Project Objectives
Create a fundraising gala video demonstrating Thresholds’ impact on young people through a single client’s mental health recovery story.

Challenges and Solutions
After production, the team was worried about whether the story would resonate because our hero, Julian, found it difficult to express his emotions fully in the interview. To address this in editing, I relied more on Julian’s mother to convey the emotional intensity of his story. The client was concerned with demonstrating sensitivity in presenting details about Julian’s difficult backstory. To create a more uplifting story and stay on message, I refined the narrative to focus on how Thresholds helped Julian. Mental health recovery can be difficult to visualize. To help bring the process to life, we filmed Julian interacting with his therapists outside the traditional office in a variety of creative environments. This b-roll visually illustrated the supportive dynamic and trust that Thresholds provides.

Outcomes
The client at Thresholds was moved to tears, as was the audience. The video’s emotional impact contributed to the gala’s fundraising success, where it helped raise $1.3 million.