The project, co-produced in tandem with Spice Creative Inc, included both a promotional video tour of the building and city, and a in-depth 17 minute documentary film celebrating the Crest’s 50th Anniversary! Being family-owned and operated for over 5 decades now, the Hotel has a moving story that has been told through interviews and narration in the video. The Spice Creative team created a beautifully designed and in-depth 100-page History and Cookbook launch to the public mid-October 2011.

Following the October 10th 2011 celebration date, the Crest Hotel CEO had this to say regarding the 50th Anniversary film:

“It’s first class. Outstanding Job. I had tears in my eyes watching – It was very well spiced together with the commentary … the way you fit it together. Well done, thank you.”
- Steve Smith, The Crest Hotel

Crest Hotel Promotional Video Tour

Crest Hotel 50th Anniversary Film

Visit Spice Creative – Marketing with KICK!

View the Crest History & Cookbook at the Crest Hotel website: www.cresthotel.bc.ca

UVic Lipdub (Canada) – “Haven’t Met You Yet” by Michael Bublé (HD)

Hours before the internet debut, first-time director Shawn Slavin setup the video to a cheering crowd of approximately three-hundred at the University of Victoria’s Student Union Building on Friday, October 22^nd. The showing received National coverage with CBC Television in attendance, in addition to the local media: Times Colonist, Victoria News and CHEK TV making return appearances. Donations collected at the door went to the BC Children’s Hospital and United Way furthering fundraising.

CBC News: The National – Peter Mansbridge, UVic Lipdub Viral Video, Victoria BC

The idea for a lipdub music video came to Slavin after seeing the fantastic May lipdub production made in Spain by Universitat de Vic – a university also calling itself ‘UVic’!  The video featuring students singing and dancing to ‘Hey Soul Sister’ by Train quickly went viral peaking the interests of many in Victoria.  “After seeing the other UVic Lipdub video, I decided that we would have to make one too…show the world what we can do,” said an excited Slavin. Upon discovering Victoria-based Aclara Promotions, Slavin was instantly sold;  “Their style of shooting pushes the boundaries to the point where it stands out far beyond anything else I’ve seen,” he said of the production team.

Aclara Promotions recently had National TV exposure though a rock music video it created for the band Cole Grifter. Directed by Christopher Ruffell, the stylized video ‘Habit’ debuted at number one on MuchMusic’s MuchLOUD channel. The talented director of Photography (DoP) from the Cole Grifter music video, Karl Schoepp, shared the DoP role on Lipdub with Ruffell. When asked of the lipdub video’s real-time production demands, Schoepp said “It forced us to become extremely efficient and try to plan ahead as much as possible.” He continued, “It was weird to have hundreds of people watching us do lighting/camera work – we would rarely have this happen on a film set.” Alex Campbell, a member of the lipdub volunteer film crew added, “It really speaks to the ability of everyone involved that they were able to produce such an impressive product despite the stressful situation.” Ruffell affirmed – “This project definitely benefited from the crew’s experience on the strenuous Cole Grifter music video shoot.”

The UVic Lipdub video is presented as a long shot weaving through various buildings on the university’s campus.  Students were placed throughout the buildings and danced past the camera to the tune of Michael Bublé’s ‘Haven’t Met You Yet.’  The video finishes with a grand shot from the roof of the McPhersen library looking down over nearly 1000 choreographed extras performing a routine orchestrated by Koh McRadu.“My whole purpose in doing this project is to have fun and bring students together on campus.  …I want this to be talked about for the next year” said Shawn Slavin.  “This is what bringing community together is all about,” continued Christopher Ruffell, “we are proud to be a part of this event in Victoria’s – and Internet – history.”

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Media Contact:
Christopher Ruffell, Aclara Promotions
www.aclarapromotions.com
250-516-0211

Related New Articles:
http://www.uviclipdub.com/
http://twitter.com/uviclipdub
UVic Lipdub Launched – Shown on CBC’s “The National”

“We knew video would be a powerful way to tell READ’s story, but we never expected it would reconnect us with former students and learn about the impact READ has had on their lives,” says Claire Rettie, READ’s executive director.

