We announced on Tuesday our plans for this year’s Motion Source Holiday Video. Instead of sending out our usual seasons greetings video, we are reallocating that time and those resources into producing a video for a Chicagoland nonprofit. What better way to celebrate the holidays and honor the spirit of the season!

If you missed the announcement, check out the video below:

This idea itself has been in the works for some time, and to finally put it into action, feels great. Motion Source President, John Scaletta and Creative Director, Craig Bass, have been advocates for this project from the beginning, and green-lit moving the idea into action as soon as the timing was right. Both John and Craig appreciate the work of nonprofit organizations and understand their resources can be limited. As filmmakers, we have the ability to offer our particular gift of video, and that is why this project means so much to all of us.

Craig offered his personal insight on the project.

“Ever since our inception, we've worked very closely with nonprofits. It's difficult to beat the sense of fulfillment that is derived from these projects, as the work that you are doing is directly tied to enhancing the lives of people and populations (and animals!) that are in need of assistance. This isn't just my opinion: this is shared by our entire team. And while these projects are the most emotionally difficult to partake in, they are also the most emotionally enriching. That is why we have always strived to retain nonprofits as one of our main markets. This can be a struggle as we grow, in that, while the corporate and commercial budgets that we have adjusted to are growing, nonprofits are typically saddled with very limited resources. But, we have structured ourselves in such a way that we can continue to give of our services to those who need it most. I am very thankful that we have been capable of devising a business model that allows for this, as I truly believe our entire team derives quite a bit of meaning from these collaborations.

To my mind, the point of this entire project is to provide an organization with a vital outreach resource--video--that they may not have the funds or connections to obtain. This is critical. There are countless organizations out there--either just starting up, or too often overlooked--that are truly incapable of funding a video crafted by a professional video production company. This is the true sense of a gift: a gift that extends beyond the most colloquial interpretation of the word. This, I believe, is the meaning behind ‘spirit of the season’”.

John, too, provided his thoughts.

“A nonprofit video can truly make the world a better place. Nonprofit videos tend to push the envelope, get more creative and trek into unchartered territories which I believe makes a huge difference with viewer impact.

In the process of reaching out for deserving candidates, we’re learning about all kinds of nonprofits we never even knew existed. There are so many fantastic organizations doing amazing things in this world; it’s really wonderful to see. From missions that provide prosthetics for animals to helping decorate and provide furniture for families transitioning from shelters to housing. Picking just one organization will be hard since each one is deserving in its own way.”

That indeed will be the most challenging part of this project- working with just one of the many incredible organizations that are out there. Though we wish we could work with everyone who reaches out, we know that if we can make a difference for even just one group, that will be a good start.

If you know an organization that could benefit from this, please share with them.

Link to the project page: https://www.motionsource.com/holiday2018