novel to a script was a challenge. Not only because it can feel like some of the depth and background to each character could be lost, but also, I had to say goodbye to some of my characters. When you write stories, you become quite attached to your characters. And even in the editing of the film, some scenes must be ruthlessly shortened or completely cut out.

As a storyteller, that is a challenge to see some of your work, on the floor. But it’s a necessary part of film-making and one of the reasons I could never be an editor (the other part is I have zero skill set in that department. Hats off to editors. I don’t think the general public understands how big of a skill that is).

And how the film came to be, well it all comes down to relationships really. Back in 2012, I met both Ana-Maria and Joseph and worked with them on different projects. Ana-Maria and I had wanted to make another film I had written (now in pre-production) and as one does, we all became involved in our lives and other projects. In the meantime, Joseph reached out about 3 years ago to work with him and Emrey with their production company Empress Avenue Media.

Mia Golden and Ana-Maria Butcura

Emrey Wright, Ana-Maria Butcura, a, Mia Golden

Emrey Wright, Ana-Maria, Panta Mosleh, and Mia

Emrey Wright, Mia Golden, Joseph Boutilier

Emrey, Mia, and Joseph Boutilier

Ana-Maria and Mia

Cast Members of Fragile Seeds

Then last summer, Ana-Maria called me and said, we have to make our movie. I of course agreed but suggested she take a look at Fragile Seeds. That I felt now was the time to tell this story. She read it, fell in love with it, I introduced her to Joseph and Emrey and right then and there we began a fast transition into pre-production.

I couldn’t love this team more. I often find myself as the only female producer on projects, and for this project in particular, it is everything to share that female voice and perspective with another strong female. Casting took place in October and our 10-day principal shooting marathon took place in November. It was in the midst of Covid so we had to have a small crew, but given some of the sensitive scenes, the intimacy that grew between cast and crew, really allowed for the actors to go where they needed to go with the scene.

Once on set I had to take off my writer/producer hat (which is a challenge for me) but because of the trust I had with being directed by Joseph and knowing Ana-Maria and Emrey were managing all the remaining details, I too was able to let go (hmmm, that is somewhat similar to one of the themes in the film).

Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us, Mia! It's been a pleasure. We wish you all the best for your novel and film.

Follow Mia Golden on instagram and twitter @GoldenJamaican to connect and stay updated on her work.

May 12, 2021

5 tips for taking stunning outdoor photos

Empress Team Photography Empress Avenue Media Updates, Photography Tips

Here are 5 tips for taking photos outdoors this spring and summer from our resident editor and motion graphics animator Milla Sampaio.

1. get a feel for the space

Take a few minutes before you get started to take notes about the lighting where you are. Track the sun position before you start so you will know where to stand in relation to your subject. Cloudy days are better for photographing people with light skin, the clouds work as a big diffuser. If it’s sunny and your subjects are fair-skinned, look for shade. Prepare in advance by checking the weather forecast and schedule the shoot for optimal sunlight (try early morning or late evening) if possible.

Another note about the light is that you may not be able to rely on what can see when you’re outside. Your vision and the camera screen might be affected by the sun, so trust your numbers. Also most cameras work slowly if you are using the display and it is tricky to trust what you see there.

2. know your equipment

Things don’t wait for you in nature so be prepared to make last-minute changes and work fast with the camera settings. Practice ahead of time to make sure you are comfortably able to adjust settings as fast as possible.

3. click often, edit later

Try to take pictures of the same thing with different settings. You probably won’t have time to check your work after every click and that natural moment won’t wait for you, especially if it involves an animal sighting. Autofocus is your friend when timing is of the essence.

4. be ready to work with your subjects

Long exposure only works for landscape. With animals and babies, you need the shutter working as quickly as possible so the subject(s) won’t be blurry.

Be aware of your influence. If you are taking photos of animals, try to be silent and move slowly and only if necessary. Don’t be nervous, try to steady your heartbeat, as animals can often sense your feelings. Try not to make them uncomfortable. Close your eyes for a few seconds if they look your way (if it’s safe for you to do so) so they know you are not a threat.

5. dress for the occasion, be prepared

Extra batteries and SD cards are a must, but bring as few pieces of gear as you can so it won’t limit your movements. Use comfortable clothes and don’t be afraid of getting dirty.

March 26, 2021

5 tips for digital spring cleaning

Empress Team Social Media Digital Spring Cleaning, Empress Avenue Media, Film Production Tips & Tricks

Digital Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Label it!

Do you have a bunch of SD cards, hard drives, CDs or DVDs, dare we even say USB sticks or floppy disks… and you don’t even remember what’s on them? Grab some masking tape or labels or even just the sharpie and label them! If there’s too much stuff on the storage device to write it out on a label, consider making a file or Google Doc with a list of all your storage devices and everything on them. This can also be easily updated when your storage needs change. Then label the device with a corresponding letter or a number instead. Awesome, now that’s done!

And for any of those old electronics that aren’t working anymore, check out the Cowichan Recyclopedia on the cvrd.bc.ca website or recyclemyelectronics.ca to find out where to bring old hard drives, keyboards, mice, and computers in your area.

Digital Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Treat Digital Paperwork Like Any Old Paperwork

Anybody else have 2,000+ emails in your inbox? Emails can quickly multiply to an overwhelming amount faster than it takes to get to the post office. And let’s be honest, if you’re not reading it immediately, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be going back in time to look at that Gap marketing email again.

