1 Day, 5 Cities: How Westside Captured Canadian Blue Jays Fandom with Only 48 Hours’ Notice

Forty-eight hours. Down zero-two in the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners.

With the Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series qualification hopes on the line, these were the precise circumstances in which production company Westside was challenged to organise a one-day shoot across five Canadian cities, on behalf of telecommunications titan Rogers. There was no guarantee that there’d be baseball left to play by the time things were said and done, but with national obsession hanging in the balance, the ask from Publicis Canada – to capture a country’s heartbeat – was too good to pass up.

So, on Wednesday October 15th, right when the Jays scored their first win, things were officially a go. Westside frantically built a mission control room, dispersed several of its directors and photographers (Julian King, Jennifer Roberts, Teaunna Gray, and Chris Gordaneer) to Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, partnered with Nova Film director Philippe Têtu to cover Quebec City, and got ready for a Friday filled with filming.

Led by Julian, the aim was to capture history as it happened, regardless of the outcome. With the goal of creating something that was more documentary than glossy, the teams got to work, utilising their networks to find genuine Jays fans with zero official casting involved… which even included Teaunna filming the reactions of several Toronto Maple Leafs players.

Brought to life right in time for Toronto’s first World Series appearance since 1993, the work instantly made a splash. So, to unpack things a little more, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with the team from Westside, including executive producer Jonathan Lajoie, and directors Julian, Jennifer and Teaunna, as well as Rooster Post Production editor Christina Humphries, for a chat.

LBB> You came into this project with an unusual brief: shoot a commercial celebrating the Blue Jays… if they won their next playoff game. What was the initial process like, and why was this something you were keen to take on?

Jonathan> At first, it seemed like a long shot. The Jays were down two games, it was a last-minute ask for a shoot in 48 hours… but we didn’t want to shrug it off either. So, we made sure Publicis Canada had a real game plan – something the client could feel confident in, and which we could pull off at a moment’s notice.

From Tuesday’s agency brief to Friday’s first shot, Tom Nesbitt (executive producer), Meghan Buckley (head of production), Jill Heintzman (agent), and myself transformed our conference room into a mission control room. We basically lived there for the duration of the project.

On Wednesday morning, we were briefed by the creative team, and brought in director Julian King. He was the right fit: experienced, adaptable and equally strong in both large-scale and doc-style branded work. That night, we worked with him to create a rough treatment – something we could use to brief the agency, all our directors, photographers, fixers and production partners across the country.

Then, the Jays won. Suddenly, this wild idea started to feel possible. So, Thursday morning, we ran a full production kickoff with everyone. Immediately, we knew the big challenge would be finding real fans. Julian didn’t just want to shoot in bars; he wanted to capture real people in their spaces. A few folks doubted whether we could pull it off, but our directors and photographers got it, as did the producers. Everyone started reaching out to their networks to find genuine Jays fans.

By noon, the client officially awarded the job. That in itself deserves huge credit – a national production was greenlit without knowing if the Jays would even make it past Friday. That kind of risk-taking is rare and incredibly commendable. ‘No risk, no reward’ couldn’t be truer here.

LBB> In the day leading up to the pivotal game, what was the planning process like? How did you ensure everything from storyboarding to pre-production was ready to go in such a short time span?

Julian> There wasn’t time for fancy treatments or meticulous sequencing. Instead, I quickly made a utilitarian document to share with all the other directors and photographers. It had 10 bullet points on page one, which basically said, ‘Hey, we’re photojournalists here; we’re not commercial directors today. Everything is real, everyone is real. But we have to find that visual thread that expresses Blue Jays fandom reaching across all of Canada’. So, we had to be strategic about creating those image opportunities within the context of real people and real emotions.

Jonathan> We knew we needed one centralised vision – one creative truth. This wasn’t the kind of job where you can spend days storyboarding or debating the look and feel. The way we were working here – with multiple directors and photographers wasn’t typical either – so we established a set of creative guidelines that everyone could rally around.

Luckily, the Jays won again that night, tying the series. The whole team felt the energy shift; we were ready for Friday’s shoot. By then, we had a running deck with references, shooting style, locations, and confirmed real people, and suddenly, everything clicked.

LBB> How did you plan for the logistics of shooting across five cities at the same time? And how did you find the campaign’s stars?

Jonathan> Clear, constant communication was everything. We set up a simple structure: Julian led the creative, and I led production and managed agency communication. We also divided responsibilities: Tom covered Toronto, I covered Quebec and Vancouver, and Meghan oversaw Calgary and Halifax.

As for talent, in the case of Halifax, we sent photographer Chris Gordaneer on Thursday with no idea what he’d find. Fortunately, our fixers, Titus Riley and team, discovered a group of fans watching the game in a garage-turned-fan-sanctuary.

In Quebec, meanwhile, multiple families gathered across rooftops, parks, and barbershops to celebrate, while in Toronto, we filmed at a garage-alley watch party and David Pecaut Square, where even mayor Olivia Chow got in on the fun!

As for Vancouver, Julian led the shoot with executive producers Callum Gunn and Hank Hill from Eastcherry, shooting two families in the process. Meanwhile, director Jennifer Roberts took to Calgary and was initially worried about not knowing anyone there, but within hours – through one connection – she found a Blue Jays superfan in the city. Total kismet.

LBB> Given the extraordinary nature of the shoot, what equipment did you use to film? What inspired these selections?

Jonathan> We mixed cameras and lenses – whatever was available and familiar to each team – but kept consistent parameters (aperture, focal range, shutter angle). A single camera spec wasn’t realistic across five cities, but the disciplined approach to settings, plus a great colourist (Fort York’s Jason Zukowski) unified the final look. If you pay close attention, you can actually notice the subtle differences between cities. Those tiny variations give each location its own flavour.

LBB> Overall, how did the shooting go? Do you have any anecdotes from your adventures?

Julian> There was a family we met that had just had a baby three days prior… and they were bigtime Blue Jays fans. So, they had him decked out a Blue Jays onesie, and you just can’t make something like that up. It was just a special, tender moment to be able to film with that little guy. We kept calling him ‘the youngest blue jays fan in the world’. We all felt like we caught a break from the film gods connecting with them in the time we had and getting to capture that moment.

Jennifer> It was such a fun day. We shot overlooking the Calgary Tower. Our star, Chris, wore his own clothes: his best cowboy hat, flannel, and of course, a Jays jersey. It was a nod to Alberta fans, but still totally authentic.

At the watch party, I also scanned the crowd for real emotion – the ones who jumped up when the Jays scored, or paced during tense moments. I’d chat with them first, make sure they were comfortable, then circle back to catch those raw reactions. They forgot that I was there, and we were able to capture honest, magical moments of fandom.

Teaunna> The shoot moved fast, but the energy was unreal. It was super cool to be filming a game live and capturing fans experiencing everything in real time.

In terms of approach, we stayed light on our feet and let the moments unfold naturally. One of my favourites was when the bar completely exploded after a big play, and everyone started chanting together. None of it was planned, but that’s what makes live fandom so good. You can’t script that kind of energy, and that’s what made the shoot so special.

LBB> As part of this, did you do anything special to authentically depict the essence of Canadian fandom?

Jennifer> For me, Canadian fandom isn’t just loud; it’s loyal, it’s emotional, and often has a deep history. This film leans into that. It wasn’t about creating a big spectacle, but more about finding those honest little moments: a group of Calgarians skipping through downtown to a watch party, vintage Jays memorabilia passed down from grandparents, and groups gathering to cheer together all around the country. That’s the type of passion we captured.

Teaunna> We leaned into what already existed, which was real people showing up with real energy. I spent time scanning the crowd and pulling people who just looked the part (they had Jays gear on, flags draped over their shoulders, or were mid-conversation about the game). Shooting cinéma vérité-style let us react to moments instead of staging them. We were able to capture those raw, unscripted reactions that make Canadian sports fans so recognisable. It was all about warmth, pride, and community, which can’t be faked.

LBB> Given the tight turnaround, what was the post process like? How did things come together in a timely fashion?

Christina> There was exactly zero time to second guess myself, and that’s where I had to rely on my instincts. I have a great assistant, Lenka Gmitrová, and she kept things organised, helped in the selecting process, and made sure everything ran smoothly. Footage kept coming in all weekend, and I just had to take it in stride. If something new was better than what I had already selected, I quickly brought it into the edits.

The first shot that came into my Dropbox was the one and only lonely photo of our furry fan. Someone on production uploaded it from one of their friends as a test; it wasn’t even part of our shoot. But, after seeing my two favourite things – dogs and the Blue Jays – in one image, I knew I had to keep that one in the edit!

Overall, I wanted to tell the story of not only Toronto, but a day in the life of a fan getting ready for the big game. So, there is a bit of an arc where we see the fans getting themselves ready, heading to the game, and waiting for the big win. I looked for the faces, the moments, and the little details that evoked emotion. It became about shaping that into a rhythm that still feels honest

LBB> Finally, are there any elements of the project you’re particularly proud of? And why?

Teaunna> When I was told I’d be shooting with five Toronto Maple Leafs players, I expected them to be a bit stiff since they’re athletes, not actors. We met them right after practice and had only 30 minutes to get what we needed. But, they were all genuine Blue Jays fans, which helped right away. I quickly picked up on each of their personalities and found ways to make them feel comfortable. I ran through the concept and explained our goal of it feeling authentic. They completely came out of their shells and gave us some of my favourite moments from the whole spot. We were all surprised by how open and playful they were, and I’m so grateful for that. As a director who loves working with real people, it was an absolute dream and success!

Christina> I’m just so happy to have been part of something that’s been looked at and rallied around by so many other Jays fans in the pursuit of the World Series win! I see a lot of Canada in this spot; a lot of heart. And now, when I watch it, I see a little bit of myself in there too.

Jonathan> The passion. From our team, our agency partners, and the client. It was an incredibly challenging shoot, but everyone brought their full energy and heart. And, when the Jays won the series and the final cut came together, it felt like we’d captured something truly special; not just a campaign, but a little piece of Canadian sports history.