We owe our astounding employee retention to a professional environment that we’re proud to create and sustain.
Of the crew listed on the ORBAT who participated in the most recent session at CFB Wainwright in 2019, fully 84% were returning employees.
Of those, fully 80% have been with ACS longer than five years.
Of the roleplayers who participated in the most recent session at CFB Wainwright in 2019, fully 85% were returning employees.
What makes us the best?
US and Canadian Forces members consult with ACS roleplayers during an After Action Review (AAR)
Experience, confidence, commitment and professionalism are what separates the leaders of the pack. We are the leaders, and it’s not just a job to us.
Think about this: If you have a computer with spellcheckers, autocorrect, and grammar apps, then why isn’t your writing any better than it is when all you have is a pen and paper? If your camera is so much better than what Ansel Adams had, if you can learn every technique he had at his disposal plus a thousand times more via the internet, then why aren’t your pictures as good as his?
It comes down to intangibles. The whole is more than the sum of its parts. There is something missing; intangible translation between the writer and the pen, between the photographer and the shutter.
Those intangibles are hard for some people to describe, but everyone knows immediately when they’re missing. Access to better technology is no guarantee you’ll reap its benefits.
We have the technology – realtime event reporting, the best in special effects, the list is endless – but we’ve also been providing those intangibles in real-time delivery of live immersion training since 2006. Our experienced directors, cast and crew are able to fill in every single one of the blanks.
OUR ROLEPLAYERS
Our first employee was number 001 during our first session in the late summer of 2006, and we’re enormously proud to say that some of that first session’s roleplayers are still with us.
Some are former refugees, all too familiar with the hardships of that life and determined that others will not have to follow in their footsteps. Others have families in the military, and participate to do all they can for them.
Our roleplayers are adaptable and understand the requirements of the training audience. They are briefed, prepared, and willing to engage the training audience in whatever way is necessary.
They interpret the situation at hand quickly, stick to the script, and return to the job, session after session, year after year.
They’ve built up an enormous inventory of experience and knowledge about what our clients want when they engage in this type of training. We’re proud of them, and we’d love for you to meet them.
OUR DIRECTORS
Our directors have experience in film and tv, but their tenure at ACS and experience in Live Immersive Training reaches back to the very first session that the Canadian Forces ever did with CiBs (Civilians in the Battlespace) in 2006.
Since then, they’ve directed sessions for private contractors, research facilities, first responders, NGOs and oilfield consultancies.
Making an audience believe the story is their profession. They’ll translate your training goals into actionable real time scenarios.
Our directors know how to set the scene to provoke a response that results in maximum benefit for the training audience both on the ground and up the chain of command.
An ACS roleplayer in a simulated laboratory explosion for a Canadian university research study
OUR SPECIAL EFFECTS CREW
The more believable the environment, the more seriously your people take it, and the more effective the training is.
Over the years we have relied heavily on Hollywood-level special effects to establish and maintain realism in our scenarios.
Nearly every major film and television project filmed in western Canada has benefited from their hard work and attention to detail.
A moustache, hand made by our wardrobe crew for a disguise
Our crew builds realistic wound sims in house from scratch. Because of the way we design these, we can process more casualties in a shorter amount of time than anyone. More casualties means more opportunities for training. Also our wounds can be much more severe without needing to be maintained in the field.
OUR WARDROBE CREW
Our wardrobe department stocks uniforms and insignia from nearly every armed force in the world. We can portray villagers from any cultural environment around the globe.
When they’re not on session, our personnel are working on film and television projects across western Canada for major studios.
YOUR LIVE TRAINING CAN BE BETTER THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE, REGARDLESS OF YOUR BUDGET OR REQUIREMENTS.
We’ve worked with emergency responders, universities, armed forces and private companies all over the world, and we’d love to work with you.
Whether you want to examine your safety procedures, investigate potential weak links in your response chain, or prepare troops for engagement with local nationals overseas, talk with us about your goals. We’ll help you identify exactly what you need to know and help you move forward.