Here’s a suggestion that definitely seems easier said than done: treat digital files, including documents, downloads, emails and pictures like you would any physical paperwork or mail. As soon as possible after you receive the email or download, put it in an appropriate folder in your inbox, cloud, or on your computer.

For everyday downloads that get used to check daily tasks off your list, decide whether to save an additional copy offline on your hard drive, or delete it once the task is complete. Dealing with these daily files as they come in is the most efficient way to keep your computer running smoothly in the long run. Our tip is to tackle this clutter at the end of your work day. Deal with all of the files in your downloads folder while the purpose of them is still fresh in your mind.

Digital Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Tidy Up Your Website/Portfolio

It’s always a good time to optimize your website content to improve readability, so why not take the opportunity to do so this spring. The best part is that Google will notice that your content is being refreshed, and that will result in higher search engine rankings.

Check through posts and pages, and make sure these are aligned with your current brand and values. You may want to revisit or delete posts that perhaps you created in a rush and aren’t a good indication of your best work. Have a look for redundant posts on the same topic; you’ll probably want to keep the newer ones, or maybe make a new post that combines and simplifies the information. And while we’re talking about keeping things fresh, make sure there aren’t any outdated posts or pages that are no longer relevant.

Doing this cleanup is also a helpful way to notice where there may be gaps. Were you looking for something that you couldn’t find at all? Maybe it’s time to write something new, or create a new page that helps users get to the information they need as quickly as possible.

At the same time, if you go back into your posts and find something that really worked (or it got a lot of likes or clicks), consider bringing it out again, and reposting. New followers would be happy to find that content, and old followers might enjoy a trip down memory lane.

Does this sound too complicated, or are you not sure where to start? Reach out to us and learn how we can help.

Digital Spring Cleaning Tip #4: Spruce up your Social Media Pages

The most obvious thing with this is your profile and cover images – make sure those are current and relevant to the season. In other words, if there are fall leaves or snow in your profile pic, it’s time to refresh that!

Next step is to make or revisit your content strategy. This should always be evolving as you and your business evolves too. We like to take a look at ours at the end of every month for the next month, and at the end of each season looking into the next season. Remind yourself who you are, who your audience is, and how you stand out.

Digital Spring Cleaning Tip #5: Keep it Organized from the Start

From our film editors, Milla and Josh, here are some tips for working on digital projects.

1) Start organizing/categorizing/creating the folders before you start working. Linking the files after you are done can be a headache.

2) Don’t use a system that won’t fit your needs. Make an inventory with all that you have, then create/adapt a system that will work well with it and with your routine.

3) Be realistic, being super organized is not always doable and instead of making it better, the mess grows while it waits for a time that will never come. Choose a system that fits your needs but does not over-complicate your process. It is supposed to save time in the long run.

4) From a bookshelf to a hard drive, always make sure that other coworkers could use it and not feel super lost/confused. It needs to make sense. Labels help.

5) Don’t make the same mistake twice. It’s better to keep these organization tools in mind everyday while the raw materials you’re working with are fresh in your mind. So we are always doing micro “Spring Cleaning” tasks, rather than making a big day of it. As an example, an ambitious feature film we were tasked to edit was one where it wasn’t super organized from the start and spiralled into this monster of a project across like 5+ hard drives. So now we’ve learned to keep things organized from the very start in order to try to avoid that from happening again!

March 17, 2021

women pioneers in film

Empress Team Social Media Empress Avenue Media, Women in Film

Whether behind the scenes, on the scene or in the scene, women pioneers in film have been shaping the film industry since the beginning. Did you know? The first film editors (back in film cutting days) were often women. In honour of Women’s History Month, here are some of the (still largely) untold stories of women pioneers in film.

Alice Guy-Blaché

Even before women had the right to vote, Alice Guy-Blaché was directing films and blazing a trail. In her life and in her movies, she was expressing the female perspective, desires, drives and self-determination. From 1896 to 1906 Alice was likely the only woman film director in the world. She is now known as the “first female filmmaker in history” and in 1911, The Moving Picture News wrote that she was a “fine example of what a woman can do if given a square chance in life.”

Alice Guy-Blaché’s first film is thought to be “La Fée aux Choux” (“The Cabbage Fairy”) (1896). It’s a one-minute pantomime featuring a smiling young woman who plucks naked babies out of a cabbage patch. And it’s the first narrative film in history. Because the original film has been lost, some historians believe that Guy-Blaché’s first effort was in fact “Sage-Femme de Première Classe” (“First Class Midwife”) (1902). This was a remake about a young couple who go shopping for a baby and Guy-Blaché plays the husband.

In 1910, Alice formed the Solax Company and began making her own movies. She was so successful with that that in 1912, she built her own state-of-the-art studio in New Jersey. (She was the first female majority owner of a film studio!) There, she went on to create a prolific amount of films, including the feminist cowboy film “Two Little Rangers” featuring two gun-toting heroines. Although her lifetime success was perhaps short-lived by rapid changes in the movie industry at the time she started her studio, Guy-Blaché directed and produced over 1000 films, including 600 silent films and 150 short films with sound, as well as 22 feature-length films. One of the last films Alice made is “The Great Adventure”, also known as “Her Great Adventure” (1918).

Director Pamela B. Green created a tribute film about pioneer filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché: Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché (2018).

