Short films honoring four Iowans each year who showed up for others in a crisis, made to anchor the Red Cross's live awards event.
Creative direction, strategy, client relations, project management
American Red Cross, Iowa Region
2023 to 2026
More than $429,000 raised at the 2023 to 2025 events
Every year, the American Red Cross in Iowa honors four people who showed up for others during a crisis. Short videos tell their stories and anchor the live awards event, so each one has to be clear, moving and respectful of the person in it.
I led the project for four years, working within tight budgets and shifting timelines while the Red Cross team balanced it alongside active disaster response.
I built a storytelling framework we could reuse each year while keeping every story personal. Interviews focused on sacrifice, community impact and quiet human moments, not just the heroic act.
I ran interviews in person and over video, and directed the details that made each story feel real even with little location footage: varied interview framing, close-ups of handwritten letters, people walking into frame. Office footage, stock imagery and extra photos filled the gaps.
I also led live editing sessions with the post-production team, giving feedback in the moment to tighten the story and cut down rounds of revisions.
$429K+
The videos premiered at the awards each year. From 2023 to 2025, the event raised more than $429,000 for the Red Cross.