"Creative Vision and Hard Lessons: Reflecting on the Triune Mercy Center Campaign”
Intro
Our multimedia campaign for Triune Mercy Center was an ambitious project that sought to amplify the Center’s community impact on homelessness and draw attention to the striking mural on the side of their church. The centerpiece of our efforts was a heartfelt mini-documentary that captured the mural’s story and its resonance with the Center’s mission. Alongside this, we revitalized their newsletters and Instagram presence to foster a unified, colorful, and visually compelling narrative across several platforms.
The goal was to create a campaign that not only showcased the beauty of the mural but also communicated the Center’s dedication to serving its community. The mini-documentary became the emotional anchor of the project, combining visually engaging footage with storytelling that touched on the heart of Triune’s mission by telling the stories of formerly homeless community members featured on the mural. Overall, our campaign effectively blended art and communication to highlight the Center’s values and engage their audience on multiple fronts.
My Contribution
I was deeply involved in the production of the mini-documentary, contributing significantly to both filming and editing. I spent all 11 hours on set, ensuring we captured the right shots and stayed true to our vision. Once filming was complete, I dedicated eight hours to editing and refining the footage, transforming it into a coherent and engaging narrative. This project marked my return to filming with DSLR cameras, a skill I hadn’t utilized since high school. Though initially daunting, the experience turned out to be incredibly rewarding. My instincts returned quickly, and I was able to successfully operate the camera to capture dynamic and visually striking footage. This hands-on experience not only boosted my confidence in my technical abilities but also reinforced my passion for multimedia storytelling.
Team Dynamics and Challenges
While the final product was something I am proud of, the process of creating it was not without challenges—particularly regarding team dynamics. One team member, we’ll call him Jeremy, positioned himself as the creative leader of our video project. He and my teacher often hyped him up as a “visionary” with extensive experience and insisted on taking charge of the creative direction. While his confidence initially inspired trust, his actions quickly revealed significant shortcomings. During the first three hours of filming, when Jeremy was present, the footage we captured was blurry, unfocused, and lacked the artistic quality we had envisioned. He frequently dismissed the ideas and input of other team members, insisting that his vision take precedence. After leaving this initial filming session early following our interview of Ninja Picasso but right before Dan Weathers, Jeremy became unresponsive and disengaged from the project.
The situation worsened as our deadlines approached. Jeremy only reappeared the day before our rough cut was due, requesting my hard drive, even though I had already painstakingly uploaded all our footage to a shared Box drive, a process that took several hours. He picked up the hard drive at 10 a.m. and returned it at 9 p.m., handing back a skeleton of a video that bore little resemblance to our carefully crafted script. The footage was disorganized, and many critical elements were missing. Adding to the frustration, he returned the hard drive with a group of friends, suggesting that he could have prioritized the project and returned the hard drive earlier.
Faced with an incomplete video and an impending deadline, I worked for four straight hours that night to salvage the project. I drew heavily from the eight hours of footage we had captured without Jeremy present and used my editing skills to piece together a passable rough cut. While it was a stressful experience, I was ultimately proud of the video I produced. Over the next few days, I spent an additional four hours editing and refining the documentary, with plans for further improvements to make it a polished final product for the Center. This experience underscored Jeremy’s lack of contribution and highlighted just how much of the final product relied on the efforts of the rest of the team.
Lessons Learned
This project taught me a valuable lesson about teamwork and accountability. I learned that while collaboration is important, not all team members can be relied upon equally. When key responsibilities are delegated to someone who fails to deliver, it can jeopardize the entire project. In the future, I plan to set clearer expectations, establish accountability measures, and take ownership of critical tasks to ensure they are completed to a high standard. My experience with Kaylie reinforced this lesson, as her overpromising and underdelivering created unnecessary stress and additional work for the rest of the team.
Looking Forward
Looking forward, I am excited about my upcoming project, How Did We Get Here, which will give me full creative control and accountability. This experience with the Triune campaign has prepared me to handle future projects with greater confidence and independence. Having learned the importance of setting clear goals and taking ownership, I am eager to apply these lessons to my next project. How Did We Get Here will allow me to fully embrace my artistic vision without the complications of unreliable team dynamics, and I am confident in my ability to produce a professional and impactful final product. Despite the challenges, I am proud of what we accomplished with the Triune Mercy Center campaign. The project demonstrated my ability to adapt under pressure, collaborate with a team, and deliver high-quality multimedia content.
The mini-documentary, in particular, stands as a testament to my creativity and technical skills. While I wouldn’t say this project directly influences my career aspirations, it is a valuable addition to my portfolio and a meaningful example of my ability to handle complex, multi-faceted projects.
Finally, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the incredible team at Triune Mercy Center, specifically Don Austin and Trey Meredith. Their generosity with their time, openness, and willingness to collaborate made this project possible. Their support and belief in our vision were crucial to our success, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with such inspiring individuals. Their mission and impact in the community made this project a deeply rewarding experience, and I am honored to have played a part in amplifying their story.