Cléo de Verberena

Cléo de Verberena was the first woman to recognize herself and to be recognized as a film director in Brazil. She was the protagonist and director of the silent feature film: O Mistério do Dominó Preto “The Mystery of the Black Domino” (1931), which was based on the story of the same name by Aristides Rabello.

Agnès Varda

Agnès Varda’s pioneering work was central to the development of the French New Wave film movement in the 1950s and 60s (as the first person to reimagine film conventions, and the only woman director to be associated with this movement). She was a director and writer known for films such as Vagabond (1985), Faces, Places (2017) and Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962). Varda often blurred the boundaries of fiction and nonfiction, and defied gender norms.

In the article, Agnès Varda: The Filmmaker as Rigorous Friend, A.O. Scott writes:

“Women who make their mark behind the camera, as agents rather than objects of its gaze, tend to be seen as anomalies and alibis, special cases rather than central figures. Their existence can be cited as an exception to the sexism that ensures their scarcity, and the master narratives that treat their stories as more than footnotes or sidebars have yet to be written. Varda’s work might be the place to start. Not only because of her feminism — which was consistent and complicated, unmistakable and impossible to circumscribe — but also because of her individuality.”

Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award. She won Best Supporting Actress for her role as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind (1939). The daughter of two former slaves, she gave a gracious speech about her win: “I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race and the motion picture industry.”

Safi Faye

Safi Faye was the first Sub-Saharan African woman to direct a commercially distributed feature film, Kaddu Beykat (1975). In her work as a director and ethnologist, she has directed several documentary and fiction films focusing on rural life in Senegal.

Jane Campion

Jane Campion is the first and only (as of yet) female filmmaker to receive the Palme d’Or, which she received for the acclaimed film The Piano (1993). She is the second of five women ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. About rewatching her film The Piano, she has said: “I really felt excited by it. I thought, my God, this is a film told from a female point of view and nowadays that’s still so rare. Even when a story appears to be from a female point of view, it’s often an apology for it.” Campion has been and continues to be fearless about championing the unconventional in her work. Her latest movie, The Power of the Dog (2021) is now in post-production.

Kathleen Kennedy

Kathleen Kennedy has been called the most powerful woman in Hollywood. After more than three decades producing some of the most well-loved and successful movies of our time, including E.T., Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, George Lucas chose Kennedy to head Lucasfilm. Now, almost another decade later, she continues to pave the way for women and minorities in film. The most successful new Star Wars films have featured a female lead. And The Mandalorian features the incredible work of directors Deborah Chow and Bryce Dallas Howard, to name a few.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Perhaps best known as the creator, head writer, and star of Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was also the showrunner and executive producer of the first series of Killing Eve (2018). If you haven’t seen the opening of Killing Eve, we highly recommend you have a gander. It’s such a brilliant, well-written scene, and not a word is exchanged. This is the work of Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Throughout her body of work, it is clear that she has focused on portraying strong women, the type of women who defy stereotypes and almost do and say the opposite of what you’d traditionally expect. Even so, Phoebe seems to have the exact recipe for writing an easily loveable character.

About the rage that motivates her, she says:

“But mainly I rage at myself for my own ability to let things slide because I’d rather be ‘nice’ than stand up for myself in an uncomfortable situation. My characters have streaks of fearlessness. I get a rush writing women who don’t care what you think. Probably to help me grow into being one.”

Here are a few more women in film to look up, read about and get inspired: Germaine Dulac, Chantal Akerman, Adélia Sampaio, Lucrecia Martel, Anna Muylaert, Greta Gerwig, Michaela Coel, Geena Davis, Petra Costa …

For more information and stories about Women Pioneers in Film, and to watch some films created by these pioneers, visit the Women Film Pioneers Project, or follow them on facebook here. Or check out Women and Hollywood – Educates, Advocates, and Agitates for Gender Diversity and Inclusion in Hollywood and the Global Film Industry. Other groups raising up, empowering and advocating for women in film are womeninfilm.org, and in Canada, womeninfilm.ca.

March 10, 2021

women in film who inspire us

Empress Team Social Media BC Film, International Womens Day, Women in Media

it’s women’s history month!

We’re inspired every day by women: our coworkers, our families, our friends. All the ladies on the Empress Avenue team are a constant inspiration! Yesterday, the team chatted briefly about women who in film who inspire us – here are some of them now.

Kathryn Bigelow, Director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, became the first and, as of 2021, only woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, the BAFTA Award for Best Direction, and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Director. About women making movies, she says: “If there’s specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can’t change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies. It’s irrelevant who or what directed a movie, the important thing is that you either respond to it or you don’t. There should be more women directing; I think there’s just not the awareness that it’s really possible. It is.”

Dame Judi Dench is well known for her numerous and varied stage roles and for her work in television and in a variety of films. We love her because no matter what she does, she is the star of the show. Watch “Ask a Legend” with Dame Judi Dench here.

Tiffany Hsuing is a Canadian documentary filmmaker. She is most noted for her 2016 short documentary film The Apology, which won a Peabody Award in 2019, and her 2020 short documentary film Sing Me a Lullaby, which won the Share Her Journey award at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. You can watch trailers for the two films on Tiffany Hsuing’s website here.

Jennifer Kent is an Australian actress, writer and director, best known for her directorial debut, the horror film The Babadook. We’re inspired by the way she has stepped up and brought her unique voice and vision to the horror genre, a genre that is historically desperate for female perspective. If you haven’t seen her films, and you enjoy horror movies, we highly recommend you check them out! The Director explains how she made The Babadook and The Nightingale here.

