Storyhunter Staff Picks: June 2020
We’re officially halfway through 2020, and it’s been a year that has definitely kept us on our toes. Between the ongoing pandemic that has taken more than half a million lives, and protests that are still occurring across the United States, this is a historic moment in our world’s history. And in historic moments, we need journalists and filmmakers to show the world that we’re living in. These videos are some of the best that our community produced in June, and the freelancers behind them did their part to keep their fellow citizens of the world informed, and in some cases, a little distracted.
Marchers Honor George Floyd in Houston
Brut // Producer & Video Journalist Amir Rofoogar of Subject Pictures
Journalism can play a huge role in how people perceive movements like Black Lives Matter. By going into the streets and marching with protestors, Amir Rofoogar was able to get candid interviews and capture strong emotions from those out making their voices heard. Amir is a producer for Subject Pictures, a production company based in Dallas, TX, and he knew someone who lost their life to police brutality. He said that it’s what drives him to use his skills to aid Black Lives Matter. Amir told us, “This is my fight, and I can help with what I know. I know how to put a story together, I know how to get emotions out of people and I’ll do everything I can from here on out to help.”
You can check out Subject Pictures’ profile here.
The Little-Known Concept of ‘Hypersanity’
BBC Reel // Motion Graphics Designer Maple Shipp
BBC Reel creates some breathtaking animated videos in collaboration with freelancers, and for this video about “hypersantiy”, they worked with Motion Graphics Designer Maple Shipp. Animated explainer videos are a great tactic for explaining unfamiliar concepts, and this is another example of just that. After completing this project, BBC Reel spoke very highly of her animation skills, and left her a five-star rating on Storyhunter. Check out her profile to see some of her work with NBC, New York Post, Panera and The Food Network.
A Tattoo Shop Is Offering Free Tattoos To Cover Up Racist Symbols on Their Bodies
QuickTake by Bloomberg // Director & Videographer Bob Miller
One message at Black Lives Matter protests, like the one from that Brut video, is that people have to be open to learning, listening, and understanding. One tattoo shop in Kentucky is assisting those who are willing to do that by covering up their hate-tattoos for free. QuickTake sent freelancer Bob Miller there to interview the owner of the shop and one of his customers. Bob told us that between the shop’s lighting, and trying to get a personal interview with people wearing masks, this shoot had it’s fair share of hurdles. Even so, Bob jumped every single one, and produced a great video.
Check out Bob’s portfolio on his Storyhunter profile.
Trying 7 Soups From 7 Countries
Great Big Story // Freelancers Pedro Samper (Columbia), Naotomo Umewaka (Japan), Henry KD (Ghana), Jeremy Kruis (Philippines), Roger Cheng (Taiwan), Anirban Mahapatra (Thailand)
Great Big Story uses our global freelance community to produce their series Around the World, which takes a look at common elements of the human experience, and how they differ across different cultures. With the help of six freelancers, they were able to showcase some delicious and unique soups from every corner of the world. Producer Beryl Shereshewsky used some repurposed footage in this piece to bring it all together. Last year, Great Big Story and independent filmmaker Anirban Mahapatra told the story of a soup in Thailand that has been simmering for 45 years. We interviewed Anirban after the video went viral, and was picked up by more than a dozen online publications.
Check out all the freelancers who worked on this by clicking on their names above.
Black-Owned Businesses Rebuild From Broken Windows and Looting
Business Insider // Video Journalists Dayvee Sutton & Carlos Cuervo
One negative consequence of these protests has been the damage to cities and local businesses done by rioters. Business Insider learned about three black-owned businesses that each incurred thousands of dollars in damages, so they hired two Atlanta freelancers to tell their stories. Carlos and Dayvee have both worked with Business Insider on Storyhunter before, so they knew what the client was looking for. As for Business Insider, there was no doubt that Carlos and Dayvee would deliver quality footage in a timely manner.
Click on their names to see the rest of their work!
By Jake Watkins, Head of Stories
