At a time when the healthcare industry is undergoing massive changes, a veteran advertising filmmaker is launching a new venture designed to help hospitals, clinics, HMOs, and pharma brands tell their stories through emotional storytelling and honest conviction. The venture is Quiet Witness Films, led by director Brett Froomer.
Froomer’s healthcare work extends back to his days on the roster at Radical Media. During this time, and later at his own food and beverage specialty studio, French Butter, Froomer collaborated with such major brands as Burger King, Walmart, Taco Bell, Post Cereals, and many others. Working closely with Froomer at Quiet Witness is Executive Producer Leeanna Gantt, a former ad agency creative director at Team One who’s created and produced work for clients in a broad range of categories and genres.
Prior to launching Quiet Witness, Froomer directed spots and brand content for a range of healthcare clients, including The ALS Association, Indiana University Health, Riley Children’s Health @ IU, the University of Michigan’s Sparrow Health, AstraZeneca’s Symbicort, Brookdale Senior Living and the insurance company Secure Horizons.
“I’ve spent a lot of time inside hospitals,” Froomer continues, “but not as a patient. Instead, I’ve gone in as the person crafting the story of what happens there, and what it means to people in need of care.”
The inspiration for his new company’s name came from the manner in which he works, Froomer adds. “Part of what’s pivotal in the films I make for these clients is that I become a witness to what’s going on, and in this way, I need to react to the people whose stories we’re telling, rather than have them react to me. A lot of that comes from listening and understanding, and that starts the moment I’m engaged with a project.”
While Froomer will continue to work in the TV commercials arena, his embrace of the healthcare category via Quiet Witness was motivated by a sense of purpose. “There’s something about the environment that demands a different kind of attention,” he comments. “Hospitals and healthcare institutions are doing serious work. The doctors, nurses, patients, and families are living through something real. You can’t manufacture that. You can only try to be good enough to recognize it when it’s in front of your lens, and know how to capture it with care.”
As the director/cameraman at Quiet Witness, Froomer knows that working in the healthcare field has a different set of rules. “We’re not on a soundstage,” he notes. “We’re often working in an environment where we have very little control, yet we still need to deliver films that capture often intimate feelings, grounded in reality.
“I direct and operate the camera myself,” Froomer explains, “and that's a deliberate choice. Fewer people in the room means less disruption. One consistent eye on everything means the image that ends up on screen is the one I was actually going for. I’ve worked in ORs, ICUs, infusion centers, pediatric units, research labs, and rural clinics. I know how to coordinate with charge nurses, navigate a procedure room, and move a small crew through an active hospital floor without getting in the way of the work that really matters.”
“The key to making our work resonate with audiences is often found in the details – little things that need to look big, and it takes an experienced team to achieve this on film,” says Gantt. “It’s something as simple as showing someone fidgeting, or reaching for something, and it’s not like you can stop the action to relight everything.
“With Brett working closely with real people, we compress the process and get in close with what matters most – people reacting to their unique situations,” she continues. Says Froomer, “Everything's in the details, even the blink of an eye, a sideways glance or a sigh – that’s what conveys human moments.”
“Our crew knows HIPAA rules and takes them seriously,” the director points out. “We’re guests in someone else’s environment, and the patients, their families, and the people caring for them come before anything we’re trying to shoot. That approach also makes the work better. When people don’t feel like they’re on a film set, they stop performing for it. That’s when you get something real, meaningful, and memorable while also achieving the client’s strategic objectives.”
Adds Gantt, “Brett understands the politics behind any production, whether it's working directly with a hospital CMO or through an agency, and that everything we do needs to be executed with the needs of the client in mind.”
For more information on Quiet Witness, contact Leeanna Gantt at (213) 290-0719 or at lee@quietwitnessfilms.com.
