Stories
News, project launches and thoughts from our team.
PROJECT LAUNCH: Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine
Choosing a university is one of the most difficult decisions a young person will make. For pre-med students, a top quality educational experience needs to combine with other elements, like practicum and research opportunities, to be considered truly well-rounded.
McMaster’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is renowned for educational and research excellence. With campuses in Waterloo, Niagara and Downtown Hamilton, virtually every type of educational and practicum opportunity is possible. This creates a marketing challenge all its own – with so many options, how do you adequately showcase the program to potential students? In such a hugely competitive post-secondary market, how do universities stand out?
At Double Barrel, we are grateful to have a long history with McMaster. We were thrilled when the outreach department at the DeGroote School of Medicine got in touch. We love having the opportunity to showcase what makes programs unique – and this was a particularly interesting challenge.
After multiple creative discussions with the team leads from each region, we honed in on one simple fact: the experiences that McMaster’s medical program offers are as unique as the students themselves. Each undergraduate can mix and match the program options to best suit them, their particular specialization and career goals. This is where we took our inspiration.
Through individual student stories, we highlighted specific regions, campuses and the practicum opportunities that exist within. Our three students – Steven Huynh (Hamilton), Kaylyn Merrifield (Waterloo) and Barbara Tatham (Niagara) were documented from home to classroom to work placements, while their personal narratives describe why they feel particularly drawn to the medical profession. The resulting video vignettes are personal, emotive and uniquely entertaining, highlighting just how varied your experience can be through the Michael G. DeGroote School.
Says Program Coordinator Lea Matulovic, “Roz, Lee and the entire Double Barrel Studios team made working on this dynamic project a great experience. They were extremely organized and provided us with the flexibility required to capture a vast variety of individuals and locations. Their professional, yet fun approach made for easy collaboration and their expertise; creativity; and willingness to understand and meet their client’s needs resulted in a finished product that exceeded our expectations!”
Thanks to the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine for bringing us on board!
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Taking the Stigma out of Student Mental Health
For parents, talking about mental health with their teens can be a seemingly uphill task. Oftentimes, kids suffer and keep their struggles hidden for far too long – and by the time they finally ask for help, it’s much harder to intervene.
Many parents aren’t aware that help exists within the school system, that trained professionals are waiting and willing to lend a hand if they’re given the opportunity.
The Halton District School Board is one of these school boards – progressive in their approach to student mental health. When they came to us with the important task of creating a video that would raise awareness amongst parents of the mental health services that they offer to students in the district – it was a challenge that we took very seriously.
“Mental health and well-being is everyone’s responsibility and requires a whole-school and community approach,” says David Euale, Director of Education for the Halton District School Board. “We know positive mental health and student achievement are closely connected. We hope this video helps to create awareness of mental health issues and an environment that supports our students to succeed.”
Written and directed by Tyler Tekatch, stunningly shot by Christoph Benfey, crafted in the edit suite by Vanessa Crosbie Ramsay and sound mixed by the lads at Hive Studios – this is a piece that we are exceedingly proud of.
“This project was compelling to me because it was a chance to collaborate with drama students from the HDSB, all of whom were eager to participate, and to work with a school board that wanted to open up the conversation about mental health,” says director Tyler Tekatch. “The stigma regarding mental health is something that our society as a whole needs to break down, and the HDSB is taking the necessary steps to do that in their schools.”
Marnie Denton, Manager of Communication for the HDSB, had this to say about working with us ~ “Double Barrel Studios found a creative way to present the topic of Mental Health awareness for us. They took all our information and distilled it down to the essential points that needed to be communicated. From our first meeting to the final edits it was a pleasure to work with their team.”
