After 10 years as Head of Interactive at TVO, joining the crazy, nimble entrepreneurial team here at Q Media was a pretty big deal for me.  But, as I rush about at what seems like the speed of light, I’m loving it.

The seed for the move was planted at SXSW in the spring 2012: Dorothy was speaking at the Conference and we spent the week having intense conversations about how profoundly the Internet was changing the way we live, give, work, play, buy, and learn.  And we spent a long time talking about how Q’s business was increasingly relevant considering the trends in content marketing. We talked about the best way to describe this mingling, and recognized it’s something media companies, publishers and businesses are all looking to untangle. Bottom line, we realized that to be successful you need to have the research and journalistic storytelling tools, understand how to listen to and engage users and have both communications and marketing acumen. And Q Media had those skills in spades. And so the conversation continued.

Six months later, after chatting about where Q was headed over lots of coffee and wine, I finally made the leap. So much for getting settled in– I only had one day to get comfortable before I got busy with a ton of digital work that seemed to come in like a tsunami: in Week One we’re developing an interactive kiosk for Enbridge Gas’s new Savings by Design program, where the challenge was to engage commercial and industrial customers to see how they can save money on their next building project by making it more energy efficient.  We’ve developed a great touchscreen 3D game in collaboration with pDoink Interactive, launching at the end of the month.

Next up, we started research on a digital content marketing strategy for the CMA Ontario that has since generated lots of insights around how small to mid-sized companies can best operationalize a content marketing strategy. When I did a presentation at a recent content marketing conference, implementing content marketing was the “Elephant in the Room.”  For that audience, producing and rolling out a plan that delivers that perfect blend of content and marketing is where brands are struggling the most.

Since I arrived here we’ve been reflecting on why so many brands are now struggling with this and we realized that this “new trend” of content marketing is a sign of a shift that’s happening all around us—in business, education, government, healthcare. A shift in the basic relationship between institutions and their stakeholders. By week six in my whirlwind, we’d converted this thinking into a successful BELL Fund Digital Pilot application and “PULL: How Technology is Changing the Conversation” was born.  Over 80 interviews later we are now in the process of “pulling” out the best of the best and creating a series of short podcasts. And to help TVO’s audiences understand some of the headier concepts like disruption, gamification, wearable technologies and Big Data, we’re creating a series of animated shorts. PULL will roll out this summer on The Agenda but you can jump into the conversation now by joining our PULL linked in group.  And when I have a minute, between juggling digital strategy and content marketing in the ongoing tsunami, that’s where I can be found!

The Challenge

In June of last year our Direct Energy Upstream client Justine Williams called and asked us to tell the heroic story of how a tight team across many lines of business averted disaster during one of the worst extreme winter weather events in Texas history.

Three DE electricity generating plants in Texas were hit hard by the storm. Critical data transmitters froze causing the plants to shut-down. Direct Energy wanted to recognize the teamwork and dedication the plant employees and the support teams in Houston demonstrated in getting the plants back online. The problem for us? They requested the video in July and needed it to be ready to screen in September.

Extreme Close-Ups, Backlight and Sound FX

So how do you shoot winter scenes in Texas during the summer? We got a bunch of our team from the office to sit down and brainstorm the challenge.  First, lots of extreme closeups—that way you wouldn’t be able to identify time of year.  Second, we decided to shoot directly into light sources – to blow out the background and give us the opportunity to add snow in post.  And then two other ideas that gave the whole piece veracity—live footage from TV stations across Texas.  We found some reports on YouTube and asked a couple of TV stations in Dallas and Austin for their footage and voila we had the documentary part of what we needed plus we didn’t need voiceover because the anchors told the story of the storm and its severity for us.

But we also wanted some poetic shots of the storm to add to the mood so we scoured Vimeo for any potential footage. You can always count on filmmakers grabbing their cameras when unusual events occur.

That took care of setting the scene but how do you re-enact the wintery drama the ice-covered plants faced when you’re shooting in 130 degrees of Texas heat?  The answer – coolers of crushed ice and very patient plant workers.

Dedicated Staffers

Walking outside from the air-conditioned control room was like stepping into a furnace. No one knew that more than Felix Sanchez. During the storm it was Felix’s job to climb the icy steps to the top of the tower and try to thaw the data transmitter. Needing to recreate this for our video Felix put on his winter coveralls, gloves and hat then climbed the tower. Again and again. Felix never complained, just said “sure, no problem” and kept climbing. After an hour outside he peeled his outerwear an he was soaking from head to toe.  That’s the kind of attitude everyone at the plants and back in Houston exudes. It was easy to see how they all came together to overcome the storm and get the plants back online. They didn’t want to let their co-workers down and they didn’t want to fail the communities who rely on the plant.

Post Effects and AUDIO

So with a lot of ingenuity, some crushed ice, layers of sound effects and after effects generated falling snow we managed to solve the problem of turning 130 degrees into –a -17 degree winter.

