Videos are an engaging and memorable way to share stories and summarise messages. I have worked with organisations to tell their brand, service, and client stories through video; shooting small clips myself or planning and scripting larger projects alongside professional film crews.
Corporate video to promote unique service
Client: Gateways Support Services
Gateways’ Positive Behaviour Support team wanted to explain the unique approach they use in implementing their service in order to attract more specialist staff as well as service users.
We decided to create a corporate video to be unveiled at the AGM and subsequently shared through marketing channels.
Brief
Gateways Support Services is a not-for-profit, NDIS service provider specialising in supporting children and adults with intellectual disability and autism. Gateways operates in Geelong, Warrnambool, Werribee, and Footscray.
Approach
Having previously written the brochure and web page for the service, I began this project with solid subject knowledge.
I first sought permission from service users and their families for inclusion in the planned video.
With the project taking place amidst COVID lockdowns in Geelong, visitors were not permitted at the block of units where the positive behaviour team worked with residents. I was fortunate to find an approved staff member who was also a film school graduate to obtain video footage from within the complex.
I then scouted and organised other filming locations at Gateways’ head office, arranging the shoot schedule, and engaging a professional media company to shoot the interviews and head office B-roll.
Finally, I sought team leaders willing to front the camera for an interview. To ease their nerves, we did mock interviews and I supplied them with questions and answer suggestions to practice ahead of the video interview.
Following the filming, I received the raw video footage, from which I prepared a timed and scripted storyboard to guide the media company’s edit. I then worked with the media company to ensure names and captions were accurate, and to create a series of shorter excerpts for social media use.
Results
The final video aired at the AGM, with service users, management, board members and external supporters commenting on its impact and polish.
The video was posted to Gateways’ website and YouTube channel, with the shorter excerpts shared via email newsletter and social media channels generating significant engagement.
Work completed while leading marketing communications in-house at Gateways Support Services.
Video abstract simplifies complex research
Client: Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Located within Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) is Australia’s largest child health research centre.
Brief
An infant mental health researcher needed a video abstract to accompany their research paper, which had been accepted for publication in the international medical journal Pediatrics. Video abstracts aim to condense detailed academic papers into a brief media clip of no more than 5 minutes that accurately communicates the research findings in a simple and engaging way for a non-scientific audience.
Approach
After reading the academic paper, I interviewed the researcher to clarify and simplify complex concepts. We worked together to create a plain English research summary that balanced the important scientific details.
I used this summary to create a timed script, then planned out a storyboard with locations and B-roll details. I then coordinated the video shoot, shot the scenes, then edited and produced the final piece in line with submission requirements and MCRI branding.
Results
The researcher submitted the video abstract to Pediatrics for distributed with the research paper’s digital publication. MCRI also posted the video to its own YouTube channel.
This work was conducted while working in-house on contract.
