Simcoe County is one of the most diverse counties in Ontario in terms of geography, people and economics. There are approximately 500,000 inhabitants, 31 000 acres of county forests - from cites to farmland, from mountains to 500KM of shoreline, Simcoe County offers something for everyone. In order to showcase Simcoe County to the world, Lift Communications teamed up with Chopper Pictures to produce a 12 minute video highlighting economic development, education, sports and recreation and social services.

We had a great time shooting this as there truly is something for everyone in Simcoe County. Highlights for us included a fantastic day at Wasaga Beach, pints of beer at Creemore Springs and great food at Tesoro in Collingwood. It's a tough job but somebody's gotta do it!

Part 1 of 2 of a series of vignettes designed to illustrate the social cost of psoriasis. A seemingly innocuous invitation provides Susan with some anxioius moments.

Part 2 of 2 of a series of vignettes designed to illustrate the social cost of psoriasis.

For most of us the proverbial 'first date' can be nerve-wracking - what to wear, where to go, will he/she like me, will I like them? Now add to the mix the pain and unpredictability of Crohn's disease and you have the makings of a truly stressful evening. This is precisely the situation facing Jimmy, a Crohn's disease sufferer, as he anxiously awaits the arrival of Holly. Between each short vignette audience reaction was gaged through a moderated Q & A session. Click to see how Jimmy makes out.

CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital. Annually CAMH celebrates the transformation of 7 people in Ontario who have overcome tremendous battles with mental health and/or addiction.

Their stories are remarkable in their frankness and disarming in their honesty. For 10 years, Chopper Pictures producer/director Richard Peirce has produced a mini-documentary on each recipient. Everyone has a story - these are truly inspirational. This year's Transforming Lives Awards was held in Toronto on May 12, 2009. Here is Brian Glasow's story.

Mind Over Migraine 2 is the second installment in a series designed to enlighten viewers about the potentially disabling effects of migraine. Derse Creative Director, Pete Riddell and TD, Stephen Streibig were set with the task of creating a simulator that would take viewers through a day in the life of a migraine sufferer. The final design uses a cone of silence, 3 separate 15" 4:3 screens butted up beside each other, and 5.1 surround sound to create a dynamic widescreen presentation. Then came the challenge of what to put on the screen and how to film a virtual 3 camera perspective with only one camera? That's where we came in.

An early solution involved a custom made 3 camera rig, but keeping the perspectives aligned proved next to impossible. The eventual solution involved filming in HD, masking in camera and onset monitors to the desired widescreen composition which included 2 vertical lines delineating the 3 screens. Not only did you have to be aware of the usual film set challenges, but you needed to ensure that all of the action was taking place within the areas delineated by the vertical lines. Post production involved editing in SD, conforming back to HD, then extracting left, centre and right screen SD cut downs. The result was a headache - and that was a good thing.

View the first Mind Over Migraine piece, here

Directed by Robert Cuffley. DP Michel Bisson. Music/sound design Michael Stanutz

It seems even the Great One and Chopper Pictures could not save Thermablade. Makers of the 'heated skate blade', Thermablade recently filed an 'NOI' as provided under the Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. It was a bitter disappointment for the fledgling company. However the decision by the NHL not to allow Thermablades during the '08/'09 season, coupled with the current economic downturn forced the company to file the NOI.

Chopper had a blast working on the project (hockey time is anytime!) and working/meeting/filming with 'The Great One' was a highlight. A disappointing end to an intriguing product that still holds the potential to truly revolutionize the game of hockey.

For the ThermaBlade Launch Video, click here

How are you? It's a question we get asked all the time. In the case of our protaganist, Chris, it's a question she takes very seriously. Recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, Chris's quality of life is suffering. A visit to her doctor, however, signals hope for the future.

Animations by Hybrid Medical. Music by Mike Stanutz. DP Michel Bisson.