Second Sight
Short Documentary
Client/Network: SEE International
Think Less Services: Creative, Packaging & Sales, Production, Post-Production, Photo, Web Development
Awards:
- Telly Awards Silver: Branded Content - Directing
- Telly Awards Silver: Branded Content - Documentary
- Mountainfilm Festival 2020: Norman Vaughn Indomitable Spirit Award
- Musicbed Film Initiative Winner
Second Sight" is an award-winning short film by Think Less, capturing the transformative journey of the Laniohan family in the Philippines. Nestled in the rice fields, the family grapples with the life-altering consequences of blindness until a group of doctors visit their village and restore sight in under five minutes.
The film intimately portrays the ripple effects of blindness, not only on the individual who loses their sight but also on those who care for them. We follow Virgilio, who for two years, has been caring for his wife, Joanaly, after she lost her sight to cataracts. Despite the hardships, Virgilio's love and compassion for Joanaly only grow stronger, as they dream of the day she would see their family again.
This film was part of a larger integrated digital campaign, generating over 700K unique impressions on Instagram and Facebook, with an impressive average engagement rate of 8.9% (Industry Standard 1-2%). The campaign focused on new donor acquisition, brand building, and fundraising, resulting in 554 surgeries delivered.
The campaign's success was amplified by the use of locked content gates, which required users to enter their email addresses to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content and interviews related to the film. This strategy not only generated new leads but also increased the sense of exclusivity surrounding the film, encouraging campaign engagement.
"Second Sight" has been recognized in 14 film festivals and won 4 awards, reaching over 1 million impressions. This project showcases the power of digital marketing in driving meaningful results and the transformative impact of storytelling in the non-profit sector.
4 Awards
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14 Film Festivals
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Funds Raised For 554 Surgeries
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1 Digital Website
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700K unique impressions
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Engagement rate of 8.9%
Join the fight against unnecessary blindness.
The Challenge
In the non-profit sector, it's often a challenge to effectively communicate the impact and importance of the work being done. For our project "Second Sight," we were tasked with showcasing how non-profits, like SEE International, can leverage emotional storytelling to drive tangible results. The goal was to create a compelling narrative that not only raises awareness about the life-changing work of restoring sight but also inspires viewers to take action. The challenge was to strike a balance between creating an engaging, emotive narrative and delivering a clear call-to-action that would lead to real-world outcomes.
The Concept
Second Sight" began as an idea for a feature-length documentary, but it evolved into a poignant short film that tugs at the heartstrings, thanks to the support from Musicbed’s 2017 Film Initiative. However, bringing this project to life was not without its challenges. Despite the initial grant, additional funding was needed to fully realize the vision of the film.
We reached out to various non-profits, seeking a brand sponsor who shared our vision. SEE International, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring sight and transforming lives, stepped forward. They believed in our mission to tell the story of Joanaly Laniohan, a blind mother of four on a journey to regain her sight.
"Second Sight" is a cinematic love letter of hope to the world. It's a deeply emotional narrative that intertwines the journey of one family's struggle with blindness and the selfless individuals who change their fate. This film is a testament to the power of storytelling in shedding light on important issues and inspiring action.
The Creative
As eyesight fades so do our memories and visual perception of the world. The warming smile of a loved one, the twinkle in your lover’s eyes, the glow as the sun fades on your childhood home. Everything we hold dear, lost, leaving us with vague depictions of once seen. Through our cinematography, we wanted to subtly depict the loss of sight. Using strategic framing, in camera effects and lighting we will be able to create the world in which the viewer can peer into the lens of someone suffering from cataract blindness. Through this, we created beautifully textured images washed in a blur of the dynamic world surrounding.
Framing
Shooting through naturally occurring frames and showcasing vague depictions of characters will place our subjects to sit amongst a wash of texture and blur giving the feeling of lost peripherals and focus.
Vintage Glass
The vintage anamorphic glass will give us stylized imperfections: textured bokeh, lens distortion, flare, and soft contrast that visually convey an organic feel that will allow our viewer to experience the subtleties of blinding light, mimicking the symptoms of cataract blindness.
Archive
Organic and subtle movement are instilling an intimate and, when necessary, a sometimes claustrophobic atmosphere.
Muted Color
Color is muted and dry for a portion of the film until the ending shot when sight is restored. Subjects framed in strong backlight will appear in silhouette, and textured light enables us to maneuver the camera through an environment similar to that of our most important character.
Casting
This may be the most difficult part in producing the film, because you have to be diligent and borderline ruthless in our casting decisions. We knew we had one shot to tell the most compelling story possible to raise money for the cause.
So we reached out to a local production company in the Philippines to interview more than 60 potential subjects for this film.
We wanted to tell a very authentic story and It would have been extremely difficult for a bunch of white foreigners to come into this clinic and these small villages and say, ‘Hey, let us film you.’
But, we also couldn’t risk having the interview not work out, so we compiled an exhaustive list of every subject, listing the pros and cons of their stories.
The Edit
At Think Less, we understand that the most powerful stories are those that resonate on a deeply personal level. When we developed our concept, we didn't just consider the people we wanted to reach, but also the experiences they could relate to. Sympathy can inspire donations, but empathy can forge a deeper connection and drive a more profound response.
We recognized that it's challenging to truly understand the experience of blindness if you haven't lived it. However, many of us can relate to the experience of caring for a loved one. This universal experience became the key to our storytelling approach.
We chose to tell Joanaly's story through the perspective of her husband, who had become her caregiver. This approach allowed us to create a narrative that not only evoked sympathy for Joanaly's experience of blindness but also empathy for the impact on her family. By doing so, we were able to connect with our audience on a deeper level, creating a story that resonates with everyone, not just those who sympathize with the blind, but also those who can empathize with the families affected.
The Website
We partnered with See International to create a comprehensive digital campaign centered around their award-winning short film, Second Sight. Our goal was to amplify fundraising efforts through immersive storytelling and strategic digital engagement.
Our campaign generated over 700K unique impressions on Instagram and Facebook, achieving an impressive average engagement rate of 8.9% - significantly higher than the industry standard of 1-2%. The focus of our digital experience was threefold: new donor acquisition, brand building, and fundraising.
A key strategy in our campaign was the use of locked content gates. Users were required to enter their email addresses to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content and interviews related to the film. This not only helped generate new leads for See International's ongoing email marketing efforts but also fostered a sense of exclusivity around the film, encouraging further engagement.
We optimized the user experience by focusing on visual storytelling and conversion rate optimization. We designed a visually appealing and user-friendly website and incorporated calls to action and engagement opportunities throughout the user journey. The result was a smooth and engaging user experience that effectively amplified user action and drove more impressions.
Our collaboration with See International resulted in a highly successful campaign that leveraged immersive storytelling and digital strategy to engage and convert users. The campaign's success demonstrates the power of digital marketing in driving meaningful results for nonprofit organizations.
Our work included:
Digital Strategy
Brand Strategy
Visual Identity Design
UI/UX Design
Conversion Rate Optimization
Engineering
The campaign included a variety of elements, from a collaboration logo with See International to locked content gates, social shareables, and exclusive content that allowed fans to dive deeper into the film's story and subject matter. We also continued the narrative of the film on the branded microsite, showcasing the impact of See International's work.
The Rollout
Full Digital Feature for SEE International
1M+ Impressions & Reach
14 Film Festivals and 4 Awards
554 Surgeries Delivered
700K unique impressions
Engagement rate of 8.9%