ABOUT //
Jason Ford is director of Shopify Studios, a full-service production company with a mission to inspire and redefine entrepreneurship via original, entertaining and thought-provoking storytelling. Shopify Studios projects encompass an array of content mediums, genres and formats, including feature documentaries and long-form series – in development with prominent production partners – as well as “digital originals,” all spotlighting facets of the entrepreneurial journey. The production company is part of leading global commerce company Shopify.
In his role, Ford oversees Shopify Studios in-house global production team, and the development and production of Studios’ digital originals – including weekly series and standalone projects launched via YouTube and Instagram. The series have earned three Webby Award honors as well as seven Telly Award wins.
With a wide variety of experience as a film, television, digital, experiential and social producer, Ford previously led branded content and branded entertainment for Bell Media – working across all Bell Media properties (Discovery Channel, E!, Masterchef Canada, The Amazing Race Canada, MTV, MUCH, Comedy, Gusto, Space, CTV, The Marilyn Dennis Show, etc.) alongside key brand partners like Nissan, Chevy, Nintendo, Ancestry.com, Virgin Mobile, Cineplex, IKEA, Biore, Smuckers and Jeep. At Bell Media he pioneered the “branded content within a show” concept, replacing whole commercial blocks with spots designed to complement the series they live within – resulting in higher watch and retention rates for the advertiser.
Prior to joining the Bell Media team, he was vice president of production at VICE, where he spearheaded the launch of the VICELAND TV channel and the VICE Studios Canada team. He developed and oversaw twelve of the original series that launched VICELAND in the US, Canada, and the UK, and created and executive produced the original series Abandoned with Spike Jonze, while also building out VICE’s state-of-the-art studios/headquarters in Toronto.
Ford was also previously lead creative and executive producer for Red Bull Media House in Canada, where he created and sold docu-drama McMorris & McMorris to MTV (featuring Red Bull-sponsored athletes).
In his varied career, Ford has produced industry-leading branded content for global companies like Xbox, HP, Axe, Universal Music, Burger King, Taco Bell, Virgin Mobile, Disney, Universal Pictures and Coca-Cola, working directly with some of the world's most successful artists, including Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, The Jonas Brothers, and Selena Gomez, as well as top Canadian Olympians.
His other credits include the award-winning London Olympic Campaign for Adidas UK (with Sid Lee Montreal); creating E!’s Celebrity Style Story; creating and executive producing FUSE and MuchMusic’s Video on Trial; and creating and executive producing YouTube’s Dan for a Week (featuring YouTube star Dan Rodo), from MUCH Digital Studios and Bell Media; among many other projects.
CERTIFICATIONS
+ YouTube Creator Academy: Get Discovered, January 2020
+ YouTube Creator Academy: Community, January 2020
+ YouTube Certified: Audience Growth, Oct 2016
+YouTube Certified: Content Strategy, Dec 2016
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
+ 15 Seconds Festival Europe, Istanbul, April 2020 *cancelled due to pandemic
+ Brightcove PLAY Conference, Boston, 2019
+ Advisory Board: AToMiCon Content Marketing Summit, Toronto - March 2019
+ Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television / Canadian Media Producers Association, Toronto - March 2017
+ Banff World Media Festival, Banff, June 2014
+ Coming To Your Screens, Montreal, May 2014
+ B.Con Expo, Toronto, March 2014
+ Soho House Toronto, January 2014
AWARDS
+ 2020 Webby Awards - Honoree - Fashion & Beauty
+ 2020 Webby Awards - Honoree - Travel & Lifestyle
+ 2020 Webby Awards - Honoree - How To & DIY
+ 2020 Telly Awards - Silver, Best Documentary Series ”Beauty Mark”
+ 2020 Telly Awards - Silver, General: Motivational “In 90 Seconds”
+ 2020 Telly Awards - Silver, Best Non-Scripted Webseries “New Money”
+ 2020 Telly Awards - Bronze, Best How-To/DIY Series “Make My Space Work”
+ 2019 Telly Awards - Silver, Best Documentary Series
+ 2019 Telly Screen Awards - Bronze, Best Online Documentary
+ 2019 Telly Awards - Bronze - Best Green/Eco-Friendly Documentary
+ 2015 Canadian Screen Awards - Nominated for "Best Sports Program or Series"
+ 2014 Banff World Media Awards - Nominated for "Best Branded Series"
+ 2009 Gemini Awards - Nominated for "Best Reality Series"
+ 2008 Canadian Marketing Awards – Won Silver for branded content and integration "Back to School -Hewlett Packard" (Supervising Producer TV + Digital Content)
+ 2007 Banff World Television Awards - Hors Concours "Best Youth Program"
+ 2007 Gemini Awards - Nominated for "Best Biography Or Documentary Program"
+ 2007 Gemini Awards - Nominated for "Best Music, Variety Program Or Series"
+ 2002 Gemini Awards - Nominated for "Best Talk Series"