Planned Parenthood started a project of a series of videos that were produced and shot by 6 different filmmakers in 6 different regions of the US. The videos tell the unique stories of local patients, activists, medical assistants, and clinicians. Planned Parenthood decided later that they wanted to add stills to the campaign. They scheduled Wonderful Machine photographer Frank Rogozienski, based in San Diego, for the first shoot.
In October 2016, Planned Parenthood turned 100 years old. Built on a foundation of public information and education, Planned Parenthood provides trusted health care to communities across the country. Their team’s mission is to support the global advancement of women’s health by leading a movement for reproductive health and rights. Planned Parenthood inspires and motivates women around the world with a vision that people everywhere have access to quality health care and education.
Frank had previously worked on a project for the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. The current art director of Planned Parenthood participated in that project. So when Planned Parenthood’s creative director was looking for recommendations for the San Diego shoot, the art director recommended Frank.
The campaign aimed to build brand awareness through short and personal verité-style videos and stills designed for online posting. The images would also serve as stand-alone banner ads to drive traffic to the video series. Additionally, they would enhance Planned Parenthood’s corporate image library.
The project’s producer handled most of the pre-production and planning for the shoot. By the time Frank came on board, they had secured and scheduled all the talent.
During the shoot in San Diego, Frank faced several challenges. Since the producer and filmmaker had already invested significant time in pre-production, the addition of a photographer required reworking plans to accommodate additional time and setup. However, Frank assured the video crew that if they worked together, everything would go smoothly. He successfully worked with the team, sharing resources and talent to ensure a cohesive and efficient production process.
I’ve shot a few projects like this before so I know it’s critical to coordinate with the filmmakers ahead of time so that we all have realistic expectations.
The filmmaker Frank was working with was talented but she had never shot with a still photographer on set before, making communication and flexibility key to the success of the shoot. Frank had to figure out how to obtain the shots he needed on a tight schedule, while also considering the time the video team would require with the talent.
Frank’s favorite part of the project was meeting and sharing the stories of ordinary yet extraordinary people.
Given the current political climate in our country, this has been an especially meaningful project for me. I’m happy to have had the opportunity to work with Planned Parenthood on this project.
The project is still ongoing and Planned Parenthood has been a dream client for Frank. Although the original scope of the work was to support the national corporate image library, the San Diego images were so well received that the project was expanded to include North and South Carolina, and the Youth Power Summit in Las Vegas. The campaign also resulted in trade graphics for the national and chapter affiliates websites. The popularity of the images was so great that the collateral for the project was produced and disseminated almost overnight.
See more of Frank’s work on his website.
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