Background
As Associate Producer at MKR, I was lucky enough to lead a video production for one of our pro bono clients, the Wisconsin Homeless Veterans Initiative (WHVI) in October, 2025. This production was part of a larger rebrand for the organization, which was previously known as the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative (MHVI). The goal of this project was two-fold: 1) to reach a wider audience of veterans across the state who could benefit from the organization’s resources, and 2) to garner additional awareness and support from prospective donors looking to support a meaningful cause.
Pre-Production
Pre-production began with many fruitful conversations with Executive Director of WHVI Debbie Buchanan to align on a common goal and scope for this project. Veteran stories emerged as central to our creative direction and, more specifically, how WHVI changed veterans’ lives for the better. With support from Debbie and her amazing team of social workers, we connected with four veterans who were generous enough to share their time and stories with us: Crystal, Jamira, Charles, and Lee.
Given the sensitive nature of these folks’ stories, it was crucial that our production team intentionally take steps to ensure they felt comfortable from the early stages of pre-production all the way to production wrap. With this in mind, we coordinated brief pre-interviews with each of the veterans in the weeks leading up to production. These pre-interviews allowed us to introduce our team, share interview questions with the veterans, chat through any pertinent production logistics, and above all, set a relaxed tone for the entire production process.
Production
Production for this project was a fast, furious, and fulfilling three days with a small but mighty production team. I served as Producer and B-cam operator, while my colleagues Justin Pyles and Graham Chaney served as Director of Photography and Interviewer, respectively.
Justin and I traveled up to Milwaukee on a Wednesday morning and returned to Indianapolis Friday evening. Our first day was spent driving north, scouting the WHVI headquarters with Graham, and collecting b-roll of the larger Milwaukee area. We spent the following two days capturing interviews and b-roll with Debbie and each of the veterans, plus textural shots of WHVI headquarters. We finished the week with nearly 400 GB of footage and a lot of ideas around how to best share the WHVI story with the wider Wisconsin community. Debbie and her team couldn’t have been lovelier to work with, and it was an honor to hear firsthand accounts of how Jamira, Charles, Crystal, and Lee connected with the wonderful organization that WHVI is.
Post-Production
In addition to producing this video for WHVI, I had the privilege of editing the finished product together. I spent several weeks organizing and getting to know the footage so I could carve out a meaningful story that accomplished all of WHVI’s goals. With guidance from my boss Sam Hanover, Vice President of Production at MKR, and Creative Director Michael Griffith — not to mention final approval from Debbie and her team — we arrived at a video that communicates how WHVI advocates for the local veteran community and why it’s a cause worthy of support.
Behind the Scenes
