It’s become something of a maxim for us that working with highly successful organizations is what allows us to make great videos. Nowhere was that more apparent than our recent work with BIA, a recognized leader in the support of young children with autism and other behavioral diagnoses.

BIA had requested a video to celebrate their 20th Anniversary. Although as a non-profit, they had limited funds, they were open to the idea of using their resources to create not just one but a series of videos. By planning this out in advance, we were able to work cost-effectively while at the same generating video content to address a range of other needs.

In addition to a retrospective video to celebrate their many accomplishments, they also needed a video to help raise funds for a dedicated Bay Area facility, and some testimonials from parents whose children had benefited from their program. By using the footage we shot in different ways, we were able to offer them five videos for not much more than the normal cost of two. And instead of a single video with limited shelf life, these videos will serve them well for the next year or longer.*

Our two-day shoot was methodically planned to include interviews with parents, staff, graduates and BIA founders Hilary Baldi and Deanne Detmers. The fact that BIA is a highly successful and beloved organization made for outstanding interviews; testimony to BIA’s tremendous success in improving the lives of countless children and families. And although we and the team at BIA did a tremendous amount of preparation to make sure things went well, we could neither invent nor try to prepare anything to match the heartfelt, passionate, and well-articulated testimonials that poured from our interviewees. If there was any doubt that the spontaneously recorded video footage might somehow miss the mark in conveying BIA's mission and vision, we soon found that our interviewees were able to express what makes BIA special more convincingly than even the founders.

In addition to the interviews, which were set in the schools, homes and locations where BIA’s work takes place, we took time to record what we call “process footage” depicting the actual work taking place in classrooms, playgrounds and homes. This footage can be difficult to obtain, as it requires advance clearance by the patients and families involved. However, with a great organization like BIA, as with the therapists, dentists, and other professionals we work with, the ability to capture their work in real-time provides the best evidence of our maxim!

* The BIA videos will be rolled out over the next two months, with the first now available on their site and the final anniversary video to be shown at their gala on November 8th.