OurChallenge
The Office of the Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC) supports Colorado parents in the fight to preserve families, their dignity, and the constitutional right to parent in dependency and neglect cases. Each year, they partner with child welfare agencies in Colorado to recognize Reunification Heroes who have either reunified with their children or are working to help families stay together, all in honor of National Reunification Month in June.
ORPC hired Barefoot PR to produce a series of videos highlighting the 2023 Reunification Heroes for a celebratory event at the Denver Zoo. ORPC wanted both engaging event videos and videos that honored the stories of each Reunification Hero in a dignified way, never stereotyping individuals who had already faced significant judgment throughout the reunification process.
OurSolution
After getting to know each honoree from their nomination, we worked on a series of interview questions to capture the essential details of their stories on camera. We also worked with ORPC to identify supporting interviews to make the videos more dynamic by showing multiple perspectives.
On filming day, we created a safe space for each honoree by letting them know we could stop at any time and that they should only share details they felt comfortable sharing. Several of the honorees got emotional while sharing their stories so we took breaks and encouraged them to go at their own pace. For some, sharing their story was cathartic and it left us feeling inspired.
After each interview, our video director and videographer debriefed about the conversation, flagging key soundbites or moments that should be in the final video. During the editing process, we were thoughtful about the soundbites that were chosen to capture the nuances of an often complicated process. While putting the finishing touches on each video, we incorporated graphics that matched the event branding and added subtitles for viewing ease during the event.
On the day of the Reunification event, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Surrounded by their families and those who supported them on a difficult journey, each Reunification Hero expressed gratitude for the way we captured their story – with empathy and dignity.
View the 2023 Reunification Hero videos HERE.
