Creating the United Way Campaign Film was a unique experience for us at Cinema Couture. We got to see parts of the community that are often overlooked. It was so important to us to have realism in this film. No actors playing parts. We got to meet some amazing people like Isaac in our opening shot. He built this camp to live in the middle of the woods and you would never know he was there. United Way of the Midlands knows he’s there and they just drop in every so often to check on him.
In 2017 United Way of the Midlands focused on education, financial stability, and health. United Way of the Midlands created the following categories to address these issues: dental and eye services, flood disaster relief, children’s reading programs, and housing for the homeless. We received a script from the United Way Worldwide folks and worked with the team at United Way of the Midlands to craft this final script that reflected our local problems. The great thing about a client like this is that the work is collaborative and they rely heavily on us for creative direction.
Working with United Way of the Midlands on their campaign film touched our hearts repeatedly. We met incredible volunteers and heard inspiring stories. It was truly remarkable to see the organization bring people together to fight for the good of the community. In particular, we were amazed by how much destruction is still left from the October 2015 flood. Many people could not afford to repair their homes, and so they left their homes in shambles. While the majority of the community has moved on, United Way of the Midlands remembers those who could not help themselves and continues to provide help for them.
We are so pleased to have been a part of the United Way Campaign Film for 2017. We hope that our work will help expose the stories that people often overlook, and we wish United Way of the Midlands continued success in 2018.
In addition The United Way of the Midlands won a gold Addy award this year for this film. That is seriously cool.