Portfolio: The Heart of It

The Heart of It

We partnered with the American College of Cardiology to launch a new initiative aimed at recognizing the challenges of cardiologists and providing solutions. We sought to, if you will, get to The Heart of It. The campaign launched as a multi-media, three-part docu-series, spotlighting a new generation of cardiovascular professionals while creating a safe space for other young physicians to listen, share and take comfort in knowing they're not alone.

Casting the Heart and Soul

This series is not just about recruitment. It’s also a comprehensive resource for a new generation of cardiologists–a platform for the College to empathize with real issues plaguing the medical industry, like overwhelming student loans and balancing family life with the demands of the job.

We reviewed a shortlist of candidates, conducting preliminary interviews to decide who would eventually get the full documentary treatment and who would best be featured in other ways. Taking our time to select the right subjects–cardiologists with strong stories, camera presence, and connections to hospitals willing to provide our crew access–was critical to the overall success of the project. Ultimately, our strong pre-production helped us deliver intimate and informative stories with only a single day of shooting with a small crew.

Capturing Heartfelt Human Stories

We shadowed each cardiologist for the entirety of one long, hectic day. From their early morning commutes to physician huddles and patient visits to actual procedures performed in the cath lab, our cameras were rolling. And on top of all the dynamic b-roll and interviews we captured, we also provided candid and posed still photography along the way.

The interviews that provide the steady pulse of each narrative are a blend of informal questions captured on-the-go and expertly-lighted interviews. This mix of footage immerses viewers in the daily lives of the physicians – creating the emotional resonance that propels engaging docu-style productions. In our sit-down interviews, we amplified this effect by using an eye-direct mirror. This allowed our interviewees to look directly into the camera lens while maintaining eye contact with the interviewer. The result gives us a deeply human connection with the physicians and an honest, sometimes gritty look at what it takes to be a cardiologist today.

Creating a Home for The Heart of It

We also worked with ACC to create a custom website for these videos to call home. As a critical element in the College's efforts to engage younger cardiologists, we provided a clean design to encourage viewing and sharing of ACC's content. Landing pages showcase each cardiologist in the series with a brief biography alongside the videos that give the heartbeat to a living campaign. A prominent social feed aggregates mentions from across digital platforms and a separate landing page allows other cardiologists to join the conversation and share their stories with the College and their membership.