Stories
News, project launches and thoughts from our team.
Healthcare Video: Imagining Better for a Brighter World
“Every day, thousands of primary care providers head to the front lines of healthcare in Canada. They’re by our sides for moments big and small, and motivated by a singular vision. To help everyone lead happier, healthier lives.”
We are so proud to premiere this suite of healthcare videos supporting the public launch of the David Braley Primary Care Research Collaborative. An incubator, focussed on advancing and strengthening primary care in Canada.
Beginning with the story of the incubator itself and following up with five more, we drew a rich picture of the DBPCRC and its research goals. Through multiple layers of live-action footage, music, voiceover and animation we illustrated their mandate – to improve the lives of Canadians through better delivery and implementation of care. Each video was crafted in collaboration with the public relations team at the McMaster Department of Family Medicine,
Thanks to everyone at McMaster’s DFM for allowing us the opportunity to expand your story! We are honoured to capture the work of this inspiring group of people, pushing toward a brighter world for us all. For more of our McMaster University or healthcare video projects, check out our education or healthcare portfolio.
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PROJECT LAUNCH: Hamilton Code Clubs
Hamilton Code Clubs is a trail-blazing program that sees industry mentors introduce local youth to simple software computer programming, through a blend of interactive and hands-on training. The ultimate goal is to teach students to develop a love for the subject and begin integrating code into the classroom in a fun and engaging manner.
For many students, this introduction can open up career pathways and 21st-century learning skills.
With the tech industry in Canada expanding at a breakneck pace, Hamilton Code Clubs represents a critical link between the classroom and the real world, with mentors working to spark an interest in our youth and develop our next generation tech workforce.
At Double Barrel, we know the importance of a solid education in digital literacy for our youth. That’s why in 2015, we worked to create the #HamOnt Forever Digital Literacy fund, a Hamilton Community Foundation administered fund that will distribute grants over the next 15 years for digital literacy initiatives in the Hamilton area.
This year, we are proud to continue that legacy by providing an amazing organization like the Hamilton Code Club with this recruitment video free-of-charge, to inspire the tech community to continue to grow and help ensure that kids are realizing the amazing career opportunities around coding at a young age.
If you’re in the software industry and keen to help out, you’re in luck! They’re in need of volunteers! If you’re interested in volunteering for Hamilton Code Clubs, contact experience@iechamilton.ca
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PROJECT LAUNCH: W Booth School of Engineering Practice
Today’s engineering graduates have a tough job ahead of them. From water quality to sustainable living, from climate change to aging infrastructure, the engineering classes of 2015 and beyond will be expected to have the skills necessary to tackle the grand challenges of tomorrow.
The W Booth School of Engineering Practice provides recent grads with that skill set, through interdisciplinary education combined with experiential learning and mentorship. Their tagline: “Inspiring innovative leaders who will transform the world.”
No small task.
When the W Booth School came to us for help with their new commercial, we were excited to get involved. Double Barrel has a long history with McMaster’s Engineering department, but we hadn’t had the opportunity to work with the Master’s program. We knew that this would be a particularly tricky project – within a tight timeframe, showcase the depth and breadth of experiences and opportunities a W Booth graduate would attain.
After much discussion, we decided to go with a combination of green screen, animation and live action in-the-field footage.
After one particularly long shoot day with an amazing team of W Booth Graduates, our animator Taylor Heres set to work in the edit suite. Sketching, animating and keying out the green under the guidance of director Tyler Tekatch. We couldn’t be happier with the end result.
Many thanks to the W Booth School for involving us in such a great project!
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PROJECT LAUNCH: Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
For people who have recently been diagnosed with cancer, one of the first challenges is overcoming the amount of information that exists when it comes to care and treatment options. In the digital age, opinions are everywhere, and sorting through them to discover which are accurate and which are bunk can be an overwhelming task.
At Double Barrel, we’ve all lost loved ones to cancer. So when Wayne MacPhail of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer approached us with an innovative way of educating patients about how to separate the wheat from the chaff we were thrilled.
This was a unique project as Wayne came to us with concept in hand. CPAC wanted to create an online educational series that was dramatic, comedic – and demanding. In fact, the entire piece depended on a pitch-perfect embodiment of our two leads, Franny & Zooey, two 12-year-old budding scientists.
Knowing that we needed rock-solid talent, we decided to reach out to ACTRA. For web series this can seem daunting, but their fantastic industry liasons walked us through the process effortlessly. Our two actresses – Chelsea Okyere and Zoe McGarry came in prepared and ready, doing such an amazing job in the audition that we ended up using their second rehearsal take in the completed video.
The final piece is everything we had hoped to achieve, and definitely goes into the Double Barrel vault as one of the most original concepts we’ve executed. Says MacPhail, “It was a pleasure (as always) working with Double Barrel on this project. From our first conversation about the unusual concept they got it and brought a ton of creative value to the end product. This is the type of idea, as we said in the meetings “that had a hundred ways to fail”. But, through casting, direction, animation and post-production, they didn’t let any of them happen. The result is delightful.”
We’re excited to see where this goes. Thanks for inviting us along, Wayne!
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Double Barrel Delivers ‘Virtual’ Maternity Experience
Through technology available in the comfort of their own homes, expectant parents can explore the birthing hospital of their choice by means of a “virtual” video tour and a newly launched library of video vignettes now delivered online.
Created by Hamilton’s Double Barrel Studios for the Women’s and Infants’ Program at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Having Your Baby at St. Joe’s encompasses all aspects of the birthing process, from the parking lot to breastfeeding and from labour and delivery to bathing the new baby. Viewers explore St. Joe’s birthing unit, special care nursery and the mother and baby units in the extended 10-minute virtual tour. Just launched online at www.stjoes.ca 14 new, individual video chapters provide special access to the personal experiences of actual St. Joseph’s Hospital patients and their families.
“This video series is unique because it features real patient stories and our team members in the Women’s and Infants’ Program,” said nurse manager Kim Ross. “That means expecting families will likely meet some of the people they watched in the video when they come in to have their baby, and we think that authenticity leads to a sense of connection and comfort for our patients. “
Months in the making, the comprehensive production features scripts created with contributions from pregnancy and birth expert, Ann Douglas, author of 30 books including the bestseller The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. This educational video collection provides healthcare information in an engaging, very personal manner.
“Tone was really the key. We all agreed that the videos needed to be friendly, warm, and reassuring and that, like St. Joe’s itself, they needed to reflect best practices in maternity care,” Douglas said.
The resulting effect not only serves to calm fears of the unknown, but also prepares expectant parents for the many aspects of the exciting journey they are about to undertake.
Double Barrel Studios owner-operators Roz Mugford and Lee Hillman were impressed with the hospitality and openness they experienced while working with staff and patients in the Women and Infants’ Program.
“We were thrilled that these new parents were so open and generous with their private, personal moments,” Mugford said.
“We’re truly excited about the range of projects rapidly emerging technologies allow Double Barrel to create. A virtual tour has the advantage of being available to the parents at their own convenience where and when they can best enjoy it, and is also accessible to friends and family members. It helps parents make one of the most significant choices of their lives: where to give birth to their baby.”