The result is a compelling story about a group of individuals who came together to overcome extreme circumstances. And when they showed it everyone thought we shot it in the middle of winter.  Except for Felix!

Most of my Q mates know me as a floor director and an editor but underneath it all – I’m a closet crafter. ( I don’t admit this very often!)  I suppose it’s because I feel as though hands-on work isn’t as high up the “creativity” food chain as the digitally driven crafts. After all, how can a world of fabric, paint & glue compare to the world of After Effects world where elephants can fly?  (Although, try telling that to any die-hard Muppets fans!)

Years ago, I mentioned to Graeme about my love for crafting and he apparently didn’t forget.  When a project came up that could involve a lot of hands-on, crafty prep-work, he mentioned to Dorothy that I would be a good fit!  I never thought I’d ever be able to combine these two creative passions in one job –  I was very excited about the opportunity!

The idea was to make a 90 second film to celebrate Partners in Art a charitable organization that raises money for the Canadian contemporary art scene. They had been given the prestigious MOCCA award and there was going to be a big event at the AGO to celebrate their 10-year contribution to the Canadian art scene.

We wanted it to be a fun and playful celebration and since we were doing the gig PRO-BONO it meant we had the freedom to experiment and try new things.

I started the project by scribbling Dorothy’s ideas on a piece of paper:

- Stop Motion

- Wooden Blocks

- Pictures of the Members and their artist partners

- Key words for the organization–Education, Collaboration & Partnership

We cycled through a few design ideas and we ended up with 5 large images. We had them cut in 720 2” x 2” squares.  Then they each needed to be glued onto the individual blocks – and glue I did!  

5 days later and the five sides of the 144 blocks were ready for their close ups.  Leah Rifkin (my trusty side-kick) & I set to work on a stop motion test (a first for both of us). After a couple false starts, we got the ball rolling.  And we discovered something unexpected – the blocks had personalities!  There were “Eager Beavers” and “Pushy Pauls,” some were lost and confused and we both developed a favourite blockhead who we dubbed “the Late-comer”.

Happy with our progress, I started again the following morning with Josh Kaplan (side-kick #2) and we choreographed ideas for the whole video.  A day and a half and thousands of precise movements later (and quite proud of ourselves, I might add!) we had finished the in-camera stop motion film.

Then I set to work on the finishing touches.

Dorothy took one look and knew it needed a soundtrack reminiscent of Spike Jones.  After finding the music, plus a session of crazy foley from everyone around the office and a drop of colour correction – voila!  A stop-motion animation we could all be proud of was finished!  Watch it HERE!

Thanks Josh, Leah and Partners in Art for giving me the chance to come out of my crafty closet!

After 3 months of research, content and technology audits we completed our Digital Strategy. Along the way we found some great best practices for engaging and educating: sticky tools and customized interactive plans on Mindtools; multi-platform distribution on HBR and TED-Ed’s crowd-sourced lesson plans are leading the way in the space.

Once we delivered our recommendations we moved to produce a number of content marketing pieces for their BE BOLD conference. Fascinating women and leadership was the focus and as always we were inspired along the way.

We’re excited to watch as they execute their new vision moving forward.

Steve Lang: Junior High DJ

Steve spent junior high blasting out Depeche Mode and Air Supply mixtapes every Friday at his school dances. As mixtapes became burned CDs and Walkmans became iPods, Steve made it his mission to watch technology change and grow. Now, he’s our go-to guy for all things tech and electronic. In fact, we think of Steve as the “Q white knight” – someone who saves your butt every time your computer (or the printer) goes awry right before a big deadline.

Menaka Mallikage: Sunday School Teacher

Menaka’s Buddhist roots are part of what makes her the sweetest and most thoughtful member of the Q family. But her time spent teaching little guys between 4 and 6 years old is what makes her so patient with all of us. Yes, we ask her the same questions 30 times a day, and yes, she will make suggestions about how to better our workflow, that we realize is awesome….8 months after she has made the suggestion, but she still puts up with us! She even honed her fantastic storytelling skills at Sunday school, using ancient tales of the Buddha as a way to teach the kids each Buddhist lesson.

Steve Field: Produce Clerk

Steve’s always up for anything – wanna shoot all weekend and cut a video in 24 hours? Sure! Wanna drive in from Brampton to meet the crew for 6AM before you go on the road? Sure! Wanna carry this huge piece of gear up 3 flights of stairs? Sure! “The customer is always right” is a strong motto for this one – always willing to help however he can, and he always does it without complaint. And having to carry 50 pound boxes of food on a regular basis certainly helped build the muscles to carry all of our gear (he’s like a pack-horse!)

Dorothy Engelman: Bartender

This one is not that surprising. Dorothy’s always on the move, whether it be to a meeting, to a shoot, to someone’s desk for an edit, or off to a fundraiser for one of the many organizations she supports. She’s fast-moving and can balance all her projects and commitments – and do a whole bunch of other things, all at once. And she has a knack for making people feel comfortable and open, an interview tactic perfected over pouring pints and listening to her regulars.