Nina Paley is an artist, cartoonist and animator who is perhaps best known for creating the animated musical romance-comedy-drama feature film Sita Sings the Blues (2008). She is remarkable because she is the triple threat of animation – she created all of Sita Sings the Blues, including the music! In the director’s own words, the film is “a tale of truth, justice and a woman’s cry for equal treatment.” (How apt!) Nina has generously made Sita Sings the Blue available to everyone; you can watch it and support her here.

Shonda Rhimes, creator and showrunner of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal – what an inspirational powerhouse! Casting and writing African American, Asian and Latinx people in fully-dimensional, highly intelligent, emotionally deep roles, Rhimes revolutionized the way we see people of colour on TV. Visit Shondaland here; watch her TED Talk here.

Thelma Schoonmaker is an amazing film editor who has edited Martin Scorsese’s films for more than fifty years! She started working with Scorsese on his debut film, and has edited all of his films since Raging Bull (which won her her first Academy Award in 1980). The team credits their ability to work so well together to excellent communication skills. Thelma is on set with Scorsese from day one, and until the very end. There are many videos on YouTube about how Schoonmaker edited movies – here is one to get you started.

the theme of women’s history month 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge

We choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. This month we’re highlighting some of the outstanding women in film and film history and some who have inspired us and influence our work at Empress Avenue Media. Here are the women in film who inspire us: Mia is inspired by Kathryn Bigelow and Shonda Rhimes; Ben is inspired by Dame Judi Dench; Joseph is inspired by Nina Paley, Jennifer Kent and Tiffany Hsuing; and Josh is inspired by Thelma Schoonmaker. Find us on social media on twitter, facebook or instagram and let’s choose continue the conversation!

September 29, 2020

2 years young

Empress Team COVID-19, Empress Avenue Media Updates, Film Production, Video

Two Years of Creating, Sharing & Celebrating Amazing Stories on Vancouver Island

Our growing team of talented filmmakers, video editors, web developers, and creatives!

Earlier this month, we celebrated our second birthday as Empress Avenue Media. We want to take this opportunity to reflect on some of our favourite projects and accomplishments to date, and express our immense gratitude for the support of our community.

When Empress Avenue Media was founded in 2018, we were a small team of two. Just a couple of passionate creatives eager to express our love for film and digital media, seizing every opportunity that came our way. From service production for TV movies, we pivoted to become a full-service digital agency offering web design, graphic arts, social media management, and much more. We couldn’t be more grateful to our amazing community in the Cowichan Valley and across Vancouver Island for letting us live out that dream of storytelling. Since then, our team has grown to over 10 full time and part-time collaborators, and our diversity of work has as well. As we cross this milestone, here’s a flashback to some of our highlights.

We filmed and edited hundreds of hours of stunning educational content

It was amazing to film and edit course content for one of our favourite accredited academic institutions on the Island. Pacific Rim College in Victoria BC is a veritable hub for world-leading holistic medicine and sustainable living ideas.

“It is an amazing feeling to know that these students are receiving the best education possible, with quality content that highlights the world’s beauty and promotes community healing in such a challenging time.” – Joseph Boutilier

Onset in our beautiful community shooting Pacific Rim Colleges captivating online content.

In helping to create their online learning material, our aim was to create training videos that capture the aesthetic beauty and immediacy of their campus and in-person learning opportunities, as well as the depth of insight and inspiration that their instructors provide in-person. We had a blast filming and editing both the Community Herbalist and Home Herbalist program under the excellent direction of staff and instructors at Pacific Rim College Online, and we’re grateful that we completed videography before COVID-19 created substantial complications for both post-secondary learning and filmmaking alike. The timing, for once, was just right: Pacific Rim College Online has allowed more students to continue to learn flexibility and socially-distant. It is an amazing feeling to know that these students are receiving the best education possible, with quality content that highlights the world’s beauty and promotes community healing in such a challenging time.

We also had the chance to build some beautiful websites

Including a complete redevelopment of Pacific Rim College’s own website. Having the opportunity to create web and video for the same clients is fantastic because it allows us to foster cohesive brands and stories. With COVID-19, everyone is online. It is more important than ever for businesses to have a strong web presence, and we love making sure that’s possible for them. Making a strong first impression online is beneficial to any company, and will continuously draw new customers to your site. Technical creativity and problem-solving is as much an art as the visuals and design.

Always aiming to capture the perfect shot, it helps when our backdrop is beautiful Vancouver Island!

We helped up-and-coming influencers reach their goals online

Anna Hilberry is just getting started on YouTube, but she says it has already completely transformed her career as an investment advisor. “Creating videos to help share my financial knowledge with the world has been absolutely life-changing,” she says. “The exposure, recognition, and traction that I’ve gained has been substantial, with new clients, my company, and my online community.” It all comes down to connecting with an audience, authentically and energetically, in any way you can.

“Creating videos to help share my financial knowledge with the world has been absolutely life-changing” -Anna Hilberry

In Anna’s case, we let her do the filming. Our expertise comes in with the editing, branding, SEO and strategy that helps her maximize her reach. And Anna is just one of many examples of personal brands that have vastly expanded their reach online by adding value and intention to the work that they already do. Whether it’s a financial planner, a tree faller, a nutritional coach, local politician, dare-devil stunt driver or a record-breaking athlete, we’re delighted to help share a diversity of experiences and stories with the world. Creating this engaging online content lets our customers find new clients, build credibility in their field, foster a rapport within an online network, and increase the value of their brands, regionally and worldwide.

