COVID-19

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.

August 13, 2020

hollywood north & covid-19

Joseph Boutilier COVID-19, Empress Avenue Media Updates, Film Production, Video, Vlog

How the Coronavirus is Changing the Film Industry Forever, in Canada and Beyond

*Joseph Boutilier films on set at Empress Avenue Media HQ for a new factual series.*

Vancouver BC is often referred to as ‘Hollywood North’ for its prolific film production. When California was still struggling with some of the highest COVID-19 rates in North America, BC was being recognized worldwide for its exceptional mitigation of the Coronavirus threat. While film production became possible again in this province at the end of June, it did so with a slew of new restrictions, both political and practical. Earlier this month, the creative filmmakers on the Empress Avenue Media team sat down to discuss how it’s affected their own work, the industry at large, and what they predict for the future of film.

“In terms of writing, my mind has shifted a bit, how we write certain scenes, and how we film certain scenes, and how to film more intimate scenes.” – Mia Golden

Mia Golden is a Development Coordinator and film producer with Empress. This month she’s doing pre-production on a documentary about sex trafficking in BC, as well as her first feature with the company as both writer and producer. Due to COVID-19, the trajectory of these projects are anything but certain. But the biggest impact to Mia’s work is on the core concepts of the projects she’s pursuing.

creative constraints in the age of covid-19

“In terms of writing, my mind has shifted a bit, how we write certain scenes, and how we film certain scenes, and how to film more intimate scenes,” says Golden. “Do we self isolate together?” It’s hard to capture a romantic moment with two people who can’t get within six feet, let alone can’t take off gloves or masks.

Writing for film in BC during COVID-19 — *Mia Golden is writing a number of narrative features and series; her goal is to write content that can be filmed whether or not COVID-19 is affecting sets.*

Of course, it’s impossible to say how long COVID-19 will continue to hold such a firm grasp on our daily lives. Gavin Andrews – another documentary filmmaker and editor with Empress who is shifting towards narrative storytelling – is already thinking to the future. “If we’re writing scripts now, a year or a year and a half from now, can we expect to be shooting a normal movie?”

“What broadcasters and distributors are going to be accepting now…I think that’s going to change…” – Gavin Andrews

Maybe so. But Joseph Boutilier – a film director, and co-founder of Empress – isn’t betting on it. “If you’re smart enough to write a script so it’s just as compelling, just as good, and you can shoot it with 4 people and 2 locations, instead of 20 people and 50 locations…there’s always going to be…a bigger potential for getting it sold and made, and that never hurts.” But, he acknowledges, small stories also come with their own challenges compared to high-flying fantasy films where the action is largely digital. “It could go the other way,” he ponders, “‘cause everyone is using greenscreens it might be on a grander scale. Less expensive, less actual interaction.”

quality vs. quantity vs. covid-19

Another change the team has noticed is the shift in QC (Quality Control) standards set by broadcasters. With journalists and interview subjects forced to film themselves remotely, there’s a lot more room for blurry visuals, echoey audio and unflattering lighting. Or even unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions, like news anchors appearing in their boxer shorts. “With everything going on, people filming so much on their iPhones, etc… it will shake up what is considered acceptable for broadcast,” Andrews points out. “What broadcasters and distributors are going to be accepting now…I think that’s going to change moving forward for sure.”

…Audience members and Hollywood elite alike are open to reviewing lower-budget streaming content now that many ‘theatrical’ releases are indefinitely on hold…

Man checks the news during COVID-19 — *Joseph Boutilier checks updates regarding COVID-19 filming restrictions during a recent video shoot at Empress.*

The lack of aesthetic control over factual content can be a major frustration for filmmakers who take pride in their cinematography. On the flip side, documentarians no you no longer need to travel across the country for interview, nor actors for auditions. In theory, filmmaking is more affordable and accessible than ever. But these new techniques still leave something to be desired. “Obviously it’s always preferable to have someone in front of you,” says Golden, about casting future projects, “because you can see some of the subtle things like eye contact and chemistry.”

“It’s going to be interesting to see how long that sustains basically, and whether or not everyone is digging through their archives for old material.”

