When the Mental Health Commission (MHCC) partnered with the National Film Board to create the interactive web documentary, Here at Home, the collaboration was MHCC’s most substantive use of film to date. As part of a long-term research project, At Home / Chez Soi, the interactive component is a series of short films shot by filmmakers from Moncton, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver, each offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of people experiencing homelessness and mental illness — and those committed to working with them.

In the era of YouTube, smartphones and other visual technology, film is playing a more prominent role in an organization’s storytelling capacity. No longer relegated only to one-dimensional PSAs, film is allowing nonprofits to entertain, to inform, to reach broader audiences, and to transport them to places they wouldn’t be privy to otherwise.

Take me with you

For MHCC, the “place” may be less about geography than others’ shoes. Launched in May, twelve films have already been posted and the ongoing project will eventually see 50 short documentaries populate the Here At Home website before the study ends in 2013.

For Seva Canada — a British Columbia-based charitable organization working to restore sight and prevent blindness in the developing world — videos are used to offer donors and other stakeholders snapshots into their work on the ground. In fact, the organization put country specific QR codes in their catalogues, each linking to a one-minute video of their unique efforts in the region.

“Giving them a sense of place is important because we work internationally,” explains marketing and communications director, Deanne Berman. “If they’re not there, they often can’t imagine what it’s like but videos bring it home.” And, she adds, “people want to see results and who they’re helping; there’s no better way to do that than with video.”

Toward education and a broader appeal

Besides, Seva wants to grow their donors base and attract a younger crowd. “With social media getting more popular and mainstream, you have to be playing in that field, film is too big an area to ignore.” MHCC would have to agree. Since their long-term research project will be disseminated through peer reviews, academic publications and the like, the NFB partnership allows them to extend their reach in new and exciting ways. “It creates an opportunity to reach the broader public and to engage them in learning,” explains project director, Catharine Hume.

The interactive web portal was especially compelling, she adds. “It drills down areas that people are interested in and allows them to re-visit [those areas] because findings are being uploaded over time.” And, of course, the film allows MHCC to tell stories in exceptionally personal ways, which has proven invaluable.

The NFB views the collaboration as equally synergistic. Not only is mental health one of the chosen themes of the French Program, the project aligns nicely with NFB’s mandate as a producer of social issue documentaries. “It’s the kind of subject matter that makes a really good fit,” says Michelle Van Beusekon, assistant director general of the English Program.

And how does the producer benefit most from this type of opportunity? “The partnership lets us get inside a world that most people don’t have access to, to tell these stories and bring it to the public,” Van Beusekon explains. Hopefully, she adds, the films will, “start a conversation and frame things a bit differently for people, get them thinking about homelessness and mental illness in a different way, challenging their assumptions.”

The desire to be thought-provoking also inspired a strong focus on digital storytelling at the Science Alberta Foundation. Videos have always played an integral role helping the 22-year-old organization meet its twin goals of getting youth interested in careers in science and technology and fostering a scientifically literate population. “Videos are core to our mission,” explains CEO Dr. Arlene Ponting. “What we are creating is stunning digital assets that can engage young minds.”

The Foundation was an advocate of film well before YouTube but, thanks to the distribution platform, the response to their efforts has intensified. All their videos — housed on Wonderville.ca — have science at their core, with one extolling the value of pipelines and another brings kids up-close-and-personal to people working in science-based careers. “Videos are a very powerful medium because they’re visible, entertaining and fast-moving,” shares Ponting. And while their primary demographic is youth, Ponting says most of their digital projects are enjoyed by all ages. “It is so phenomenal when you can create something that is so good, age is not a determinant; it appeals to the child in all of us.” She’s not exaggerating about being so good, by the way. One of their videos, Do You Know What Nano Means, won a Webby award last year and this year’s What To Do With Co2 got shortlisted.

