StoryPoint Honor Flight
In honor of StoryPoint's Military Heroes, SSDM has collaborated with Senior Village Management for five years, providing digital marketing support for its Independence Village and StoryPoint Senior Living Communities. StoryPoint is distinguished by its focus on the needs of its residents, encapsulated in their tagline, "Shine. Every Day." Sean Tracy leads StoryPoint’s Veterans History Project and partnered with Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization, to fly four veterans (two men and two women) from StoryPoint in Troy, Ohio to Washington, D.C. in the spring of 2018; three were from the Navy and one from the Army. He also proposed that SSDM document the journey. After spending two months on research and planning, SSDM organized all pre-production logistics including crew and equipment, created storyboards, and reviewed existing B-roll footage of the four veterans. Early on the morning of the trip, the SSDM production team flew to Reagan National Airport to welcome the veterans as they arrived from Dayton, Ohio. Three videographers captured their arrival and accompanied them throughout the day, covering events like the honor guard change at Arlington National Cemetery, a flag ceremony at the Armed Services Memorial, and visits to other memorials. After a long but fulfilling day, the veterans returned home at 11:00 PM, greeted by a cheering crowd of family and friends, which another crew filmed. The following week, the SSDM video team interviewed the residents for their reflections on the experience, and the documentary was edited into different lengths for various uses. It can be found on StoryPoint's YouTube channel and on their website's blog section to honor the veterans’ dedication to our country. The short version of the documentary is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEMzGqMjr0g, and the long version can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkCnOfYTnCc&t=99s. The long version received a 2019 Telly Award for best non-broadcast editing and a Davey Award for Best Documentary.