These short documentary videos raised awareness about social inequities in St. Louis.

2015

Client

The death of Michael Brown, Jr. and the community outcry that followed sparked a conversation in St. Louis and our nation on racial and social inequity. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon appointed the Ferguson Commission to listen to the community, analyze the issues, and formulate public policy recommendations to address them. 

Challenge

The Commission asked me to show the relevance of their policy recommendations to the general public.

Approach

I employed narrative video to put a human face on abstract ideas like racial profiling and the Medicaid coverage gap.

Outcome

The resulting videos were shown in public forums, on the Commission's website, and through its social channels, where they garnered thousands of views. They gained interest among people who were not directly affected by the issues being discussed. At a time when our region was very polarized, these stories offered an empathic bridge to someone else's experience. 

What I Did

Camera operation
Directing
Editing
Interviews
Pre-interviews

Why Did You Pull Me Over?

This story is about a police encounter with a man with an unexpected point of view.

Team: Joshua Dobkins (Cinematographer), Bradley Fann (Editor), Nathan Lucy (Director)

Stand on My Own Two Feet

After an injury, skilled worker Matt H. finds himself with a personal understanding of how the expansion of Medicaid in Missouri would help more citizens stand on their own two feet.

Team: Joshua Dobkins (Cinematographer), Bradley Fann (Editor), Shawn Jones (Production Sound), Nathan Lucy (Director)

Behind Every Traffic Ticket

"I'm not sitting around waiting for a handout. I'm trying." Dawn shares her personal experience with the compounding effect that a ticket in the St. Louis region's current Municipal Court system can have.

Team: Elaine Tae Cha (Interviewer), Joshua Dobkins (Cinematographer), Bradley Fann (Editor), Nathan Lucy (Director)