Read more about the article MediaStorm Presents “Swan Song” and “These Bones of Mine”

MediaStorm Presents “Swan Song” and “These Bones of Mine”

How do you tell the story of a massive organization with a broad scope that brings resources, education and connection to hundreds of thousands of people throughout Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast? This was the challenge Neighborhood Centers Inc. brought to MediaStorm. With Swan Song and These Bones of Mine, we answer the question of why Neighborhood Center’s work matters with intimate, cinematic narratives of the people they serve everyday. Swan Song is the story of The Greers, a 3-woman unit of mother and daughters nicknamed “The Greer Girls.” When Marilyn is diagnosed with dementia at age 58, her daughters refocus their lives to care for her during her most precious years. They try to juggle it all until they are forced to make a heartbreaking decision. These Bones of Mine is the story of Syed, the black sheep. When he told his family he wanted to convert to a minority…

Continue ReadingMediaStorm Presents “Swan Song” and “These Bones of Mine”
Read more about the article MediaStorm Presents: The Story of Ripple Effect Images

MediaStorm Presents: The Story of Ripple Effect Images

Ripple Effect Images is a team of journalists dedicated to documenting the plight of poor women and girls around the world, and highlighting the programs that are helping to empower them, especially as they deal with the devastating effects of climate change. MediaStorm developed a series of videos to the explore the lives and work of the celebrated photographers Annie Griffiths, Lynn Johnson and Ami Vitale, and what they hope to accomplish as Ripple Effect Images. The Ripple Effect series tracks the careers of Griffiths, Johnson and Vitale as they come to the conclusions that ultimately caused them to form their collective. Read our case study to learn more about how MediaStorm tackled this challenge. For more information on Ripple Effect Images and their mission to document the needs and the innovative programs that are helping women and girls across the globe visit RippleEffectImages.org.

Continue ReadingMediaStorm Presents: The Story of Ripple Effect Images
Read more about the article Pulitzer Center and MediaStorm Present “Japan’s Disposable Workers”

Pulitzer Center and MediaStorm Present “Japan’s Disposable Workers”

In collaboration with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, MediaStorm created a documentary based on Shiho Fukada’s portrait series, Japan’s Disposable Workers. In three sections the film explores the labor issues affecting Japan, and in so doing, illustrates the larger global labor crisis: Overworked to Suicide After the recession of the 1990s, Japan’s white collar salarymen increasingly must work arduous hours for fear of losing their jobs. Working essentially two shifts a day for weeks at a time leads frequently to feelings of depression, something that is still stigmatized in Japan. Net Cafe Refugees Internet cafes have existed in Japan for over a decade, but in the mid 2000s, customers began using these spaces as living quarters. Internet cafe refugees are mostly temporary employees, their salary too low to rent their own apartments. Dumping Ground Kamagasaki, Osaka, Japan used to be a thriving day laborer’s town. Today, it is home to approximately…

Continue ReadingPulitzer Center and MediaStorm Present “Japan’s Disposable Workers”
Read more about the article Coming Soon: “The Long Night” – A Feature-Length Documentary by Tim Matsui & MediaStorm

Coming Soon: “The Long Night” – A Feature-Length Documentary by Tim Matsui & MediaStorm

As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets. One out of every three will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. Set in Seattle, Washington, The Long Night, by Tim Matsui and MediaStorm, gives voice and meaning to the crisis of minors who are forced and coerced into the American sex trade. The film weaves together the stories of those whose lives have been forever changed by this issue. “I’ve never seen more vulnerable, more open people,” said editor and producer Tim McLaughlin. “They’ve managed to articulate this situation in ways that are so human and so open. We didn’t intend to make a feature film, but the issues, the moments, and the importance of what Matsui captured warranted it. It’s not an issue-based story. It’s the human experience of this issue.” The Long Night was made possible by the generous support of the Alexia Foundation and the…

Continue ReadingComing Soon: “The Long Night” – A Feature-Length Documentary by Tim Matsui & MediaStorm