Mediterranean Shipping Company is one of the largest container shipping lines in the world, connecting more than 150 countries through a vast network of trade routes. When MSC planned to produce its Canadian corporate video, it wanted to show the country’s ports not as isolated terminals but as vital links connecting to the global supply chain.
The company’s global video agency, Mountainmaster, developed the creative and script for a series of regional films. MSC Canada engaged Black Box Productions to deliver local video production services across Halifax, Montreal, and Vancouver, ensuring that the Canadian story would align seamlessly with the brand’s international campaign.
The project called for detailed coordination across three working ports, each with its own schedule, security clearances, and environmental conditions. As a video production agency experienced in complex, multi-location shoots, Black Box Productions developed a plan that prioritized safety, flexibility, and creative consistency. Crews were staged in each city with port access credentials and rapid deployment capability to align with vessel arrivals that often shifted by several hours or days.
Camera packages were standardized on Sony FX6 and FX3 systems to maintain a consistent look across all sites. Each operator worked with a blend of gimbal and tripod setups to capture the port activity. The footage balanced scale and texture. Wide drone shots captured the choreography of ships and cranes, while gimbal enabled dynamic camera movements added variety and energy. Each frame was chosen to highlight the rhythm of a port in motion, emblematic of the industry’s constant activity and precision.
In Montreal, filming took place along the St. Lawrence River, with the Olympic Stadium visible in the distance. In Halifax, sequences showcased George’s Island and its lighthouse, grounding the visuals in the city’s maritime heritage. In Vancouver, early-morning shots captured cranes and vessels silhouetted against the skyline and coastal mountains. Together, these scenes gave the national film a strong sense of place while maintaining alignment with MSC’s video marketing strategy and global aesthetic. Additionally, a full day was spent at MSC’s Montreal headquarters to film executive meetings, team collaboration, and candid moments that highlight the people ensuring MSC’s operations run smoothly.
Safety shaped every decision. Filming in active port environments required precise scheduling, personal protective equipment, and constant communication with site authorities. Each production morning began with safety briefings and route mapping to ensure that production would not disrupt ongoing operations. Crews filmed from pre-approved areas and elevated positions, including gantry cranes more than forty feet above the container yard, offering rare perspectives of ships being unloaded in real time.
Because the project was part of a global campaign, consistency in both imagery and workflow was critical. Black Box Productions coordinated directly with Mountainmaster to align on framing, lens selection, and movement style. This attention to detail reflected our focus on video production services that extend beyond filming to include delivery standards, metadata, and international collaboration. The project also exemplified our strength in working seamlessly with international and off-site production companies and agencies, ensuring that every element matched the creative and technical standards of a global brand.
The footage now forms part of MSC Canada’s corporate film, featured on the company’s website and digital channels. With visuals from coast to coast, it showcases the scale of MSC’s Canadian operations and the people driving global transportation. The visuals balance industry and environment, showing ports in motion against the cities and landscapes that define them, and capturing how a global brand’s vision is realized through local expertise.
For Black Box Productions, this collaboration demonstrates our ability to deliver cohesive video production services across multiple cities while supporting international partners with consistent visuals and smooth coordination. As a video agency specializing in large-scale campaigns, we help global brands bring their video marketing strategy to life through creative alignment, storytelling craft and precise execution across Canada.
If your organization is planning a multi-location video project or requires consistent production support for a global campaign, Black Box Productions can help you execute it with precision, safety, and creative excellence from coast to coast.