We shared stories that need to be heard.

Empress Avenue Media isn’t just a marketing agency on Vancouver Island, it’s also a globe-trotting production company for original films. Creating our debut short documentary, Penny Girl, started with a trip to Vancouver and wrapped up with a short trip to Lakeland, Florida, as we followed our subject, Frankie Edroff. Edroff is a legend of Victoria BC – a fundraising phenomenon and an inspiring young trans man living with a rare genetic disorder. Penny Girl chronicles Frankie’s journey to embrace his identity and reconcile with a past as challenging as it was rewarding. Discrimination has no place in love. We are so proud to have helped share Frankie’s wisdom and insights with the world, and we still can’t quite fathom the incredible bravery and resilience he demonstrated through the creation of our film. Penny Girl debuted on Telus OPTIK in July 2019, toured events like The Sante Fe Film Festival and has garnered over 40,000 organic views on Facebook and YouTube.

Frankie Edroff, a legend of Victoria BC and an inspiring young trans man living with a rare genetic disorder.

We also had the true honour of working with the Cowichan Tribes to document their work restoring the Cowichan River and remediating industrial lands in the Cowichan Valley, and learned how they’re embracing the teachings of past generations to rebuild salmon stocks and prevent the runaway spread of invasive species.

We can’t wait to tackle our own narrative feature film, but in the meantime, we’ve been able to help a number of other filmmakers complete their own movies. None has been quite as challenging, ambitious, or rewarding as C.R. Avery’s Victory on East Hastings; an art-house musical that dives frantically and bravely into Vancouver’s downtown eastside to debate – in its own playful way – the gentrification of a creative Mecca. Empress worked closely with Avery on all aspects of post production, handling the entire post process from transcoding to editing to mixing to motion graphics and colour grading. Despite the complications of COVID-19, this striking black and white motion picture will soon be making its international film festival debut.

We are proud and honoured to be able to acknowledge incredible work that otherwise goes unnoticed

We hope that Penny Girl was just the beginning; we aim to continue in this tradition with new, innovative documentaries that shed light on fascinating people and important ideas. We love to encourage the community to reflect on important issues and movements, and to respond thoughtfully and intentionally. We continue this work with Tug of War, a powerful point-of-view (‘POV’) documentary written and produced by our very own Development Coordinator, Mia Golden. Mia has spent years protecting vulnerable young people from predators and gang recruiters as a counsellor based in the West Shore. Tug of War follows Mia and her work partner as they walk the streets of Victoria BC, supporting young people who have been targeted for sexual exploitation and gang involvement. Tug of War is an emotional story about the tussles between parents, predators, police, youth, and community stakeholders. We originally pitched Tug of War last year, during another Storyhive competition, but are grateful to now have the opportunity to bring it to life with the support of the Government of British Columbia through their Community Safety and Crime Prevention Branch.

Tug of War follows our very own Mia Golden as she works to protect vulnerable teens from predators and gang recruiters.

We kept learning, exploring and discovering, together

COVID-19 has required us all to reinvent how we work and communicate. We are thankful that we have been able to keep working during such uncertain times, and had the ability to find new ways to engage and connect with the community. The past year has led us to explore a huge range of new and future projects and initiatives, including original web series, feature films, original interactive projects, and much more. What an unbelievable couple of years! We are so excited to see what our next year will hold, as we continue to create content that we are proud of, with the help of our amazing team. Be sure to follow us on our social channels to stay in the loop; one of our many, lofty goals is to produce a lot more original content to share our own story with the world. And if you’re looking to collaborate with an inventive digital media agency to introduce yourself to the world, maybe that story starts with you.

Much love,

The Empress Avenue Media Team

Empress Avenue Media has three COVID-friendly shoots tentatively planned for September. Follow the action on our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

Trying to shoot a movie during COVID-19? Empress Avenue Media Inc. can help with many aspects of development, production, and post. Get in touch to learn more.

September 23, 2020

principal photography begins on tug of war documentary

Empress Team Film Production, Press Releases Empress Avenue Media Updates, press release, youth sex trafficking on Vancouver Island

Press Release: Local Documentary Tackles Youth Sex Trafficking on Vancouver Island

Tug of War follows Mia Golden as she works to protect vulnerable teens from sex trafficking and gang recruitment.

We are honoured to be able to acknowledge incredible work that otherwise goes unnoticed in our communities through innovative documentaries that shed light on fascinating people and important ideas. We love to encourage the community to reflect on important issues and movements, and to respond thoughtfully and intentionally.

“Tug of War will pull the curtain back on growing issues affecting young people in our communities.”

Local counselor and filmmaker Mia Golden conducts interviews during the production of new documentary, Tug of War.

We continue this work with Tug of War, a powerful point-of-view (‘POV’) documentary written and produced by our very own Development Coordinator, Mia Golden. Before her work at Empress even started, Mia spent years protecting vulnerable young people from predators and gang recruiters as a youth counsellor.

“Exploitation is taking place in every community and every neighborhood and isn’t limited by class or background.”

Empress Avenue Media is starting principal photography this week on this new independent documentary.

Tug of War follows Mia and her work partner as they walk the streets of Victoria BC, supporting young people being targeted for sexual exploitation and gang involvement. Tug of War is an emotional story about the tussles between parents, predators, police, youth, and community stakeholders.

“No one is immune, and everyone is a potential target.”

