This summer, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business commissioned us to produce a video campaign to complement their recruitment efforts. We started by evaluating the recruitment videos of the top 25 MBA programs, which tended to follow a similar pattern: telling and not showing.
One of the biggest challenges our clients face is documenting the human impact of the work that they do, especially when they are policy-oriented. As opposed to a direct-service organization, it is harder for them to demonstrate the impact of their work. They feel inclined to resort to programmatic videos explaining what they do and how they do it. Yet those have little emotional appeal and often fail to use the medium of film effectively.
It’s late afternoon on a beautiful day in Southern Israel. The children from Kibbutz Kfar Aza barrel into the classroom where after-school activities are held. Their teacher struggles to wrangle them as they peer into the lens of our camera, making goofy faces. Ben presses record all the while, capturing the joy of their childhood.
This November, we were tasked by Georgetown University’s Office of Advancement to conceive of a short video that would be sent to alumni at the end of the year to thank donors for their support and encourage others to consider Georgetown in their end-of-year giving. As alumni of the University ourselves, we look back and remember our experience at Georgetown as a series of moments, big and small.
It’s been an amazing year for us at Eidolon Films, now in our fifth year of business (3 years full-time). It really seems like yesterday that the idea of running our own business making documentary films was just a dream. But I’m proud to say it’s been our fortunate reality. We feel truly lucky to come to work every day to be creative, to meet fascinating people, to travel the world and to advocate & educate through story.
We recently produced a short video for the Washington Home & Community Hospices to highlight their “Caregiver Relief Program”. The program supports primary caregivers by providing home care relief, so the caregiver can continue to work outside the home. For Alvin, a Prince George’s County Fleet Mechanic, the program provided “peace of mind” that his dear sister Arlene was taken care of while he worked to support them. This was a delicate and challenging story to film because Arlene was dying from cancer and these were her last days. Alvin could have readily said no to filming, and we would have very easily understood. But instead he saw this as an opportunity to share his story as a way to help others. Aside from the fact that he’s an especially brave person, I think one reason is because felt empowered. He wasn’t just a “subject” in this video; he was a part of our mission on behalf of Washington Home & Hospice.
We recently produced a 3 minute animation together with our partner Joe Moccia on behalf of the Results for Development Institute. They wanted to tell the story of one of their programs, the Joint Learning Network, a platform for exchange between low & middle income countries implementing health financing reforms aimed at achieving universal health coverage. In order to communicate such a large & complicated idea in a short video, we decided to employ the medium of motion graphics animation. Below are a few tips for telling stories using motion graphics animation.
I’m a travel addict. My wife (and business partner) make it a point to travel each year for at least a month to some far flung destination(s). My camera is always in tow on these trips. Over the last 8 years I’ve traveled far and wide, shooting a mix of city, rural and remote locations. In one week we may be exploring the markets of Bangkok or the small alleys of Jerusalem, and the next week we may be trekking the “W” in Torres del Paine or trying to catch our breath over the stunning views of the Simien Mountains. This experience has helped me hone my travel photography gear to a kit that I now think perfectly suits my needs and shooting style: fast, intimate & minimal.
We recently returned from six weeks in Ethiopia and Kenya, where we were traveling for video and photographic work. It was exhilarating, other-worldly, challenging and beautiful all at the same time. But mostly, our trip reaffirmed our belief in the power of image.
Last weekend we filmed a critical day in the storyline of Fate of a Salesman. Salesman Steve was throwing a party for owner Jerry’s birthday and manager Willie’s 45 years of work at the store. Jerry and Willie’s family members surprised them both by attending, and it was a celebration of the legacy of Men’s Fashion Center. We took the opportunity at the end of the day to shoot some “fashion” shots of all the guys for eventual use in promotional art.
In it’s 10th year, Silverdocs has grown to become the largest U.S. documentary film festival. Taking place in downtown Silver Spring, the festival brings together the local film community and high level industry players at its concurrent conference, and presents a great slate of films for the viewing public to enjoy. Here are the reviews I did this year for the Washington City Paper.
We were proud to hear that our own Ben Crosbie was selected as DC Office of Motion Picture and Television Development’s Filmmaker of the Month!