The Challenge

The Martin Agency approached us to help bring Midas’ Project Spark initiative to life. Midas planned to give previously owned cars to people who needed them most, and they wanted to capture the exact moment each person learned their life was about to change.

But there were complications:

• The agency was torn between telling recipients in advance vs. keeping the gift a surprise.
• The project had a tight budget and only one shoot day allowed at the Midas location.
• We needed to turn these real-time car-giving moments into three compelling, emotionally resonant films.

We needed a strategy that preserved authenticity, maximized limited resources, and still delivered cinematic storytelling.

Our Approach: An Indie Mindset for a Human Story

Coming off a recent shoot where we filmed three diverse corporate stories for Ernst & Young in three days, we already knew the effectiveness of a small, nimble crew and an indie-style production model. We applied the same philosophy here: stay light to maintain intimacy, move fast to capture more content, and maximize real-life texture.

Midas researchers identified five deserving families as potential participants. To choose the final three, and to protect the surprise, we decided to meet each family in person.

The “White Lie” That Made Honest Stories Possible

To avoid tipping off anyone, we told each family we were filming a short piece on public transportation in Philadelphia.This allowed us to:

• Conduct pre-interviews without revealing our true purpose.
• Understand each family’s daily challenges and how a car would improve their lives.
• Assess their home environments for natural light, sound, and b-roll opportunities for the shoot.
• Meet their support networks and identify friends/family who could secretly help with the surprise moment

These pre-interviews became some of the most meaningful conversations of the entire project—families opened their homes and lives to us with generosity and sincerity.

Choosing the Stories

From the five families, we selected three whose stories spoke to resilience, determination, and love:

Tim

An ex-military young father living outside the city. His remote location made job hunting extremely difficult. A car meant renewed independence and stability for his family.

Jasmine

A single mother of three, commuting 120 minutes each way on multiple buses to juggle work and family. A car would radically simplify her life and give her precious hours back.

Dorsey

Husband to a cancer survivor and father of two boys. He worked long hours for a car service company and relied on friends for transportation. A car would give him the freedom to attend his sons’ football games and spend more time at home.

Filming the Journey

To make each story authentic and grounded, we conducted the interviews in each family’s home—comfortable spaces where real emotion surfaced naturally.

We also explained our need for varied b-roll, using it as a cover to move participants around the city. This provided:

• Genuine moments with family
• Rich, diverse visual environments
• Natural transitions to the final location for the surprise reveal

At each reveal site, we built a small circle of familiarity: Midas staff, loved ones, and the new car decorated simply but meaningfully. We knew intimacy—not spectacle—would make these moments powerful.

Capturing the Moment

With a single camera and a clean anamorphic lens, we shot for maximum visual quality despite the tight budget. Each surprise was captured in one authentic take, then reversed for coverage to show the moment from the family’s perspective.

The Emotional Anchor: A Letter Worth Reading Aloud

For the final beat of each film, we used a technique inspired by a psychologist friend: We asked people to write a letter expressing their feelings and then had someone read it aloud.

After spending time with each family and witnessing their strength, we wanted the films to make one thing clear:

This wasn’t charity. These families genuinely deserved something good.

Hearing each person speak their words express their feelings created an emotional resonance that grounded each film in dignity, humanity, and hope. These moments became the emotional heart of the series.

Outcome

We delivered three cinematic, deeply personal films that captured not just the surprise of receiving a car, but the why behind the gift—each family’s need , sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to building a better life.

Despite limited budget, restricted shoot time, and the unpredictability of real-life storytelling, the final films were intimate, honest, and impactful—exactly what Midas and The Martin Agency had envisioned.