We are proud to finally announce this incredible project, that will hopefully initiate new dialogue and inspire the action needed to protect vulnerable teens in our communities. Our full press release is below.

Media Release – Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020

Local Documentary Tackles Youth Sex Trafficking on Vancouver Island

Empress Avenue Media Inc. is starting principal photography this week on a new independent documentary about sex trafficking and gang recruitment of youth on southern Vancouver Island. Told through the eyes of local counselor and filmmaker, Mia Golden, Tug of War will pull the curtain back on growing issues affecting young people in our communities.

Empress Avenue Media – based in Cobble Hill in the Cowichan Valley – will follow Mia Golden and other members of a specialized team called MYST (mobile youth services team), comprised of 2 counselors and a police officer. MYST’s mandate is exploitation-prevention in all 13 municipalities of the Greater Victoria Region.

MYST reports steady increases in their caseload over the past few years. Of note is the impact of both social media and the opioid crisis playing significant roles in this disturbing trend. Police officers, counselors, street nurses, social workers, and policymakers are struggling to keep up with the demand to support those in need. Well over 1000 people die every year in BC from Fentanyl, and Victoria has the 3rd highest illicit drug overdoses of all BC communities.

Predators have quickly come to realize that being online allows for easy access to youth. The explosion of social media, easy accessibility to the internet and pornography, and the normalization of highly sexualized and often violent content are issues that contribute to the exploitation of young people. Exploitation is taking place in every community and every neighborhood and isn’t limited by class or background. No one is immune, and everyone is a potential target.

Through interviews with past survivors, front line workers fighting to support vulnerable youth, and parents fighting to get their children out of harm’s way, Tug of War will provide insight into the realities of what is taking place in young peoples’ lives, and what we can do to reduce the risks and protect our children from these predators.

Funding for Tug of War made possible through the Province of British Columbia’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention Branch.

About Empress Avenue Media Inc.

Empress Avenue Media Inc. is a film production and digital media startup based in Cobble Hill, BC. The company provides commercial film, interactive and graphic design services, as well as producing independent features and coumentaries. The company’s debut documentary. Penny Girl (2019), is a profile of Victoria philanthropist and Jeneece Place co-founder Frankie Edroff. Learn more at empressave.com

For more information contact:

Mia Golden, director
mia[at]empressave.com

Joseph Boutilier. producer
joseph[at]empressave.com

Download the PDF version of this press release here.

July 13, 2020

pulling together in the wake of covid-19

Empress Team COVID-19, Empress Avenue Media Updates, Film Production, Social Media, Video, Web Design

how the cowichan valley is getting #backtowork after the first wave of covid-19

After a year of political and economic uncertainty, COVID-19 and – let’s be honest, 2020 in general – has made the last few years look like a walk in the park.

Summer in the Cowichan Valley is quieter than usual with COVID-19

Imagine if Earth was a highly anticipated TV show, returning to the galaxy for a long awaited reboot with all the original cast. But instead of the usual ensemble and sitcom humour, this season of Earth shows up with a chaotic plot of disruption & drama, featuring a ‘special guest’ that nobody asked for. It’s not quite the return to form that we were all hoping for.

At the start of COVID-19, the future in BC was especially uncertain. Vancouver Island seems to have gone through the worst of the first wave with some of the lowest health impacts in the country, but the ripple effects on the local economy in towns like Duncan are impossible to overstate. Business has slowly begun to return with restrictions loosening, and as a community, we should be proud of how we’ve weathered this storm .

Work environments – plus the work itself – is constantly changing for Empress during COVID-19.

We are inspired by how our fellow small businesses in the Cowichan Valley have pulled together to boost each other up and stay active. The city has facilitated the repurposing of sidewalks to enable take out and patio service for restaurants. Patrons have demonstrated amazing loyalty as entertainment venues move to reservation systems, and stores adapt to curbside pick-up. The Caprice theatre was among the first cinemas in Canada to re-open, with numerous measures in place to ensure the safety of its visitors. With a slate of classic films, walking in takes you back to another time, but it’s still hard to forget the strange situation we find ourselves in.

Businesses in the Cowichan Valley are getting back to work as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, coming together with the mantra #CowichanStrong

Meanwhile at our little studio in Cobble Hill, we’re grateful to have remained busy throughout. We are proud to be part of the solution, bringing business back to the Cowichan Valley. Our goal has always been to connect businesses with their communities, and we thrive on the challenge of doing that under these incredible circumstances.

so what’s different at Empress Avenue Media these days?

The Empress team has been able to adapt over the last few months by working completely remotely. This has involved countless meetings through zoom, and continuous communications via phone and a growing collection of online tools like Slack, Asana, Tick, Vimeo and more. COVID has also changed how we manage project files, such as videos that can top 15TB of data. One of our video crew was stuck in Ontario for over a month due to travel restrictions. The rest of us have been stuck in isolation, and craving the ability to bounce ideas around face-to-face. After all, the creative energy of working together is one of the reasons we founded Empress in the first place.

“After all, the creative energy of working together is one of the reasons we founded Empress in the first place.”

Due to projects pausing, shoots being cancelled, and limitations on access to the office, our focus has also changed. Our team has tackled a much higher percentage of editing projects than usual. As demands for content grow in a hungry Entertainment industry, more clients are looking to us to polish off old projects. Demands for digital marketing and web projects are also on the rise, as the reliance on online business grows for many local operations. We are so grateful for the wonderful clients we get to work with, who have kept us busy throughout.