Serendipity was at play when Aclara Promotions’ hired Jordan Harbour to write READ’s script. At the time, Aclara Promotions’ principal Christopher Ruffell had no idea that Harbour had attended READ classes as a child. “I came to READ when I was in Grade 3 because I couldn’t read. Today, I’m a professional writer,” says Harbour. “I remember what it felt like to be teased as a kid because I couldn’t read, and it created all kinds of social problems for me because it affected my self-esteem.” He was able to use his unique insight into READ’s impact when writing the script and interviewing current students during the filming.

The two-minute promotional video, shot in High Definition for cutting-edge internet distribution, showcases READ’s volunteers, parents and students and shares the story of the organization, which was established in 1976. One of the video’s featured parents is Jarka Piecuch, an esthetician at the Ginger Group salon. In another happy coincidence, Piecuch reconnected with READ after she was asked for a donation for the Society’s recent gala fundraiser. Although READ had lost touch with Piecuch, she was eager to help because her daughter attended READ about 20 years ago after they immigrated from Poland. “READ helped my daughter when I could not,” Piecuch says in the video.

“Video is an amazing way to tell stories. Even I am continually amazed by its power,” says Ruffell, who was recently in the news for his involvement with the UVic Libdub. The Lipdub, shot and released around the same time as READ’s video has proven itself a success by achieving 70,000 views in less than four whole days! The up and coming Aclara Promotions has produced videos for other non-profits, including the Our Place Society. Christopher Ruffell went on; “We are a socially conscious business – we have an affinity with our community too.”

View the video at www.readsociety.bc.ca or www.aclarapromotions.com.

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Media Contacts
READ Society: Claire Rettie at 250-388-7225
Aclara Promotions: Chris Ruffell at 25-516-0211

For the City of Langford’s annual parade, to highlight the Westhills development, a miniature ‘house’ was put on the back of a trailer and towed down Goldstream Ave.  This was all part of developer Keycorp Consulting and the City of Langford’s ambitious plan to turn the thriving community into an urban masterpiece.

Aclara Promotions was asked to team with the marketing team that will see Westhills’ latest phase launched to success.  As part of the parade, two large LCD screens were placed on either side of the house.  Aclara Promotions created the video that was broadcast out to the community.

The Westhills development is situated along gorgeous Langford Lake not far from the city centre and is destined to become one of Canada’s top green communities.  With wooded trails winding between ultra-green family homes, the development seeks to enhance nature, not to build over it.

“Working with Aclara Promotions has been amazing” said Christy Smith, Top Banana at Spice Creative. “The video was produced under challenging circumstances with very little lead time.  The final product has incredible WOW factor, and many stakeholders, including the developers, future homeowners, and community at large are thoroughly impressed with the outcome…”

Having recently developed a top quality promotional video about the eco-giant Dockside Green, Westhills seemed like a perfect fit.  “It matches our strong commitment to support green development,” said Christopher Ruffell of Aclara Promotions, “and we were thrilled with the quality of this video.  It’s fantastic to be able to support Langford’s bid on the international stage of urban design.  We’re excited to work on Westhills in Langford again!”

Aclara Promotions is a video production house located in Victoria, BC.  With a team of seasoned professionals that include a writing department, lighting, camera and even an in-house voice actor, Aclara Promotions creates high quality video.  “They handled the project professionally,” said Rohan Rupf , the Marketing Director at Keycorp Consulting, “we’re definitely looking to work with Aclara Promotions on future video projects.”

The Westhills video can currently be seen at the Westhills showhome, open daily 1-4PM at the Westhills development, or online on Westhill’s YouTube Channel.

