Last year was lousy, and the beginning of this year hasn't been a lot better. Still, mixed in with all the difficulties, there have been moments of joy. In 2010, on a whim we created our first "Smiles" video - a short montage of happy faces, compiled from a year's worth of footage. It's been an annual post for the last few years (see below for videos from past years). If you need a little shot...

As I discussed in a previous post, COVID-19 has not eliminated nonprofits' interest in video, and several of our clients immediately embraced virtual video production. When the pandemic disrupted our plans for filming with the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry (UUUM), it was unclear what next steps would be. Deciding on Messaging The video was intended to support a capital campaign for the interior...

After the March lockdown here in Massachusetts, we wondered what the implications would be for video production during COVID-19. Fortunately, in the same way that folks switched their in-person meetings to Zoom, our video productions also went virtual, and so work continued. Then, starting in July, some folks began to inquire about returning to in-person filming. The nature of our productions...

Reflection Films has been fortunate to work with a variety of clients in the higher education space, including two community colleges: MassBay Community College and North Shore Community College. For the latter, we were asked to produce two 15-second animations that highlight the value of a community college education from the perspective of a traditional student and a student who attends a bit later...

Back in mid-February I attended an event, "Building Inclusive Work Cultures for People with Disabilities".  I wanted to go not only because I am a fan of Yolanda Coentro and the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP), who co-hosted the event with State Street. I also knew I had a lot to learn.  I had the chance to speak with Catherine Hyde Townsend, Disability Inclusion Expert, and Regina...

Needless to say, video production is currently a bit different than what it was a couple months ago. As a reflection of this, we were recently asked for the first time to participate in a video production with Zoom. Reach Out and Read (ROR) is an organization we've enjoyed working with on several occasions. They partner with pediatricians in an effort to educate families on the value of parents...

  Back in April, we started a weekly "Monday Motivation Series." Over the years, we've worked with a lot of great nonprofits, and we thought that going back to the archives to pull out short excerpts from their videos would be a neat way to highlight the good work they do. One very obvious example is The International Institute of New England, which works to resettle immigrants and refugees....

 Reflection Films has had a lot of wonderful nonprofit partners over the years. While in quarantine, we decided that we wanted to use some of our time to give them a shout-out. To do that, we thought we'd start a Monday Motivation video series. The goal is to share a video clip that: 1. highlights the work of the nonprofit 2. is no more than 60 seconds long 3. hopefully inspires! This first...

We recently produced a video annual report for KIPP MA. KIPP MA has five charter schools in Lynn and Boston that educate approximately 2,200 students. Their mission is to prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career, and beyond. In addition to educating students from grades K-12, KIPP MA is also active in their communities, offering free classes...

 We present you Smiles 2019, our 7th version. At the end of each December, we enjoy revisiting the footage from that year's clients and collecting the fun moments that inevitably arise during filming. We then assemble those into a short montage that (for us, at least!) is a real delight to watch. And we hope the same applies to you! If 93 seconds of smiling happiness leaves you craving...