MS Awareness Month
Treatment for
Hello!
Thank you so much for being in touch about this potential project.
I’m a huge fan of the creative approach for this project. The environmental portraiture component is very much up my alley, and I love the Humans of New York creative reference.
The video podcast element feels very much up my alley too. The remote shooting and logistical elements are very much along the lines of shoots I’ve been collaborating on people with since the summer of 2021, and along with a strong remote shooting tech team who I’ve worked with in the past (including for shoots for Patients & Purpose), I think I’m uniquely well suited for the specific logistics of this shoot.
Sean Darko shot remotely. See entire shoot here
Overview
The core of this project is about creating an intimate connection.
From the still images to the interview, Not only will we be telling the story of their relationship with MS, but also we want to bring their humanity and unique story to the forefront.
As a photographer with a background in journalism, this is the kind of project that I can get particularly excited about. From shooting stories for the New York Times, to doing other “real people” based shoots for pharmaceutical companies, one of the big building blocks for a succesful shoot is a real connection with our subjects.
Vlog-Cast
For the vlog-cast portion of the shoot, we’ll collaborate with our subjects to create in home setups that help telegraph the story of “podcast” without being overly tech driven. The images shown here are some examples of real life YouTube podcasts/shows that I would use as a production design reference.
We’ll make sure to have our subjects well lit. A microphone front and center, and perhaps a few other minimal queues like headphones will help to tell the podcasting story.
While we have discussed the possibility of doing a green screen backdrop, I would actually recommend against this… Rather, I think shooting the subject in their home helps bring their personality to the piece, and also helps to make the setup easy and simple. Let’s discuss further though, and I’m certainly open to green screen depending on your creative needs.
Screenshots from vlog-casts. I would use these as references as we build our setup in our subjects homes.
Portraits
As a very long time fan of Humans of New York, I loved seeing it being used as one of the creative references for this project.
To recap something we discussed on the phone: While one option that has been discussed is shooting the subjects in studio, I think a stronger option to consider would be to shoot images more as environmental portraits.
We’re showing real life people, who are talking about their real lives, and I think that bringing them to a studio with props is not in the best service of this concept. Additionally, considering that the diverse locations of our subjects, I feel that we can get a better bang for our buck by avoiding the cost of studio and prop rentals all over the city.
The portrait location(s) will be based upon discussion with our subject. They may be as simple as just shooting outside their home, but could also include other places that are important and relevant to our subjects. If the portrait shoots take place after the video shoots, we can use the content of the video shoot to help guide our locations for the potrait shoot.
Remote Shooting
We are currently bidding the shoot based on two potentials scenarios. The difference between them is that in one, I will visit the subjects for an in person shoot with a very small footprint. In the other, I will do the stills shoot remotely. In both scenarios the vlog-cast portion of the shoot will be done remotely.
Since early in the pandemic, I have been conducting remote shoots, and the learnings from these shoots will be a valuable element for us as we prepare for these shoots. Everything from equipment and technology, to even the mindset with which we schedule the shoot will come into play as we approach
Shot April 15, 2020 with Jess2Sick on webcam and iphone
Video Edit
In a way, we are creating a unique form of content.
It’s not exactly a vlog-cast—in which a show might run an hour or more, and often has very simple editing, just cutting from person to person.
Rather, it’s a short clip. For most viewing this story, it will be their introduction to these people, so we really need to grab their attention, and use all the story telling elements at our disposal.
This is an opportunity for us to use every tool we have to tell their story, and that also extends to B-Roll and imagery.
We’ll coordinate with our subjects to get personal imagery and video that will help tell their story, and will also collaborate with them to create additional imagery to help tell the story.
If we end up doing the portrait shoots in person, we can also use those shoot days to capture video that can be integrated with the interviews. I’d recommend we shoot this work on the latest iPhone, for a balance of quality, but still with the feel of being user generated content.
If the entire shoot is to take place remotely, we can coordinate with the subjects to shoot B-Roll remotely as well. We have the technology to connect and direct the capture of this B-Roll remotely, which would be the ideal scenario. But depending on constraints and logistics, we can also coordinate with our subjects to give them a sort of “shot list” as well as some coaching on how to best capture this B-Roll.
How I work
One of my favorite things about photography is its collaborative nature. I love working with a brand and creative team to discover how their message can be translated through my lens.
This project has an additional unique voice: that of our subjects.
Portraits