Stewart MacLean: Windsor Bus Driver

It’s almost impossible to think of always-active Stew as a driver behind the big wheel of a city bus. He’s the type of guy that bikes when there is a wind-chill of -100 and he’s always the last one in the office packing the gear after a 12 hour shoot. But his ability to be all-smiles no matter the hour comes from those “behind-the-wheel” experiences, chatting and helping his passengers find their way around the city.

Richard Quinlan: Bike Courier

Yep, the calmest man in the office used to be tearing frantically down the dangerous streets of Toronto. But that’s why Richard can handle anything that comes at him during the day – crunched deadlines, or an urgent budget request don’t even compare to Toronto traffic, collisions or a super direct delivery request to Yorkdale during rush hour. He’s cool as a cucumber and the great part is, he helps the rest of us keep our cool too.

Christine McGlade: Children’s Television Show Host – “You Can’t do that on TV”

Lots of you may remember this show and Christine’s alter ego “Moose” being slimed or pie’d in the face. But Christine learned a whole lot more than to fear the phrase “I don’t know” during her time on this long-standing show. Long hours and quick script turn-arounds helped Christine hone her amazing work ethic and the devotion she gives to everything. While co-writing a lot of the show with her fellow cast members, she discovered the power of collaboration and is now a must-have on any team project we’ve got going on!

Amber Sziklasi: OnStar – Welcome Call

Although she has some pretty funny stories about trying to decipher the heavy Texan accent of some OnStar car owners, it’s her welcoming attitude that she’s carried over to Q. She’s hard-working, friendly and a problem solver – all traits that are valuable when talking to someone who is horribly lost or just had a collision.

Graeme Mathieson: Knife Set Salesman

The first word you think of when you meet Graeme? Charming. A skill discovered during his summer as a door-to-door knife salesman. But it also means that Graeme is, at his core, a fearless salesman – and I mean that in the nicest way possible. When he feels strongly about a creative choice, he makes sure his voice is heard – and his boundary-pushing visions encourage us to think outside the box! His “talk to anyone” attitude means he’s a client favorite here at Q.

Shannon Harvey: Nature Guide

Shannon can chat with anyone, anywhere. Her positive attitude, wicked sense of humor and arsenal of conversation-starters means she’s comfortable in any situation – and a great “Community Manager” for our online social site Getinvolved.ca. Her “gift of gab” was a skill nurtured by her time as a Nature Tour Guide in Picton, a job that definitely requires being knowledgeable and likeable.

Jeremy McCracken: Television Extra

Watch La Femme Nikita or The Outer Limits closely and look for a young Jeremy creeping around in the background. As an extra, he had the opportunity to see “behind-the-curtain”, where he could watch the director and producer’s process and learn what the job required. And man, is Jeremy ever fit for the role he has here at Q – he’s seen all the cutting edge documentaries, the newest viral videos and the best t.v. shows. Name a director and he can tell you something you never knew about him/her. A research skill I am sure was honed by his hours of standing around on set.

Caitie Drewery: Barista

Weird hours, urgent requests, strong customer service and literally being run off your feet by the end of the day? That’s a Starbucks barista for you. Strangely enough, I think my work at Starbucks (both in Toronto and out in Halifax during university) was one of the best “real life” preparations I’ve ever had. If I can handle the 8AM rush hour at the Yorkville location, (I’m talking folks who order “a tall non-fat extra hot sugar-free vanilla soy extra foam cappuccino with room for milk”) then I can take on just about anything.

Creative Director.  Football (soccer!) fanatic.  Q Charmer.

Favourite expression:  One Love.

Favourite children’s book: Where The Wild Things Are (I have 2 figurines of characters from the book, which I got only a few years back – shhh).

Website you visit the most: I hate to admit, Facebook. Close 2nd, Vimeo – keeps me inspired.

A free day is spent:  Playing football or watching football. I’m using the term football to refer to the sport where you kick the ball with your foot, ie. soccer. Truthfully, I could care less what you call it – any which way, it’s my passion.

Biggest pet peeve:  Clutter. I’m self diagnosed – well, also diagnosed by many others – as OCD. Can’t stand clutter. It drives me crazy. Just ask my partner or any of my colleagues. The OCD does go beyond just clutter too

Favourite story to tell: My trip to Jamaica when I was in my early 20s (my family is from there, so I used to visit a lot growing up), this time however I got to meet Rita Marley on my last day, had a great experience with her gardner’s select plant harvest and, well the rest I’ll let you know if you ask me in person…

Dream project: A feature length documentary or film about the journey of my ancestors to Jamaica, who came from West Africa, Great Britian and the Arawak tribes in the Caribbean. The written history that we have thus far is a really interesting story. We have a detailed family tree that goes back 8 generations.

Something quirky about yourself:

Bob Marley. Sir Alex Ferguson. My grand-parents – never knew my father’s parents or my mother’s father. Sorry, that’s technically 6, but I’m sticking to it.