Creative Direction (Unscripted)
The Client
Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a publicly funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives.
My Role
Through their partnership with Wayfair, I had the opportunity to write/direct a series of videos for Homes For Our Troops. The goal was to capture a Veteran’s experience seeing/using Wayfair furniture while residing in a house donated by HFOT. Each shoot was produced roughly six months apart, commanding a different creative and production strategy.
Research
The foundation of any documentary is research. For this, it paid to learn as much as I could about both subject and client.
Research: Veterans
It seems pretty obvious to say, but one can’t really tell someone’s story in documentary form without doing some decent research. Even before we met the Veterans and their families, I had the opportunity to learn about their personal journey before having the opportunity to speak with them in advance of the shoot. This experience helped me prep for each production, helping me form targeted, valuable questions for the shoot ahead.
Army Staff Sergeant Carl Moore
John & Brittany Curtin with daughter Ashlynn
Research: HFOT and Wayfair Partnership
Kicking this project off, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the Homes For Our Troops organization. I had the opportunity to speak with several representatives that gave me a 360° overview of the valuable work they did, and the various Veterans that had been impacted.
In addition, I needed to work with Wayfair PR, establishing goals how to best showcase the new partnership that was respectful, reflective, and highlighted the organization’s culture above its commercial pursuits.
“As soon as I stepped in, I was taken aback by everything in the house. Just my style.”
— Marine Lance Corporal John Curtin, after seeing his new space
Problem & Solution:
Here is a broader problem & solution of the work I did for all three campaign….
Creative
Following research and a brand brief, it was time to start getting creative on the ways we could showcase the HFOT/Wayfair partnership.
Carl Moore reflects on seeing his newly furnished home
Creative: Carl Moore
Admittedly, I came into this (initial) shoot late as a replacement director, with only a few days to prep.
By that time, a lot of the groundwork had been done, so my role was to add value by trying to pick up the already moving baton as fast as possible.
The experience was constructed as a traditional unscripted narrative, interspersing interviews with Army Staff Sgt. Carl Moore and family, and their home unveiling.
The Curtins pose for the cameras before seeing the new space
Creative: John Curtin
For this one, I had much more time to prep, and as a result tried to enhance the narrative with the lessons we took away from the first shoot, in addition to adding equipment and time.
We brought in Derek Oliver, Director of Government Affairs at Wayfair, to host the day. Derek met Marine Lance Corporal John Curtin at the ice hockey rink (John’s favorite hobby is sled-hockey), and would drive John and his wife to see their home after being styled by a top Wayfair designer.
My feeling was this approach allowed the viewer to build a more personal relationship with both the Curtins, and with the Wayfair staff, and to see a more honest look at the work, ideas, and inspiration that went into the furnishing.
The Garcias prepare to eat while dining in their “new” backyard patio
Creative: Carlos Garcia
To commemorate the fall season, Wayfair furnished the backyard patio of Marine Corporal Carlos Garcia.
Given a backyard patio reveal does not have the same impact (ie - impressiveness) as unveiling a full home of furnishing, I proposed the idea of the creative being more of a “day in the life of…” as we speak to the Garcias about ‘home’ as a concept, while documenting their family’s dinner.
I really enjoyed pivoting to a more traditional short film experience where the storytelling felt more sincere while artistically highlighting Wayfair’s core values in a fresh way.
Creative: Pre/Production
Once a creative idea was given the green-light, the production quickly came together. These steps included:
Solidifying questions for the subjects
Planning and scheduling
Walk-thrus and tech rehearsals with crew
Assembling the home space
And finally, production day(s). Let’s get this thing rolling!
Chris was our DP, and got to combine his passion for hockey and cameras
Testing
The next step after production is to begin the editing process. During this stage, feedback comes in all shapes, sizes, people and pockets of the business.
Maggie (stakeholder) and Kat (PM) were helpful collaborators throughout
Testing: Creatives + Stakeholders
Wayfair employs a diverse team of producers, editors, and Creative Directors. While honing in on the edit, I made sure to utilize the brainpower of several colleagues, getting their thoughts and feedback on how to make the videos as impactful as possible.
After that, I presented the work to Wayfair stakeholders and the team from Homes For Our Troops, who contributed thoughts and ideas to each revision. I was particularly happy working with my partners, and loved that they gave actionable and insightful notes that ultimately elevated the final product.
Shoot 1: Land O’ Lakes, FL
Army Staff Sergeant Carl Moore sees his new furnishings for the first time.
Shoot 2: Nashville, TN
John Curtin and family are guided by Wayfair staff to see their updated home.
Shoot 3: San Diego, CA
Marine Corporal Carlos Garcia reflects on what “Home” means to his family.
Takeaways
After working with the Homes For Our Troops teams on three campaigns, I had some takeaways, including…
If you think you’ve allotted enough time when planning to shoot with kids, add more.
Even “pure documentaries” resort to some acting and multiple takes sometimes, and following that form proved helpful. For example, running the home unveiling scenes a few times really helped the edit, and the extra coverage better captured the moment.
If possible, on a shoot like this, never settle for less than two cameras.
And finally, I really am grateful to HFOT and the Wayfair team for putting me on this. One of my favorites experiences during my tenure with the company.