Anchor Line produces a lot of different styles of video. Sometimes the simplest project to describe on paper, can be the most difficult one to put together. We were recently given 6 hours of raw interview footage from the American Heart Association. They asked us to create a 5-6 minute video that captured the stories and emotion of women who have dealt first hand with heart conditions and stroke.

When you’re given six hours of footage it can be really easy to get overwhelmed and think, “Where do I even start?” The most important thing to remember is that even though you may not have been there doing the interviews yourself, these people are real. They aren’t actors reading a script and they aren’t reality television stars given an outline. You have to treat the footage as if you’re actually meeting these people. After reviewing the footage multiple times over, you really start to feel like you know them personally… (even though they have no idea who you are!)

After a few hours of looking at the footage and reviewing our client’s notes, I began to have a very solid grip on who exactly these people were and what they’ve been through. Initially, it was just identifying what happened to them. One woman had heart surgery at five years old, or another woman had a stroke when she was 23. But eventually, as you start to learn more details about their personal lives, it starts to humanize them and make the process of telling a story much easier. This woman changed her entire diet because she wanted to be there for her children, and this woman had her aorta replaced and now she’s thinking about getting another dog. Moments where their true personalities and emotion come through, (along with creative editing, appropriate music, and supporting text and graphics), truly shape a video and transform it from 6 hours of raw footage to one powerful and compelling story.

It was hard not to be inspired by these women. So many of them had been at the brink of death, but with their own will power and the love of their friends and family, they were able to turn the tables and have bounced back stronger than they were before. Not a lot of people have that opportunity, and it was extremely humbling to be a part of the team that allows them to share their stories.