WHATCOM LAND TRUST
LOVE THIS LAND
Want to know how Whatcom Land Trust beat their fundraising goals with powerful storytelling? Read on to learn about our filmmaking process:
Whatcom Land Trust does some of the most powerful work on earth: protecting our land and resources for future generations. Not much tops that.
For this project, they wanted to ‘break the mold’ of how they had been approaching storytelling in the past. They wanted to create something inspirational and forward thinking. Sure, they wanted beauty and something that communicated their almost 40 years of hard work, but most importantly they wanted people to know that the work had just begun.
Creative
Moment Films + Whatcom Land Trust
Writer
Chris Donaldson
Client
Claire Johnston
Director
Chris Donaldson
DP
Julien Scherliss
Producer
Elena Stecca
Editor
Liam Bateman
1: CREATIVE PHASE
George Bernard Shaw said it best: The hardest part about communication is the illusion it has occurred.
#truth
So for every project, we spend a lot of time just listening. This starts with a bunch of phone calls, then moves on to our clients answering a questionnaire that helps define the ‘why’ behind the project. This may seem like a small thing, but this is where the magic begins to happen.
With this questionnaire, Whatcom Land Trust communicated the framework that had to be achieved with this project: we had to celebrate the great work of the past 40 years while also communicating a strong vision for the future.
We knew this would be a bit of a balancing act, so as we dove into the creative brief, we really began to outline what this all might look like. We get pretty granular with our briefs, exploring things with our clients like campaign success metrics, CTA’s, creative ideas, even music choices to help establish tone. This document becomes the cornerstone of everything moving forward.
This is also when we start to dig in on how we can maximize each shoot day to create as much content as possible. By taking a smart approach at the outset, we can create lots of content assets to build frequency and reach - and move the needle for a better campaign.
It’s only then, after we’ve really listened and exchanged ideas with you, that we start to script.
The beauty of it all? Whatcom Land Trust collaborated with us every step of the way.
Location Photos and Text Treatment
Sample Schedule
2. PRE-PRODUCTION
If you ask experienced filmmakers what the most important part of the craft is, they better answer ‘pre-production’. Because without proper planning, you’re probably not going to get what you want.
Every project needs a thousand and one things, including shot lists, shoot day schedules, talent, locations, crew, gear, and much more. Rest assured, we have this on lockdown, and share everything with you well before the camera begins to roll. That way, we have the same vision for success.
And remember: you don’t project manage this one, we do. Every step of the way.
3. PRODUCTION
There’s a truth about production: no matter how much planning you put into it: reality intervenes. But if you know that at the outset, you can find the serendipity in those moments, often better than anything we could’ve written in the first place.
This happened when our interview location fell through. So we had to improvise at the last moment, and decided to hang a backdrop in the middle of the forest. Without a doubt, this was a much better solution than we originally planned. It just works.
By following our time tested production process, we were able to flex around opportunity and find the space we needed.
4. POST PRODUCTION
Because everything was scheduled and everyone knew the plan, we were able to work closely with the Whatcom Land Trust team (kudos to Claire Johnston) to review all our drafts/edits on time for their yearly event, where they went on to crush their fundraising goals.
There’s a funny saying in the film business, fix it in post. Which basically means letting the editor deal with it. The real answer to this is to fix it in prep. If everyone knows what is happening and when, you build the runway for a kick ass project like this one.
Not only that, but we were able to deliver a full content library of assets that WLT can use across all their social channels. Now, they have what they need to get the word out about the invaluable work they’re doing.
Here’s what the client had to say:
It looks perfect. It really has been a pleasure working with the team at moment.film. Having storytelling like this is going to help us fund really impactful projects.
Kudos to them, and kudos to everyone who helped us make this project a reality. #thankyou
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