People who think Barrie is a picturesque community are not alone as one of the province’s busiest production companies often uses the city as a movie backdrop.
And for motorists travelling in the south end late last month, they may have seen some delays as Brain Power Studios filmed Christmas Time Capsule, a movie to be available to see the upcoming holiday season.
While Barrie residents have become used to seeing film crews in the downtown core and around the city, Brain Power Studios has become near regulars in the city.
Producer Myles Milne explained why Barrie is an ideal place to film.
“Barrie has many great-looking locations and also a diverse look of scenery, from the busy downtown core at Five Points, to the scenic arboretum at Sunnidale Park,” Milne told BarrieToday.
The recent filming in the city took place in the south end in the area of Salem Road East and Veterans Drive, from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2.
“The filming for this production lasted three weeks with most of the filming taking place in studio, with a few days at local companies in Barrie,” Milne said.
Brain Power has had more than 50 projects over the last nine years and has offices/studios in Barrie, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury.
The company does a lot of Christmas movies, but has also completed some no-seasonal and action/thriller films.
Last year, the company was by the city marina and downtown filming a series for Lifetime Network called Fallen Angels Book Club, starring singer Toni Braxton.
The company also has a 7,000-square-foot studio in Barrie was just off Bryne Drive where crews do some of their on-site filming.
Milne said the studio in Barrie is key, not just because of the local scenery but also the company has built up a strong relationship with the city over the last decade or so.
“Shooting at locations in Barrie was a good fit for us, but generally we have a team that scouts different locations, depending on what the script location is calling for,” Milne said.
For more information on Brain Power Studios, click here.
