Catholic Charities Case Study

Catholic Charities

The Moment

34th Annual Green Tie Gala

In a country where 62% of the population has no emergency savings, the line between financial security and homelessness has become extremely thin. Catholic Charities aims to affect that each year with their annual Green Tie Gala. In 2016, this event would welcome nearly 650 guests to celebrate and support the homeless services of their Sanctuary Women's Development Centers in Oklahoma City and Norman, and Holy Family Home in Midwest City.

Unfortunately, due to lingering effects of the oil crisis, they lacked corporate support they had received in years past leading into the fundraiser. Looking to Staplegun, the agency I was working for at the time, to help them with a closing video, they hoped to encourage last minute donations during the event. They were very clear that this video should not depress people with sad stories of who Catholic Charities helps. It should be geared more towards igniting the emotion of the attendees to help gain the final donations for the night. It should be upbeat, showing a sense of urgency to donate now and build excitement. This video should highlight the cause and show how donations can change people’s lives.

With less than one week to cast and scout, two days to shoot, and just over a day to edit, we delivered a manifesto that would live beyond the event and become their primary fundraising tool for the year ahead. After the video was presented at the event, the number of donations surpassed the previous year with corporate sponsorship by 400%.

A Small Change

35th Annual green Tie Gala

In 2017, Catholic Charities returned asking for an evolution of the previous year's story. Something in the same vein with more of a theatrical presence to match the new event theme. With only one additional week of lead time, we attempted one of our most ambitious spots to date as an agency.

The concept was to create a similar narrative highlighting the potentially rapid descent into poverty. However this time, we wanted the symbolism to be portrayed by what can happen to you, rather than showcasing an active role in the decisions that lead to the outcome.

They had a shoestring budget with just enough money to cover out-of-pockets for talent (a family of three) and a few props. Despite Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather, we decided to shoot outside to save on budget and add an unexpected reveal in the finished piece. Against all odds, the end result was just over :90 seconds featuring a :60 second single-take with three on-camera talent, ten on-camera extras, one on-camera environment and wardrobe change, and nearly a dozen on-camera prop exchanges.

Catholic Charities 2017 Video Thumbnail.jpg

For Her

36th Annual green Tie Gala

In 2018, as in previous years, Catholic Charities came knocking for yet another film to add to the series. The goal was still the same, with one twist. They intended to live track the night’s fundraising goals as a way to encourage larger individual contributions. As we began to discuss possible executions, I pushed for a story that I had been aching to tell since the beginning.

I wanted the chance to expand on the original film produced in 2016 with a new perspective. One that even the client didn’t fully know the origins of until after filming had wrapped. With the green light, we proceeded to tell a personal story of my own that I had never shared with anyone. I never expected the result and the trust the client, or even my own team showed me by allowing such a rare opportunity.

The execution was difficult to say the least. Beyond the insufficient budget we had grown accustom to, was the talent dilemma. This film would have a single protagonist that would carry a heavy burden throughout. To raise the level of difficulty even higher, this protagonist would need to be under the age of ten. Thanks to exceptional production partners and experimental techniques during casting, we found a hidden star that was willing to take hold of a widely unscripted concept. And then came the difficult task of how to film it. For better or worse, we made an early decision to go all in on a genuine portrayal. This demanded that we relinquish control of the cameras and put our faith in the hands of a seven year old.

The resulting film is not a fiction designed to move an audience to action, although it did surpass all expectations raising 250% more than our previous record in only six minutes. It is, in fact, an intimate retelling of my own wife’s childhood and may go down as one of the most rewarding projects I’ve ever been a part of. Beyond the accolades, awards and the invitations to present this to new audiences, the highest praise for me was the reaction my wife had during a private viewing.