Director Evan Bourque Adds a Touch of Relatable Humour to New Metrolinx up Express Spots

Boldly was thrilled to be invited to work on these super fun scripts for Metrolinx UP Express with Ogilvy Toronto. Evan Bourque, represented by Boldly in Canada, was tapped to direct. Although these originated as 15s spots, through Evan’s deep collaboration with the creative team, the team found a 30s in the edit, and even a 60s which the clients loved.

The production team went above and beyond. Balancing the puzzle of live train timings, rain towers, storm fans, and shutting down busy Toronto streets for the world’s longest marching band all added to the production fun. The crew made it a smooth and efficient day full of laughs. A testament to the power of bringing on a great team, and giving them enough time to plan for unusual locations in preparation for a big shoot.

Evan worked closely with editor Michael Barker at Outsider to shape initial cuts. There were a variety of different directions the edits could go because Evan prioritised covering the scenes thoroughly. Creating the space for the actors to bring in a little banter and play their characters off of each other paid dividends in the final cut.

In Evan's words, "The success of this project really comes down to the amazing team behind it. Everyone was super collaborative and open to trying new ideas, which made the whole process a lot of fun. And as a result, we’ve got a series of spots that I’m really proud of.”

Evan Bourque’s sharp comedy instincts recently won him accolades at the 1.4 Awards and the Young Director Awards for his latest work, "Igor Loves His Car." Evan's approach is simple yet powerful—he brings out the genuine humor in human connections. He has a knack for championing quirky hero characters and delivering surprising twists to keep audiences hooked.