Each year, two-to-three non-profits are the recipients of our Stories Untold program. This initiative provides us the chance to give back to the community but we also get so much back from each project. Last summer, we worked with Chris Daniels and her team at the Refuge Ranch in Rochester, Illinois, to tell their story.
Josh and Lydia spent a full day shooting two videos – one for the Refuge Ranch website landing page and another, shorter version, for social media.
“The Storyteller Studios team was phenomenal. They were incredibly patient and did a great job putting the staff, volunteers, and kiddos they interviewed at ease. They came with tons of ideas for the shoot. But above all else, we were so impressed with their ability to find the story. They asked incredible questions, really listened to the answers, and were so gifted at finding and illustrating the heart of what we do.”
— Chris Daniels, Executive Director, Refuge Ranch
Chris and her team wanted to tell the story of the Refuge Ranch succinctly, without compromising the heart of its mission, in a way that people could genuinely connect. The social media video received thousands of views within hours of being posted. Facebook currently lists combined organic and sponsored reach at nearly 48,000. The video has also been the catalyst for two granting organizations in the last year that reached out to Refuge Ranch because they saw the video on social media.
“Our goal at Storyteller is always to take people places they can’t otherwise go. In the case of the Refuge Ranch, Chris and her team did a wonderful job taking direction to select powerful interviews and covering footage that could portray the essence of their mission at Refuge. Their willingness to be coachable and trust the process was a huge part of why we were able to tell their story successfully. We feel honored to have been able to help further their mission.”
— Lydia Stuemke, Associate Producer, The Storyteller Studios
“We were also incredibly impressed with how quickly the video went from shooting to completion. Josh made it clear from the beginning that this project would receive the same professionalism and priority as their paying customers, and they followed through on that. That is integrity.”
— Chris Daniels
“This project, for us, is what our Stories Untold program is all about. There are organizations all around us that are living extraordinary stories, but might not always have the resources to raise the awareness they deserve. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to help connect people to the unique and important work Chris and her team at Refuge are doing.”
— Josh Hester, Principal & Executive Producer
“I genuinely cannot say enough about how thankful I am for The Storyteller Studios and their incredible work!”
— Chris Daniels
Watch the video below: