Toronto Film School is looking to attract students to a growing field by showing how it can make their dreams come true.
The institution’s new “Your In” marketing campaign is positioned around having an “in,” or inside track to industry jobs in acting, film production, writing, graphic design, interactive media and, increasingly of late, video game design, animation and development.
The hero video showcases the latest technology and captures students taking selfies at Yonge Dundas Square. This is interspersed with a young girl shooting a cutesy robot home movie on a Super 8, eventually graduating to what looks like a big budget sci fi feature.
Andrew Barnsley, president of the Toronto Film School, tells strategy the brand spot is meant to capture the essence of a young filmmaker fulfilling their dreams, but also the excitement of creative industries and big city life.
Anchored on a redesigned website, the video is shot with and by existing Toronto Film School students and alumni.
“The majority of the campaign was envisioned internally and tells a relatable story for many of our students,” Barnsley says.
According to Barnsley, the school’s differentiator is the practicality of what and how it teaches, prepping students by getting them hands on with equipment and industry experts very early in their education.
Barnsley tells strategy that he was recently on a trade delegation with the City of Toronto in Los Angeles, and major production studios were concerned about the lack of skilled labour. That’s something the school is actively trying to share not only with prospective students but parents looking to support their children as they make decisions about their post-secondary education.
“We hope that a future student or parent of a future student may see the video and understand that a future in the creative industries is a practical path with real in-demand careers,” Barnsley explains.
Hosted on YouTube and slated to be used as part of a paid campaign on Meta and TikTok, the video was filmed at 2D House studio, with Toronto VFX studio ArtJail providing support with colour correction. Enterprise Canada is providing PR support, with the media buy handled internally by the school.
“This is by far the most ambitious marketing campaign we’ve put together,” Barnsley says. “It’s the first time we’ve thought this big.”
Social media works well for the school in terms of attracting students, and Barnsley says it also has a successful TTC vehicle wrap that is paying dividends.
Barnsley, who was also executive producer of Schitt’s Creek, says there are very high profile shows coming out of Canada, and that it is a really good time to talk about these productions, as well as the burgeoning gaming space, to prospective students.
