As a veteran-owned company, this piece for the Independence Fund is near and dear to our hearts.
This organization supports veterans in a myriad of ways. Among these is their dedication to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of those who have returned most injured from war.
Not only do they support veterans, but they also support veteran caretakers, law enforcement officers and first responders with education and assistance.
This animation focused on the specific area of support for law enforcement officers.
The Independence Fund provides law enforcement with resources and training to handle and de-escalate crisis situations with the goal of minimizing veteran suicide rates.
They are especially passionate about pairing veteran law enforcement officers and first responders with veterans who are currently struggling. They believe this connection with first responders and law enforcement officers who are also veterans allows them to know much more about how to help veterans in the midst of a crisis.
That firsthand experience helps to build immediate rapport and communicates to veterans that they are not alone.
Creating an animation for this piece allowed us to dig in a little deeper to the themes through stylistic choices, meaningful voice-overs, and match action shots.
In fact, the man who played Ronald was in the military and had friends who had experiences related to mental health struggles. From his firsthand life experience, he knew how to bring such raw authenticity to his performance and truly elevated the whole piece.
Not only were we sharing a narrative, but throughout the narrative, we also included helpful information about how first responders and law enforcement can respond to struggling veterans, how family members can best support veterans and steps the organization takes to support those who have given so much for their country.
The reception to this project has been extremely positive and has helped provide both awareness and education to viewers about the work of The Independence Fund.
