Abbott: patient stories across the country
Patient testimonial work that travels to wherever the person lives, because the story only rings true in their own home.
Selected films
Abbott patient testimonial
Patient testimonial film.
The brief
A patient testimonial cannot be filmed in a studio. The whole value of the format is that the person is real, and a person in front of a seamless backdrop stops being real within about four seconds.
So this work travels. We fly to where the patient lives, film in their home or somewhere that means something to them, and keep the crew small enough that they forget it is there. Two or three people, not eight.
The interview itself is the craft. A patient talking about a device or a treatment has usually told the story many times, and the version they have rehearsed is not the one you want. Getting past that takes time in the room and a willingness to let the first twenty minutes go nowhere.
The medical constraints are handled ahead of the day: consent forms, what can and cannot be said about a device, and what has to clear regulatory review before it goes anywhere near a channel.
How this work gets made
We come to them
Patients do not travel for a shoot. Filming in their own space is also what makes the film believable.
Small crew by design
Two or three people. The more equipment in the room, the more performed the answer.
Time in the interview
The rehearsed version comes out first. The real one comes later, and only if the schedule allows for it.
Cleared before delivery
Consent, claims and regulatory review handled as part of the production rather than handled afterwards.
Questions about this work
Do you travel for shoots?
Yes, regularly. Patient and customer stories are filmed wherever the person is, across the United States.
How many stories can you film in a trip?
It depends on the distance between them. Where subjects are clustered we film several in a few days, which brings the cost per story down sharply.
How do you handle consent and claims review?
Consent is taken on your forms before filming and the cut goes through your review before it is delivered for use.
What does a patient testimonial cost?
Testimonial films start at $3,500 locally and $5,000 where we travel. There is more detail on the patient testimonial page.
Tell us what you are trying to make
Send the goal, the audience and roughly when you need it. You get a plan, a range and a date back.