As restrictions ease, as we experiment and perfect our own precautions, we are eagerly but cautiously reuniting in person for the first time. After months of virtual meetings, it’s a welcome homecoming for most of Team Empress.

Peter Olivastri of Empress Avenue Media films an interview during COVID-19. The film industry in BC is returning #BackToWork despite new complications of filming during the coronavirus.

how the film industry in BC is adapting to covid-19

Just a few weeks ago the province of B.C. finally announced the reopening of the film industry. Empress Avenue Media has made all the adjustments needed, and our own Mia Golden facilitated certification with Safe Sets™ COVID-19 Level A – English by Worksafe BC. We are so excited to start filming again to bring your ideas to life!

let’s get #backtowork. together.

Despite minor setbacks, we have also been able to pursue our collective passions. By increasing our clients’ connection to their online audiences, and boosting their digital presence on social media platforms, we hope we’ve helped in some small way to keep business flowing in Duncan and beyond. What’s unique about Empress is the diversity of our in-house talent and our ability to work together on unique, local projects. Luckily, it’s a focus that’s still relevant in this strange new season of Earth.

“As we all try to learn to love this strange new season…it’s more important than ever for all of us to stay connected…”

The last few months have been full of unexpected twists and turns. As we all try to learn to love this strange new season – like an awkward TV reboot – it’s more important than ever for all of us to stay connected… With one another, with our clients and our community. So let us know, how can we help you reconnect and recalibrate?

To help you get back to work we are offering substantial discounts for our small-business brothers and sisters in the Cowichan Valley and South Island. It’s our way of saying thanks, and helping in some small way to keep Cowichan Strong.

Wondering how you can reach more customers during COVID-19? Let’s talk.

March 19, 2020

5 Things to Consider when Shortlisting Logo Concepts

Empress Team Uncategorized

5 Things to consider when shortlisting logo concepts words from the wise - our graphic designer

Designing a logo is a subjective and personal endeavor. Not only does a logo represent the point-of-view of a company, but inevitably, the designer will also infuse some of their own unique take on the subject-at-hand. Furthermore, as with any art form, a logo is steeped in the cultural context of the time and place in which it was built. So, take the following information with a grain of salt and remember to consult as many different people from as many different walks of life as you can. You never know who will have a suggestion that really makes your logo pop off the page and take on a life all its own. Here are my recommendations and key insights for when you’re approaching the design (or re-design) of a logo!

written by Luisa Dumas

1. Heart – Your logo is a true representative of your vision.

This example demonstrates the core of Santa Claus. The exterior might be a jolly old man in a red suit, but at his core, Santa Claus represents a childlike wonder.

The continuity of your story will help your brand/business build trust and recognition. The core of your logo is what you want to represent as the heart of your company. So, if you are not quite sure what this is yet, start trying to hammer it down.

Try to peel away the layers of the products and services that you offer to reveal what those products and services mean to the lives of your customers. Again, don’t be afraid to ask people about this if you can. For example, ask a customer how they found you or why they chose you.

Then, once you have this narrowed down (try to capture this essence in one word if possible), the challenge is to infuse the core value(s) into your logo in some way.

2. Recognition & Memory – Your logo should be easily recognizable at a glance.

Building brand recognition and trust can take years, and is something you want to happen continuously throughout the lifetime of your brand as you acquire more fans and a wider audience. One of the important factors in building your brand is that people know who you are wherever and whenever they see you. For this reason, your logo and associated fonts and colours should be the same throughout your corporate identity – in print materials, on your website, on social media, in your storefront, or place of business – wherever people find you.

A key aspect of recognition is being memorable. Knowing how memory works can help with creating a recognizable logo. To properly remember something, a person must first be paying attention. And attention is increasingly scarce and elusive in our modern day. How long does someone stay on a web page before leaving? This study, by the Nielsen Norman Group, was done almost a decade ago, but the short answer remains the same: not very long. The more convoluted or generic your design is, the less likely someone is to truly absorb it into their memory.

3. aesthetic and colour (+ Memory Part 2) –Making use of certain colours and imagery, knowing how these can represent ideas and values.

The aesthetic of your logo has a strong effect on how long people will be willing to look at it, so this is of high importance. People are attracted to beautiful things, and the things that catch our eyes are the things to which we will pay the most attention. This is very subjective, and you’ll find that everyone will have different ideas about it. In my experience, the best thing you can do as a designer is to look at as many logos as possible and think about why you love your favourite brands and why do you dislike your least favourites. What makes you look at a logo for a long time?

Here’s an example of how subjective this is. The colour green has certain connotations and associations for people. It could be green as in “healthy”, “vibrant,” or “environmentally friendly.” On the other hand, it could also be “green with envy.” A quick google search for what green means results in: “Green, the color of life, renewal, nature, and energy, is associated with meanings of growth, harmony, freshness, safety, fertility, and environment. Green is also traditionally associated with money, finances, banking, ambition, greed, jealousy, and wall street.”

Interestingly, only one of the big five Canadian banks uses green in their logo, despite the traditional associations listed above. Another quick search for the most common colour, red, results in other strong words such as power, energy, determination, and strength. Red is also a patriotic colour; it is featured in the Canadian flag. So again, there’s room for interpretation here, and you hold the power to tell your own narrative.

