MBiz

C a p i ta l Brand X and the City Winnipeg is ready for its closeup in web series by David Schmeichel  Audiences have long loved TV shows where the setting serves as its own character, from The Wire's morally-bankrupt Baltimore to the randy rhythms of Manhattan in Mad Men or Sex and the City. And it seems Winnipeg's downtown may soon have its turn in the spotlight, thanks to a new web series that seeks to channel the district's brand potential. WindCity is the brainchild of Paul Vieira, who's made impressive headway with a branded-content series that's being jointly produced by Frantic Films, MidCanada Production Services and Vieira's own Starfish Media. Like branded-content successes such as Ikea's Easy to Assemble, the project seeks to reconcile audiences' increasing demand for online content with their impatience with traditional forms of advertising. "How do brands engage with an audience that for the most part hates advertising?" asks Vieira. "The big idea here is instead of a brand interrupting your leisure time, what if the  brand provided it? So instead of renting someone else's audience for a 30-second commercial spot, what if the brands could create their own audience?" On the surface, WindCity will chart the exploits of an eclectic group of urban-dwellers as they live, work and play in downtown Winnipeg. But branding and marketing opportunities are built into the series, allowing for local businesses to get on board. "In some cases, they're hiring Hollywood producers and spending millions of dollars on these series, but what about here in Winnipeg, where most companies wouldn't have the budget to afford that?" Vieira says. Local brands will be able to buy in at different levels of exposure — everything from being featured in establishing shots or standard product placements to entire scenes that take place at a sponsoring  locale. The pilot episode has been shot, thanks to early involvement from the Winnipeg Convention Centre. It will be shopped around to stakeholders who've shown interest, among them the City of Winnipeg, the Hudson's Bay Company and The Forks. Convention Centre president Klaus Lahr says he was impressed with Vieira's enthusiasm and creativity, and with the timing of the project. "With all of the exciting things that are happening downtown — the revitalization, the new restaurants, the new buildings being opened — the whole concept of being a 'Win City' is very exciting right now," Lahr says. "I can see this going viral and making huge waves out there in the market — or drawing attention to Winnipeg and the character of the city, and the desire to live downtown." WindCity's writing team includes film and theatre vets Rebecca Gibson, Tricia Cooper and Sarah Constible, who also have roles. The cast is rounded out by Adam Hurtig and Karl Thordarson in lead roles, and includes fiddling singer-songwriter Sierra Noble in her acting debut. Branded messaging and artistic integrity might make for uneasy bedfellows, but Vieira is committed to ensuring the project's commercial aspects don't overshadow its entertainment value. "Story and entertainment have to come first, and so far the brands we've approached have really understood that," he says. "Everyone's going to win if the story is entertaining and doesn't feel like a big long commercial." Future episodes will run anywhere from five to 10 minutes long. Later plotlines may focus on new characters, but the one constant will be Winnipeg. The city will also directly inform characters' lives, in particular the sense that all Winnipeggers are connected in some way. "I heard someone say recently that people stay in Winnipeg for love," Vieira says. "People are always asking, 'How can you stay there? It's so cold.' We stay because we're connected to our family and our friends, and this show will really depict that." www.paulvieira.ca Reel people: WindCity actors include Alan Castanaga, Adam Hurtig and Abbey Thickson (top two photos from left). Hurtig and Rebecca Gibson walk and talk (centre). Karl Thordarson, Gibson, Hurtig and Sierra Noble share screen time (bottom from left). Photos courtesy of Paul Vieira 26 MBiz November 2012

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