Before *Jessie set foot on the set of Murdoch Mysteries, an award-winning Canadian television drama series set in 19th century Toronto, she thought she had a good idea of how TV shows were made.
A few days spent on set and in the writers’ room widened her perspective on the television industry.
“I had no idea how many different jobs make a television show come to life,” she said, noting that while she’s seen the credits roll at the end of a film, seeing it in person was powerful. “My mind was opened to so many possibilities.”
This was exactly the goal of a new partnership between Covenant House Toronto and Shaftesbury, a local production company that makes Murdoch Mysteries and countless other Canadian television shows.
Michael Seater, a member of Covenant House’s Next Gen Council, which is made up of young professionals who help support Covenant House youth through fundraising and forging program opportunities, helped make this connection.
He wanted to provide young people experiencing homelessness with the chance to see what a film set is like, and to inspire them to see film and production as a possible path to employment.
“I want the young people to dream big and have ambition and find a career path that they could be passionate about,” said Michael, an actor and director who starred in the Shaftesbury production Life with Derek. “A great way to do that is getting exposure to this industry, to see that there are so many roles, from costume designer to key grip.”
Michael was on set with Jessie when she visited for the first time alongside the other youth who took part in the mentorship opportunity with Shaftesbury. They visited the props office, where Jessie and others got to break “candy glass,” which looks like real glass on television. Then she got to spend time in the writers’ room, which Michael described as “sacred” and rarely entered by non-writers.
“They were so lovely to Jessie – I was getting emails after from them about how wonderful it was to have her there,” added Michael.
Jessie loved the opportunity to contribute ideas to the writers and, while observing a scene being filmed on set, she to even got to call “cut!” when the director was done shooting.
“We’re so pleased that Michael Seater and Covenant House brought this initiative to us,” said Christina Jennings, Chairman & President of Shaftesbury. “This industry consists of countless career paths, both on and off set, and introducing opportunities to young people that broaden awareness of those possibilities is essential to its future.”
Jessie left the experience feeling inspired and motivated. An avid cook, she now has her eye on “craft services,” which provides meals for everyone on set. Considering a way to merge her interests, she quipped “I was this close to saying ‘Can I join the catering crew?’