About Five Points Media
Five Points Media is a community-focused social enterprise broadcast-quality online media service that offers a non-judgemental social voice to those who are all too often ignored by mainstream news services.
Those groups include but are not limited to:
- Charities
- Not-for-profit benevolent individuals and groups
- Grassroots community organizations
- Women’s rights advocates
- The LGBTQ community
- The poor, homeless, and disenfranchised
- The disabled and the infirmed
- Ethnic and cultural groups
- Those dedicated to helping others
- Social enterprises
Five Points Media fills a gap that exists within mainstream commercial media, which is limited in its ability to serve charities, benevolent groups, and the various special needs components of our society
We are a division of 3B Solutions; a commercial video production company that brings the experience of a widely diversified 30 year history in international journalism and documentary production. However, Five Points Media is a social enterprise that provides production crew and equipment free of charge or at cost to selected charities and not-for-profit groups. In order to be able to provide those donated services, we also offer dramatically reduced rates to other vetted charities, and to selected benevolent organizations and social enterprises that charge for their services or which receive government funding. Please review our policies listed at the bottom of this page.
Throughout 2016 and 2017 our team has been identified by "Three Best Rated" as "Best Videographers in Barrie".
Our producer, John Ironside, believes strongly in the need for a social conscience, and that all people have a responsibility to help each other. As such, through 3B Solutions he extended the offer of assistance to charities and benevolent organizations. The response was massive, and the demand became so overwhelming that John created Five Points Media to answer the call. Essentially, we were helping so many charities and community groups that the 3B Solutions brand as a commercial video production company was becoming confused.
John Ironside, Videographer / Producer / Director
John Ironside is the owner of Five Points Media and 3B Solutions. During the past 25-plus years, John has worked in media both on the international level and closer to home. In addition to having worked in virtually every form of media, both print and digital, John has also taught media related subjects at community and private colleges across Canada.
As the producer of socially poignant documentaries for Five Points Media, John tells the stories of people who live amazing lives or who contribute greatly to our society. John's abilities as a storyteller have been honed by experience in journalism and documentary production. Throughout the past two years 3B Solutions has been acknowledged by the independent consumer reporters of Three Best Rated as "Best Videographers in Barrie".
In addition to having extensive experience in broadcast and corporate video production, John has worked as a photojournalist and then Deputy Editor of a national European newspaper, and as news camera and photographer in places like Bosnia and the Middle East. John's experience in documentary production ranges from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to Greenpeace in Europe, and his hundreds of commercial credits cover the full range of business, from Fortune 500 corporations to local family-run proprietorships.
John is the father of two special needs children, who have inspired him to donate his time and resources to various charities and benevolent organizations. Their personal stories and battles are also the catalyst of his desire to launch FACINATE Films, a social enterprise that is intended to help "Families Assisting Special Children In Navigating Available Treatment Everywhere".
Tiffany Scott, Photographer / Voice and On-Screen Talent / Crew
Tiffany Scott is an up and coming videographer and photographer who has lived most of her life in Barrie. She has always had an interest in film and media, which lead her to study media, and graduate from of a two year television and broadcasting program with a Specialist High Skills Major in Arts and Culture.
Tiffany has produced various short films and promotional videos, and during the past seven years she has worked in various capacities in theatre, both acting and as production. Tiffany works with Five Points Media as a production associate, working on location at shoots and in the studio.
Richard Varty, Client Relations / Voice and On-Screen Talent / Crew
Richard Varty is an honours graduate from Brock University’s Dramatic Arts program and has spent the last several years working for professional and community theatres across Simcoe County. Since his return to his hometown of Barrie, Richard has had to fill many roles including director, actor, fight choreographer, and now as a production associate for Five Points Media.
Due to his ‘jack of all trades’ lifestyle, Richard has found himself fortunate enough to have made important connections to those in his community and is now committed to helping make a difference through awareness and support.
We use only the latest technology and tools of communications to produce full-broadcast quality HD videos
The beneficiaries of our services have ranged from individual philanthropists to international organizations, and have included but are not limited to:
- Autism Ontario – charity in support of people living on the Autism spectrum
- Barrie Pride – not-for-profit in support of the LGBTQ community
- Beneath the Blanket – charity in support of the homeless
- Canadian National Institute for the Blind – charity for the blind
- Coldest Night of the Year, Orillia – fundraiser for helping the homeless
- Gilda’s Club of Simcoe Muskoka – charity in support of cancer patients and families
- Goodwill Industries – social enterprise offering training and support to jobless
- Hopefest – annual not-for-profit music festival in support of Sick Kids Hospital
- Lighthouse Soup Kitchen and Shelter in Orillia – helping the homeless
- Patchless Ride for Autism – annual motorcycle rally in support of Autism Ontario
- Paying It Back – Barrie philanthropist Frank Nelson’s bucket list charities
- Pole Fitness – women empowering exercise misrepresented by ‘conservative’ opponents
- Push For Change – cross-Canada journey to raise awareness of Youth Homelessness
- Restoring Dignity and Hope – charity in support of newly released inmates from correctional institutions
- St. John's Ambulance - a community based first aid and safety oriented not-for-profit service that provides a wide variety of services to our community
- Silent Swim – deaf swimmer Brenda Lussier-Neumueller swam across Great Lakes to raise funds to fight Cystic Fibrosis that threatens her brother
- Swim For Dreams – fifteen-year-old Ashleigh Beacham swam Lake Ontario to send a five year old boy with leukemia to Disney World
- SY-STEM Links (formerly STEM Interface) – online and video kiosk based system to assist the homeless find essential services
- Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie – charity in support of women and children
Our work has been used by various broadcasters, including the Barrie CTV station and their counterpart in Toronto. Our commercial production credits range from small local businesses to international fortune 500 companies, and the charities we have assisted cover the full-range from infant care, through to women’s rights, and even bikers raising money for Autism.
Please take a look through the list of charities we have helped by selecting the “Our Stories and Videos” button on the header bar of our website.
Please take a look through the list of charities we have helped selecting the “Our Stories and Videos” button on the header bar