Morrow Valley
Without words
[Short Brand Documentary] Parents Al and Ann share their journey to find a long-term home for their 42-year old son Ryan, who has severe autism - and discovered that there is no such place.
Until Morrow Valley.
Our mission: create an intimate, emotionally-driven short documentary that illustrates the importance of Morrow Valley from the perspective of a family.
CLIENT: GHA Autism Supports
Other Films in this Series:
Marketing + Story
We needed to not only create a film that resonated emotionally, but could also be used to approach larger organizations for funding like Blue Cross Blue Shield - so instead of trying to create one catch-all film, we created three.
Two short documentaries featuring families to capture the emotional sell, and one case study from the perspective of a physician.
All filmed over the course of 4 days, on location in North Carolina.
Preparation
Collaborating with GHA Autism Supports, we conducted detailed pre-interviews with over a dozen families - ultimately selecting two that fit the story objectives the best.
From here, we crafted a set of interview questions, coordinated key “scenes” that would match with expected storylines, and prepared a number of failsafes that would cover the large range of unpredictability in filming a documentary about autism.
Director’s Statement
What does it say about our society when those who need help the most, who can't advocate for themselves, are overlooked? What happens when they don't have a place to go, or family isn't around to take care of them?
With 1 in 59 people on the autism spectrum, GHA is making a push not just to take care of them as they age - but to shift our country's philosophy in how we care for each other.
I hope this film can give hope to not just families affected by Autism, but shine a light on those actually making that hope possible. GHA Autism Supports make sure those who cannot speak for themselves are heard - and have a place they feel is home.
-Karl Stelter
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Journeymen Studios
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Gina Ireland
DIRECTOR | PRODUCER: Karl Stelter
STORY PRODUCER: Karl Stelter, Stephen Snavely
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Luc Delamare
AC: Dawson Taylor
PRODUCTION SOUND: Chris Polczinski
EDITOR: Karl Stelter, Stephen Snavely
COLORIST: James Knott
SOUND DESIGN: Defacto Sound
MUSIC: MusicBed
SPECIAL THANKS: Al, Ann & Ryan Sadowsky, Brittany Blalock
