Work
The Foundry
Motion & Sound // Brand Anthem & Program Videos
The Client
Gina and Mike Trebilcock had a vision to build a nonprofit rowing facility that would be accessible to youth of all income levels in Cleveland. This dream became reality when they founded the organization and world-class rowing facility, The Foundry, in 2015.
The Foundry opens its doors to youth around the City of Cleveland that want to participate in rowing or sailing programs. Additionally, The Foundry also partners with Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) on a “School of One” program where a small group of CMSD students, that are not yet unlocking their full potential in traditional schooling, attend the school at The Foundry. Here, the students attend online school in the morning with a teacher who is invested in their growth and also participate in a unique experience in the afternoon – rowing and sailing on the Cuyahoga River or Lake Erie, respectively.
The Challenge
As a relatively new organization, The Foundry needed help telling their story and communicating who they are and what they do. They needed materials that told the story of their unique programs and the benefit of participating in rowing and sailing at the Foundry. Previously, when talking to donors or recruiting new students and athletes, The Foundry had nothing to tell a succinct brand story but conversation. They required a tool that would help them to tell their story and open the door for conversation about their organization and their programming.
The Solution
Motion & Sound // Brand Anthem & Program Videos
Audience
In thinking about how to solve this challenge, we abided by the old saying; “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The work done at The Foundry – from the School of One to their rowing and sailing teams, is so impactful in the lives of the kids and families who participate. Hearing someone who directly benefits from the program (the students and athletes at the Foundry) builds a connection from them to the viewer. Having the kids and the coaches tell their own story in the form of a video allowed them to say, in their own words, what The Foundry means to them.
The Concept
We determined that what would best fit our client’s needs was a collection of videos (three micro-stories and a full brand video) that could be used as social media assets, recruitment tools, presentation tools, and marketing assets. We engaged in a highly collaborative experience with our client. We used pre-production time to scout their location and get to know the people, space, and program more fully. This allowed to pick out locations that would be best for filming interviews, build rapport with the athletes, students and coaches, and determine what the most important parts of the physical space and the programs were to highlight in the video.
