Greetings from 'ollywood Nord

We're on-set today, shooting another Federal Government ad. In the past few months, we've shot in locations such as government offices, an aviation school, and a steel mill. But this one is different. We're actually creating a world from scratch.



Welcome to the coolest market in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Don't look for it in Lonely Planet, because it's actually on a sound stage by the chilly banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River. But just for one day, we're transporting a bunch of actors to Sicily. Or maybe it's Cyprus. Or Greece? Turkey? Lebanon?

The point is not to be too specific. The scenario is a Canadian tourist abroad, drinking in the local culture. The market has a region, but not a nation. It should remind viewers of the coolest travel experiences they've ever had... anywhere in the world.



It's our own little exotic Sesame Street, complete with all the people in the neighbourhood... even chickens. We're in Mel's, a group of hangar-like buildings used for Quebec and Hollywood films alike. The posters on the walls of the corridors boast of some of the movies filmed here: 300, Catch Me if You Can, The Aviator, and others.



At Acart, we've long benefited from a tight relationship with the Montreal film industry. Just two hours from our agency's front door, we have access to world-class production resources and people driven by the passion of knowing they are at the epicentre of their own culture's creative expression. This is the real Hollywood North, even if they often drop the "H".

Our production house on this shoot is Traffik, with Director Dominique Laurence. I won't reveal the client, or give any plot spoilers right now. Stay tuned for a full look behind-the-scenes when the ad is done and approved in a few weeks. It's gonna be way cool.