The Empire Living Centre, a closely-knit retirement community, is home to a diverse array of individuals cohabiting harmoniously. The Centre sought to showcase the varied experiences of its residents, highlighting the different lifestyles and backgrounds they come from. To achieve this, BuzzMasters developed the 'Resident Story' format – a mini-documentary/promotional narrative centring on an individual resident, occasionally featuring their close network of friends or family.
Our initial strategy involved constructing a matrix that mapped out the residents' lifestyles against the facility's offerings, such as physical activities and creative pursuits. This matrix facilitated the identification of distinct narrative categories, streamlining the process of finding and casting residents. It also allowed for flexibility, enabling us to swiftly substitute one resident for another if necessary.
During filming, we conducted engaging and empathetic interviews with the residents, guided by a pre-written, unscripted script. Concurrently, we meticulously planned and captured associated b-roll footage, ensuring the process was not overly taxing for the residents involved.
Subsequently, these interviews were expertly edited into concise, meaningful narratives, complemented by the relevant b-roll footage. The resulting videos are both engaging and informative, effectively portraying the quality of life at the Empire Living Centre to prospective residents and their families.