Related Links:
Westhills Development
Spice Creative
Keycorp Consulting
City of Langford
Aclara Promotions
StoryArc Communications

The video is a perfect blend of everything a top promotional video should have.  Cutting between Greg Martel and the testimonials of two satisfied clients, the video shows some stunning clips of new developments around Victoria.  The experience is rounded out with interactive graphics and the voice of Aclara Promotions’ own house narrator.

“It was great to receive different cuts of the video after such a short time,” noted Lia Robbins, the media liaison at Harbour View Mortgages, “the whole process was very speedy.”  Working around the clock, Aclara Promotions’ staff had a unique opportunity not only to work with Greg and his team, but also with social media experts Sunstar Creative, who helped re-brand the company and develop the website.

“We aimed to set the bar high with this video,” said Aclara Promotions principal, Christopher Ruffell, “It’s a classic example of what can be done not just for financial providers, but for organizatons of all stripes.”  Overall, the professional experience and business relationships that were developed made the Greg Martel video a raging success.  “We would definitely recommend Aclara Promotions,” said Lia Robbins. Terri Davies added “Video on the home page is perfect for conveying this message, and Aclara Promotions is the obvious choice for professional video production.”

About Aclara Promotions
The heart and soul of Aclara Promotions is found in our dedication to quality. Because our mission is to exceed our client’s expectations, we first seek to exceed our own. Every stage in our process, from writing to photography to editing, is completed with pride.

About SunStar Creative
Sunstar Creative Inc. believes in bridging the gap between brilliant businesses and effective online marketing. We incorporate state-of-the-art web development, online marketing, graphic design, and social media to create a remarkable online presence for each of our clients. Our specialty is the production of Inbound Marketing Platforms for small and medium sized businesses around the world.

To gain more information about Greg and to watch his video, visit his website: www.gregmartel.com

“A Taste of Britain came alive through the video presentation by Aclara Promotions,” said Reverend Al Tysick of Our Place, referring to the production company that made the film, “what a gift of kindness and generosity.”  To help add depth to the film, the Aclara Promotions team was given a full tour of the facility, which included very clean showering areas, a games room, nursing stations and a host of other services.  They were also able to film one of the permanent housing units, and to catch the large kitchen in action.  “Our Place Society has really dispelled the myth that street life has to end in tragedy,” said Christopher Ruffell, principal of Aclara promotions, “Our Place is a living model for empowerment and hope.”

‘Hope & Belonging at Victoria’s Our Place Society’ can be viewed at Aclara Promotions – Click Here to View

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Our Place is a non-profit society formed by the alliance of the Open Door and The Upper Room in 2006. It offers a sense of belonging to Greater Victoria’s most vulnerable citizens. Our Place provides a home, nourishment and hope through living, sharing, learning and worshipping together.

Aclara Promotions is a promotional video production company offering distinctive cinema-style production value to local organizations and businesses. Contact Aclara Promotions to discuss how they can help create a video for you.

This documentary tells the story of a unique development in Victoria, BC. While other developments meet the minimum standards of sustainability, Dockside uses this as a first principle. It follows a ‘triple bottom line’ approach, where equal weight is given to ecology, economics, and society. Occupying water front property near Victoria’s downtown core, it has become the pride to the city, and receives visitors from around the world.

Future projects include an extended version of the documentary, where a broader approach will place Dockside into the context of Victoria’s evolving relationship with sustainabilit.

Natural Growth: The Story of Dockside Green was produced/shot by Christopher Ruffell and written/directed by Jordan Harbour. An Aclara Promotions Production.

To Read more, visit the Natural Growth page on Aclara Promotions…

Related Links:
Natural Growth Press Release
Deborah Curran & Company Website
The City of Victoria Website
Mayor Dean Fortin’s Website
Dockside Green’s Website
Dockside’s Architect’s Busby Perkins + Wil Website
Farmer Construction’s Website
Selkirk’s Architect Fran D’Ambrosio’s Website