Every time we see a shelter dog features on the Paws Facebook page, we want to adopt it. But since we already have two adopted furry family members, we were thrilled to be approached by Sam from Pafotography Homes with the opportunity to create a video for Paws Dog Shelter as a charity project. We jumped at the chance to use our skills to help these furry friends find their forever homes. In this blog post, we’ll take you through our creative process and the steps we took to make this video a success.
Step 1: Understanding the Objectives
The first thing we did was sit down with the Sam to discuss their objectives. Since Sam has been volunteering and working with the shelter for a long time, she had the knowledge and vision we needed to come up with an idea. The shelter is in desperate need of more volunteers and support, so they hosted a recruitment day at a local hotel to show people what its like to help shelter dogs. Additionally, we wanted to emphasize the importance of adopting shelter dogs and how it could change their lives.
Step 2: Script Writing
Once we had a clear understanding of the objectives, we started to brainstorm ideas. We knew we wanted to create a narrative that would connect with the viewers emotionally. We decided to tell the story from the perspective of Hulk, a shelter dog that gave us a grant tour of Paws dog shelter. This was tied in with interviews of some of the volunteers.
Step 3: Casting the Dogs
Sam helped us identify the dogs that would be best suited for the video. We wanted to showcase a variety of personalities to appeal to a broad audience. We also wanted to include some dogs that had been at the shelter for a long time, or where sick to highlight the importance of adopting these dogs.
Step 4: Filming
The timeframe to film was short, since the shelter is understaffed taking people out from their work was tough. We also had an upcoming project abroad so time was of the essence. We booked a 4 hour shoot on a Saturday which was the only time that fit everyone well. Filming the dogs was fun, we filmed them playing, snuggling, and interacting with the staff and volunteers. We also captured footage of the shelter environment and the hard work that goes into taking care of these dogs.
Step 5: Editing
Once we had all the footage, we began the editing process. We carefully selected the best shots and pieced them together to tell the story of Hulk. We added a voiceover to guide the viewers through the story and evoke emotions. For the voice over, we asked our good friend Nick Wild who a dog lover himself, was a perfect fit.
Step 6: Finalizing the Video
Once the editing was complete, we shared the video with the shelter staff for feedback. They were thrilled with the final product and felt that it accurately represented their organization and the dogs they care for. We made some final tweaks based on their feedback and finalized the video.
Step 7: Sharing the Video
The final step was to share the video with the world. We uploaded it to the shelter’s social media channels and shared it with our own networks. The video quickly gained traction and was shared widely on social media. It was also played at the event and was a complete success.
Conclusion
Creating this video for the dog shelter was a rewarding experience for us. We were able to use our skills to help a great cause and raise awareness about the importance of adopting shelter dogs. We hope that this video will inspire more people to consider adopting a shelter dog and give these furry friends the loving homes they deserve.