In an outtake at the end of one of Hometown Creative’s videos, filmmaker Mat Collings can be heard asking his client, “Was it fun?”
That just might be the unofficial motto for Collings’ business, Hometown Creative. Since 2024, his videos have been popping up on the websites and social media accounts of businesses and events throughout the Comox Valley. And they are fun—appealing and real, like the filmmaker himself. If the video is about a company, you want to know more about what it makes, and if it’s about an event, you find yourself wishing you had been there to experience it.
What Hometown Creative Does
Collings uses terms that may not resonate with non-marketers, like “brand stories” and “content creation,” but, put simply, his work is creating videos that businesses can use to connect with potential or current customers. They’re short (a brand story is three to five minutes; content creation pieces are even briefer) and engaging—ideal for putting on a website and/or social media pages. And over time, they help your brand (i.e. business) “build a loyal and passionate fan base,” (which ultimately improves sales).
I developed a style that showcased genuine emotions and real people on their wedding day—moments that were really authentic to them, and I kinda fell in love with this type of filmmaking
Mat Collings’ Path to Filmmaking
Although Hometown Creative is a new venture, Collings has been a filmmaker for decades. “I was kind of famous in high school for making silly videos,” he says. (He grew up here and was valedictorian at his Highland Secondary graduation.) Any time he had a project to do, he’d find a way to turn it into a video and use school equipment to make it.
From wedding films to brand storytelling
After graduating from film school at Capilano University, Collings worked in the film industry in Vancouver. During hiatus on a TV show he was working on, he decided to fill the time he had off filming wedding videos. “I developed a style that showcased genuine emotions and real people on their wedding day—moments that were really authentic to them, and I kinda fell in love with this type of filmmaking,” he recalls.
“I developed a style that showcased genuine emotions and real people on their wedding days—moments that were really authentic to them,” he recalls.
He sits down with his clients first to learn about their work, what they’re passionate about, and their approach to life and business. This helps him to develop and tell their story on film.
As camera technology and social media evolved, and more companies started using video as a marketing tool, Collings realized he could apply his wedding style to commercial work, “capturing the real people behind a company,” he says, “and getting them to show why they love what they do.”
Capturing Authentic Stories for Businesses
He sits down with his clients first to learn about their work, what they’re passionate about, and their approach to life and business. This helps him to develop and tell their story on film.
Actually filming the video can be surprisingly quick, like the shoot he did with Amy Woulfe for her leather-goods business, Wolf Blossom: “We drove to Paradise Meadows in the fall, just a 20-minute drive up the mountain to a beautiful location with nobody around.” He was able to take drone shots, gimbal shots, and close-up shots of the foliage, and it only took an hour.
The editing process takes more time: putting all the pieces together, adding visuals and sound, and creating the narrative. After making hundreds of videos over more than 15 years, he’s honed his instincts and processes. But the real key for Collings is this: “I love making videos for people who are passionate about what they do, like me,” he says, “and figuring out how to get that passion across to everyone else.”