COVID-19 hasn’t only forced a kind of ‘democratization’ of video technology, but also of the entertainment industry itself. “It’s a forced pilot project for all of us,” Golden reflects. “In regards to using zoom and other platforms to stay connected…Even my parents [now use it].” And audience members and Hollywood elite alike are open to reviewing lower-budget streaming content now that many ‘theatrical’ releases are indefinitely on hold. The next Academy Awards won’t have any choice but to consider ‘home entertainment’ projects for the first time in Oscar history.

closing the ‘content gap’

Delays of big theatrical releases – plus the inability for most of the world’s crews to physically gather and film anything – has caused a gap in the industry. Distributors, platforms and online audiences alike are hungry for content. For small production companies like Empress, that can be good news.

“It’s going to be interesting to see…whether or not everyone is digging through their archives for old material.” – Joseph Boutilier

“As a company we’ve had shoots cancelled, and we’ve been able to pick up the slack in editing.” Boutilier explains. Empress has begun editing two feature films that were stuck in post production-limbo for years. “It’s going to be interesting to see how long that sustains basically, and whether or not everyone is digging through their archives for old material.”

But perhaps nothing will have a bigger impact on any studio’s success or failure than where they’re based. Gavin contemplates: “With B.C. opening up the film industry…Is it going to be a boom for us in this immediate 2 – 3 months where it seems like we are okay compared to the rest of the filming world? Or whether it’s going to throw cold water on the whole industry, will that reflect here as well?” Adds Boutilier, “Its not just Hollywood vs. Hollywood north…It’s like, can you film in China right now, or India?”

Videography in Duncan BC at Empress Avenue Media — *A factual series is filmed at Empress Avenue Media, shortly before COVID-19 put a temporary hold on production.*

a new frontier

All of this begs the question, if Empress – or any other studio – knew what COVID-19 would look like when it was first confirmed in December, what would they do?

“If I knew COVID was coming…I would set up sets in people’s houses. Give them a couple lights and a good camera.” – Peter Olivastri

Boutilier would have pivoted to more animated content. “Obviously there’s hurdles as well, to bring animation teams together, but it’s something you can do remotely,” he says. “I think over the next 6 months we’re probably going to see a massive spike in animated content for older audiences and adults. Using tools like Adobe Character Animator that automates a lot of that process to do animated talk shows, or…opinion pieces, current affairs shows, things that we haven’t really seen in the animated form before.”

Peter Olivastri is a cinematographer at Empress, and leads their technical operations on-set. He’s all too familiar with how brands and celebrities are struggling present themselves professionally without access to professional videographers. “If I knew COVID was coming,” he says, “I think I would set up a business where I would set up sets in people’s houses. Give them a couple lights and a good camera, so when they’re on whatever call on the platform they choose, it looks a lot better than their back-lit webcam.”

the creative antidote for pandemic overload

Throughout history, challenging times have been reflected in the on-screen stories that resonate and prosper. During the Great Depression, the Marx Brothers became comedic allies for the populist movement, giving cash-strapped audiences some much-needed laughs at the expense of high society. In the aftermath of WWII, Godzilla gave a giant, reptilian face to the destructive power of atomic weapons. So what stories and themes will define the ‘COVID Era’?

The Team at Empress Avenue Media work through COVID-19 — *Work environments – plus the work itself – is constantly changing for Empress during COVID-19.*

“Personally, when things feel stressful…I want a romantic comedy,” reflects Golden. “And what I’ve realized, [is] there’s not a lot, not like in the 1990’s and early 2000’s where there were tons of rom-coms.” She’s working on one now, although she admits that “COVID-wise that would be a challenge to film, you know because of the kissing scenes.”

Studios like Empress are built on big dreams, perseverance, and relentless creativity.

But the impacts of a the pandemic on narrative inspiration will likely outlive the threat itself. “In 20 year of 30-40 years,” muses Olivastri, “I’d really like to see a zombie thriller, about COVID, where its just blown way out of proportion…all these kids would be like, ‘aww look how bad COVID was!’”

dreaming big

If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that even a global pandemic won’t be able to crush the film industry in BC. After all, studios like Empress are built on big dreams, perseverance and relentless creativity. “If we were in it just for the money,” says Boutilier, “we wouldn’t be in it at all.”

“The really enterprising, entrepreneurial filmmakers will still find a way to make content…and reach markets one way or another. That agility is paramount right now, and anyone who can figure that out will thrive.”

Update: Production in Vancouver is now officially restarting, with negotiations completed between US and Canadian film unions regarding COVID-19 testing procedures.

Watch the full panel discussion on YouTube here:

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.

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.

Duncan BC during COVID-19 — 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 .

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.

Cowichan Valley businesses during COVID-19 — 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.