On an even more detailed analysis, having straight lines can represent stability or retro analog technology (amongst other ideas), while curvy lines are traditionally more inspired by the natural world or could signify a sense of freedom, organic transformation, or ambiguity. Considering the use of lines is useful to keep in mind when looking at font choices. Most of the banks above, RBC, CIBC, and BMO, have chosen traditional serif fonts for their letters. The CIBC logo also features two curved, upwards-moving lines. I wonder why there are two lines, and why they are two different colours; does that mean something? The BMO logo features an “M” (representing, perhaps, a crown or the roof of a building) over a foundational straight, horizontal line. One more thing I notice on first glance is that the TD logo has an open “D,” which kind of seems to be representing an open door, or approach-ability. The two letters are connected, which to me, signifies connection in a larger sense. What do you notice about the use of lines in these logos?

You might be wondering, who is actually dissecting a logo like that, other than designers? The latter might be true, but these elements can affect us whether we are aware of it or not, and if we’re not aware of it, it might actually affect us more. Without diving too deep into this topic, it’s helpful to recognize that we are conditioned to “feel” more than we “think”; we formulate feelings about visual brands regardless of whether we’ve thought about it. That’s why it’s important for you to consider these quick, emotive judgements.

If you’re not sure what to think of a particular font or colour, the best thing to do is ask. When doing this, be prepared that each person you ask will have some kind of bias, and some of these opinions may be steeped in nostalgia or already-formed loyalty to a brand. Everyone will likely have their own thoughts on the matter, but not everyone will be able to explain why, or what it is exactly about the image that triggers those thoughts and feelings. Far more importantly (in my opinion), someone may notice something that you haven’t yet. As a designer, this is the most exciting response, because it offers a whole new way to look at something. Another graphic artist will have specific knowledge in colour theory, font choices, and placement of information. They will have studied how other brands have developed their images. Their opinion is not necessarily any more valuable, but they will likely have a better-formulated response and be able to explain what exactly it is about the colour or font that gives your work a particular “look” or “feel.”

While everyone is going to have a different opinion about how a specific image makes them feel, there are certain things that may be universally or culturally attractive. You may try to stick to traditional images and fonts that have been tried and true, and generally found to be widely-liked. For example, in the case of fonts, you might go for one that is highly-legible, because most people will not look at something for long if it causes discomfort. Then consider how you would cater to a specific crowd. For this, it is very useful to have an idea of your key demographic and a profile of your typical customer. It’s good to have a general aesthetic, but it’s even better to cater your aesthetic to the audience you are trying to attract most.

Finally, there is something to be said about being unique and standing out against the competition, but this should be carefully balanced. For example, it can be helpful to have most of the features of your logo pleasant and generically attractive, and then have one extraordinary thing that stands out. For a more specific example: all of the elements might be straight lines except for one outlier to catch your eye. . If you do decide to do something drastically different, plan to make it deliberate and remember that you hold the power to make it work by telling your specific story.

4. Brainstorm – There are no bad ideas in brainstorming.

As I said earlier, you never know where your favourite idea will come from. Get everyone you know to suggest their thoughts, as concrete or abstract as they are, and make a mind-map of what you/your business stands for. Chances are, your business is not just about you, so this gives you a chance to learn what your business means (or would mean) to other people – your customers or clients, your coworkers or staff, and your community. This can also be a great team-building exercise if you’ve already formulated your team.

A couple of fun ideas for this task:

At your next team meeting, ask everyone at the table to brainstorm what they bring or want to bring to the company. Everyone can write their thoughts on a post-it note and then put it up on a wall. Discuss the similarities and unique ideas.

For more concrete logo ideas, ask friends, family, and/or coworkers to scribble out some logo ideas. Introduce the general idea that the logo should be representing. Make it a timed challenge to take the pressure off of drawing skill, and place the emphasis on how quickly people are able to come up with broad ideas. Fold up a regular 8.5 x 11 paper in half four times to get sixteen sections; re-open it. Decide on a 2, 3, or 5-minute challenge, and set the timer. The idea is quantity over quality; can the participants fill up all sixteen sections in the time limit allowed? Pass the papers around after or have everyone introduce their favourite ideas to the whole team..

5. Connect – Don't be afraid to make connections wherever you can.

Connect what your logo looks like to what it means to you literally. It might be a romantic thought to believe that people will be able to figure it out. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it’s good just to spell it out for them. It will be one more way for people to see your logo, make sense of it, and remember your story again. Talk about it, write about it, animate a video with it, draw it yourself (even if you feel you can’t draw!), and connect with it in as many ways as you can.

Relating to this topic, the story of the Airbnb logo re-design is one of my favourite logo stories:

I love that this logo has a name, which is a powerful way to give it its own identity. I was able to watch an interview with the designers where they explained how they wanted everyone to be able to draw the “Bélo.” It’s a strong logo, in fact, because it’s a symbol and because of what it stands for, which is a story that has been consistently shared with the general public. Also note that although there were four key points for what Airbnb stands for in the above video, the one core value is belonging.

Plan that when you talk to your designer and later introduce your logo, you can talk about your logo alongside the story of what it means to you/your company. The best way to ensure that your audience understands what you were thinking is by being transparent with your story. By doing so, you will give an even wider audience an opportunity to connect with your brand.

in short...

At this point, you are ready to work with a branding agency, an experienced designer, or your communications team to get that logo of yours produced professionally and looking perfectly polished wherever it goes. Need help? Get in touch, and let Empress Avenue Media guide you through the branding process from start to finish!

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