VFS Film Production alumni join Vancouver Canucks on set of “Mission Home”

Towards the end of each year, hockey fans eagerly await the release of a new Vancouver Canucks in-arena cinematic video. While last year’s video The Call of Destiny took us on a mythical quest through mountains and crystalline caves (and featured a cameo by actor Cobie Smulders), this year’s cinematic is out of this world… literally. Titled Mission Home, the four-minute film frames the Canucks as spacefaring heroes coming home, featuring a nostalgic touch that connects fans across eras while delivering big production value.

While we can’t get enough of the references to Star Wars, E.T., and WALL-E, our favourite part is undoubtedly the news that four Vancouver Film School Film Production alumni helped bring this film to life! Steffie Wong, Josiah Erwin, Alexander Kochenko, and Kyle Sorley all worked on set of Mission Home in various roles, and we’re proud to share these behind-the-scenes details.

Watch the full Mission Home video below:

HOW VFS’S FILM STUDENTS HELPED ON SET OF “MISSION HOME”

From producer’s assistants to camera trainees and beyond, Vancouver Film School alumni got firsthand experience on a fast-paced industry set. Working alongside the Canucks’ professional production team, they supported everything from day-to-day logistics to technical operations, the kind of hands-on experience that exemplifies VFS’s industry-immersive training model and connection to industry.

On set, alumni assisted in various departments, providing production support to keep pace with a staggering 100 setups a day – akin to “shooting eight commercials in one weekend,” shared director Michael Pohorly in an exclusive interview with The Georgia Straight.

For our alumni, this was an opportunity to see exactly how professional directors, DPs, and assistant directors work on-set, earn real credits, and contribute to one of the most-watched cinematic projects in Vancouver every year.

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE MAKING OF “MISSION HOME”

Shot at Vancouver Film Studios from September 13–14, Mission Home was directed and creatively led by Michael Pohorly, who similarly directed last year’s The Call of Destiny video for the Canucks. After an unexpected pivot from ice to studio (they couldn’t access the ice this year), the creative team turned this obstacle into an opportunity when they devised an entirely new concept: an intergalactic sci-fi adventure.

The production built life-size cockpit/spacecraft sets and relied on lighting, practical smoke/fog and creative camera moves to deliver a Top-Gun/space-dogfight energy without elaborate moving rigs – all in one short weekend.

Starring This Is Us’ Justin Hartley as the narrator and featuring cameos from former goaltender Kirk McLean and other current Canucks players, the end result is simultaneously nostalgic, emotional, and powerful.

“Mission Home is told through the lens of a fun sci-fi adventure, but at its core, it’s about the bond between the team, the fans, and the city,” commented Pohorly in his Georgia Straight interview.

VFS FILM PRODUCTION ALUMNI SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE

Our alumni had THE BEST time working alongside the Canucks. They recently shared their on-set training experience, highlighting what they learned and how the opportunity helped advance their careers:

“My experience on set was incredible. I had the pleasure of helping with some pre-production, and being able to observe the efficiency, communication, and creativity of experienced industry folks during prep was very inspiring,” commented Josiah Erwin, who worked as a Camera Trainee. “It has benefited me greatly as I learned how to remain professional but also have fun while working in the film industry. I also think it has boosted my career by giving me opportunities and connections that would have been hard to attain without VFS’s help.”

Steffie Wong shared similar sentiments: “Working as a producer's assistant on the Canucks shoot was a great learning experience,” she noted. “[I saw] firsthand how a real production works and learning how to stay organized, communicate clearly and support the producers effectively."

“It’s always an honour working with Mike and his crew of extremely talented people,” Kyle Sorley added. “This is the second year I’ve been on one of these projects and it’s always the coolest thing ever to me – especially as a lifelong Canucks fan. I’ve benefited a lot from being on these projects making friends/connections and even opportunities for bigger roles. It’s also just so inspiring watching how it all goes down; I’m always learning something new.”

“It was an incredible experience,” Alexander Kochenko concluded. “I had the chance to meet all the hockey players, to see how this large set operates, how four cameras work simultaneously, and how all the departments operate together. Since then, my career just took off. I met incredible people from the industry, many of them union workers, and I got the chance to talk to them, present myself and work with some of them even after the shoot. It felt like real on-the-job training, a real shoot, and when you see the final result, it is mind-blowing.”

These experiences ultimately highlight just how meaningful projects like this can be for emerging filmmakers.

READY TO TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP INTO VANCOUVER’S FILM INDUSTRY?

All it takes is 1 short year to acquire the skills you need to work on an industry set just like this one! Whether you’re interested in directing, producing, cinematography, post-production, or production design, Vancouver Film School’s Film Production program has you covered.

You’ll not only train hands-on in pro-grade facilities (i.e., black box studios, a green screen room, and even a mocap volume!) – you’ll graduate with a powerful production reel that will show studios that you know how to get the job done.

Visit vfs.edu to begin your creative journey!

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