After years of inequality in women’s sports, the PWHL has created a professional league where female hockey players can chase their dreams. It’s Been A Long Time Coming, a 22-minute documentary highlights the stories of players, coaches, and key figures from the Toronto Leaside Wildcats, one of Toronto’s top female hockey associations.
As a fourth-year Media Production student, I had the privilege of serving on the executive team for It’s Been A Long Time Coming as part of my practicum project. In this role, I was honoured to be the lead story writer and social media manager.
One of the biggest challenges was telling the personal stories of female hockey players in a way that was engaging while fitting everything into a 22-minute documentary. It was tricky to balance history and emotion. On top of that, getting interviews with key people and finding archival footage wasn’t always easy.
We tackled these challenges with careful planning, research, and storytelling. As lead story writer, I crafted a clear narrative blending personal stories, expert insights, and history. We stayed flexible to secure interviews and used existing footage creatively. As social media manager, I helped expand the documentary’s reach.
Process and Development
The project was initially pitched in January 2024 as part of a project development class at Toronto Metropolitan University, where it was refined and developed into a fully realized concept. After receiving valuable feedback and approval, production officially began in September 2024. During this phase, the team coordinated and executed multiple shoot days, capturing a variety of interviews, on-location footage, and essential content that would bring the story to life. By December 2024, post-production was completed, where editing, sound design, and final touches were applied to create the polished, finished documentary.
The project has received positive feedback on social media. Through the documentary's Instagram account, we have successfully engaged a wide audience by sharing various types of content related to the project.
This project would not have been possible without the entire executive team at Power Play Productions.
Directed by: Emma May Beckett, Rylee Cawthorne
Written by: Ainsley Soeterik, Emma May Beckett, Rylee Cawthorne, Laura McGrath
Written by: Ainsley Soeterik, Emma May Beckett, Rylee Cawthorne, Laura McGrath
Director of Photography: Kriis Bagga
Assistant Camera Operators:
Daniel Grbavac
Matthew Joseph
Daniel Grbavac
Matthew Joseph
Editor:
Sam Loveys
Sam Loveys
Gaffer:
Dylan Howe
Dylan Howe
Audio Lead:
Jeremy Hardwood
Jeremy Hardwood
Audio Assistant:
Alex Davidson
Alex Davidson
Line Producer:
Ava Catanoiu
Ava Catanoiu
Production Assistants:
Millie Watson
Meghan Petruk
Millie Watson
Meghan Petruk
