Photo: © Toyota Canada Inc. 2019. Used with permission
May 21, 2019
A new video showcasing Toyota’s 2019 RAV4 has been attracting a great deal of views and shares – as much for its location, as for the vehicle itself.
The short, which could easily be mistaken as a tourism piece for the Yellowknife area, captures and promotes a variety of local visitor experiences along with the 2019 RAV4.
Toyota’s promotion of the video leaves no doubt: “Incredible hidden gems, unforgettable local guides, mouth-watering regional cuisine. Join us on our first journey as host Michael Musi sets off in the all-new RAV4 Trail to discover More Out There in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.”
Actor/producer Michael Musi, known for his work on Kim’s Convenience (2016) and The Kindness of Strangers (2019) hosts the introduction to both the SUV and the NWT.
His visit and adventures were lined up with the help of local fixer Rachelle Francoeur (NordYK).
Q: What’s a fixer?
A: A local fixer arranges interviews, location permits, transport, hotels, meals or anything that an out of town crew might need for a shoot. Sometimes also referred to as a production coordinator, or local producer, this person needs to know film, the area where filming is taking place, and have the magic touch to get things done.
From commercials to documentaries to feature films, producers looking to film the NWT can find everything from fixers to cultural consultants to animal handlers on the NWT Film Commissions’ Suppliers Guide – just one of the services provided by NWT Film to promote and attract film production to the NWT.
Musi gets his first taste of the North, literally, by helping local chef Kim Burke of Bullock’s prepare some whitefish. Other stops include: Joe Buffalo Child of North Star Adventures who plays tour guide for a drive along the Detah ice road.
“Is this the ice road? Musi asks, “it just looks like frozen water…”
Meanwhile, Randy Jen (the Fish Whisperer) teaches Musi how to ice-fish – then kiss a fish; and Francoeur herself appears in the video as she shows Musi, barely capable of containing his excitement, the magic of the Northern Lights.
It all plays out between highlights of how well the RAV4 can handle the true North.
Increased activity in the film sector generates benefits in other areas of the economy. Exposing the NWT, its residents, adventures and stories through film and television serves to increase interest and economic activity in our North.
Building linkages between film and tourism is a goal of Take One: NWT Film Strategy and Action Plan, which guides the GNWT’s approach and investments in building the NWT’s burgeoning film industry.
Related: Familiarization Tours Continue
The Toyota video has already garnered over 5,100 views for the company and its new SUV. And with each new view it leaves behind a message:
“Find out what makes the Northwest Territories a place that people from across Canada fall in love with after just one visit. No matter what makes you tick, this region provides a sense of freedom that’s very appealing.”
“It’s going to be really hard to top this,” Musi says about his experience, as the video concludes.