Behind the scenes of The Rooms WW I short film

The Rooms in St. John's is launching a promotional campaign for its upcoming commemoration of the battle of Beaumont Hamel Thursday by showing a short film that depicts a young solider going off to battle during the First World War.

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The video, featuring Shallaway Youth Choir and the Ennis Sisters, will be shown at 10 a.m. 

It's very emotive but I think from a good place- Vanessa McBay, The Rooms

Kellie Walsh, artistic director of Shallaway, came up with the idea for the video, using I Will Sing You Home, by the Ennis Sisters.  

"Since we have the archives and we're sitting on so much information and pictures and photography back from the First World War, we thought, why don't we make a story and we'll use that along with the music and the choirs that are singing," said Vanessa McBay, director of marketing and development with The Rooms.

Stop and think

The six-minute video, that was shot in collaboration with CBC, tells the story a solider who enlisted in the war and his family left behind.

"It's very emotive but I think from a good place," McBay said.

"I think it strikes a really nice balance. We're certainly not trying to tug on the heartstrings of people for the sake of doing that but it really makes you stop and think. And that's the purpose of it."

The video is supposed to draw attention to the 100th anniversary of Beaumont Hamel coming up next summer.

Its release coincides with a full marketing campaign.

The St. John's Morning Show crew will be broadcasting live from The Rooms from 7 to 9 a.m. Thursday for the launch of the campaign.

Watch a video from behind the making of the film above.