Quality control

It’s about a dedication to excellence, offers Ponting. Pride in one’s work aside, the high regard for quality work has a lot to do with their target audience. “Children are incredibly tech savvy so we have to do it well,” she says. “That tenacious commitment to quality has been our discriminator and our definer.”

It’s why the organization only hires top experts in the field, uses the best equipment and doesn’t settle for anything less. Sure, that dedication proved a bit challenging at the beginning when they were on a shoestring budget. “But then you develop a reputation and it gets easier to get funds,” says Ponting. Today, that rep means talented people often work for less than market price. “And now that we’re winning Webby Awards people want to work with us,” she enthuses.

Thanks to their quality products, moreover, fundraising has been a very successful endeavour. But Ponting remains realistic. “We’re only as good as our last project,” she says. We can never say we’ve arrived and can now rest because we can’t.”

Partners on a dime

Seva Canada isn’t one to rest on their laurels either, despite the success of their last animated video project Cause and Effect which sprung from an engagement with Cossette Communications. The advertising giant was helping refresh Seva’s brand for their 30th anniversary and the video grew organically from there. The organization feels incredibly fortunate for that unlikely infusion of creative energy and savvy. “Normally we can’t afford work of that calibre,” says Berman.

Meanwhile, the video’s been written up in Marketing Magazine and is receiving attention from Vancouver Fashion Week, various networks and everyday visitors to their homepage. “It’s such a departure from what we do,” offers Berman, explaining the video’s focus on a girl underlies the fact that two-thirds of people who are blind are female due to lack of access to care. “The video makes that story come alive and, because it’s done so creatively, it really grabs your attention.”

Challenges

The reality is Seva won’t always have a media giant in their corner and videos require a certain level of resources. A former private sector practitioner, Berman knows all too well the additional challenges her organization faces in its budgeted reality. She admits that videos and a social media presence are important but jumping onto bandwagons is not always the answer. “We don’t do something just because it’s new,” she says. “We have limited resources so we look at different media and decide what’s best for us and what we can manage on an ongoing basis,” she adds, admitting the organization just pinned their videos onto Pinterest.

Seva has tried giving people in the field flip cameras to record their own video clips. Though the footage was fantastic and they were thrilled to be employing locals, the language and cultural differences proved, at times, difficult. Thankfully, as a charity with strong, visually compelling stories, professional photographers often donate their time and photos.

They’ve also had the chance to work with students, whose fresh ideas and energy have been appreciated. Though, students often have a learning curve so anyone looking to go that route should be prepared to work more hands-on, cautions Berman.

For their part, to ensure the most effective use of resources, The Science Alberta Foundation is a strong proponent of innovative marketing efforts. They’ve used Google Grants, for example, giving them $100,000 worth of invaluable promotion.

Protocol and process

When it comes to challenges, MHHC’s concern was with their subjects. “When you’re working with a marginalized population, it’s important to be really thoughtful at the front-end, “ explains Hume. The NFB was equally committed to protecting the fragile population at the heart of the films but Van Beusekon explains, “As social issue documentarians, editorial independence is very important in storytelling.” Their films must offer honest accounts, warts and all. To hand over that level of autonomy required an incredible amount of trust.

It’s why the partners conducted ethical training for their directors, set up an ethical protocol and other strict processes before cameras even began to roll. Informed consent was made paramount and subjects were asked to sign-off on the rough cuts, ensuring they were comfortable throughout.

Final tips

It seems the extra precautions paid off, demonstrating the value in preparation. For Berman being prepared is vital. “Having an idea of what you want to accomplish is the first step,” she offers. “The nonprofit has to think through what their key messages are before they engage so there’s less back and forth and more of a quality product.” And don’t forget to be open to ideas, she says emphatically. Lastly, she adds, “don’t forget to have fun with it.”

Elisa Birnbaum is a freelance journalist, producer and communications consultant living in Toronto. She is president of Elle Communications and co-founder of SEE Change Magazine and can be reached at: info@ellecommunications.ca.

Photos (from top) via iStock.com. All photos used with permission.

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