In March 2023 our company had the honour of telling the story of the CIFAR AI for Energy & Environment Symposium in Toronto, where stakeholders from various sectors came together to shape the future of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy. The symposium focused on sustainable energy and the environment, attracting participants from academia, government, private companies, and philanthropic organizations. It aimed to guide the next steps of the strategy and foster collaboration in developing AI solutions to address climate change.

As video producers, capturing the day’s events and telling the story through video is crucial for establishing connections with the public and stakeholders. Video content has the power to engage audiences on a deeper level, allowing them to experience the symposium’s atmosphere and understand its significance. By showcasing the diverse range of participants and their discussions, the video promotes transparency and enables wider dissemination of CIFAR’s mission, goals, and progress in the field of AI for sustainable energy and the environment.

 

Following the video of the symposium we worked with CIFAR on the producing of four more videos for the Pan Canadian AI Strategy report. In this video Tony Gaffney, President and CEO of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence discusses what excites him the most about the future of AI.  Filmed on locations in the Vector office in the MaRS Discovery District.

 

We also produced a CIFAR video featuring Stephen Toope and Elissa Strome, discussing how Canada is leading the world in AI research, and the impact of the Pan-Canadian AI strategy.

Two more videos were produced for the other National AI Institutes — Amii in Edmonton and Mila in Montreal.  We consulted with the remote videographers to ensure a consistent look and feel, and all editing was done at our edit suite in Ontario.

 

The remotely produced videos for Mila and Amii above and below.

 

Photography for the Pan Canadian AI Strategy meeting was done on the same Canon EOS 1DX MkIII cameras and lenses we use to produce our videos. In these instances we are one compact team, providing hybrid photography / video services using cameras and lenses known for their extraordinary detail, low light performance and colour. Samples below.

 

Corporate CSR photography at CIFAR's sustainability symposium

Corporate CSR photography at CIFAR's sustainability symposium

Corporate CSR photography at CIFAR's sustainability symposium

Corporate CSR photography at CIFAR's sustainability symposium

Corporate CSR photography at CIFAR's sustainability symposium

Corporate CSR photography at CIFAR's sustainability symposium

All photography and video made on Canon’s EOS Cinema platform. To learn more about the work we do in the corporate and sustainability sector click here.


Video production for CIFAR (BTS)

For the executive interviews on the future of AI in Canada, CIFAR asked our team to include a few shots of the “setup” – lighting and audio around the interview subjects – to provide additional gravity to the session. We usually recommend having subjects talking to an off-camera interviewer anyway as this gives the viewer a sense of importance vs promotion. Seeing the setup is a natural extension of this idea so we were happy to oblige. Here’s a few behind the scenes moments we captured.

The setup at Vector Institute with tight and wide shots.

Moving discretely around the meeting with a Canon 70-200mm F2.8 on a monopod.

Setting up an exterior time-lapse.

Kathleen Sandusky was kind enough to sit with us for a testimonial about AOS’ performance throughout this project. Watch below.