The Eastern Tertiary Alliance is upgrading a water treatment plant on the outskirts of Melbourne to a Tertiary level of treatment – one step below drinking water. Mighty Films was commissioned to make a film looking at the achievements of the Alliance team in delivering this important water infrastructure project, through the eyes of a few key team members.
~mightyfilms.com.au

Directed by Vanessa Whyte
Produced by Ryan Doherty, BAFTA
DoP: Laura Bellingham
Sound Recordist: Nina Rice
Edited by Dan Dalton

From director David Gibbs:

Hope Through Motion began with a couple guys rallying to help a friend in need. Steve was injured when he slipped and fell, carrying a load of laundry to the basement. What seemed like an innocent accident left Steve severely paralyzed. In a freak moment his life was altered forever.

As news spread of Steve’s injury more friends joined in to provide moral support and share the duty of driving Steve to Kennedy Krieger for his therapy. Little did the group know that in the course of doing so they would witness the truly amazing trans-formative powers of a new technology, the robotic exoskeleton, called the Ekso GT. The Ekso is a wearable robot that helps people with spinal cord injuries learn to walk again.

When Steve began using the Ekso he had no function in his lower extremities. In only a few months Steve was able to retrain his muscles to walk with minimal assistance. His progress was remarkable, as was the progress of others using the Ekso device.

Just when things were looking up, the group learned that the machine was on loan and scheduled to be returned. As a result they started Hope Through Motion, a fundraising project aimed at purchasing the exoskeleton for Kennedy Krieger. The goal is not just to help Steve walk again but to help all those come through Kennedy Krieger’s doors who can benefit from this remarkable therapy. Upon learning of this effort David Gibbs enlisted his company, DHG Creative and a bunch of immensely talent video professionals to help tell the story of four strong individuals who have used the device.

Apple employees share a personal message for the “It Gets Better Project,” with the intimacy of eye contact made possible by the use of an EyeDirect.

Sarah Klein and director Tom Mason used EyeDirect with Ken Burns for “Ken Burns: On Story.”

Facebook employees share their stories in “It Gets Better” videos for the Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project.  If you or someone you know ever needs help, call The Trevor Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386). It’s toll-free, confidential and available 24/7. To learn more, visit http://www.thetrevorproject.org.

“By establishing a direct line of sight between the interview subject and the camera lens, EyeDirect delivers that coveted intimacy between the interviewee and the viewing audience.  And an added bonus, its low profile on set helps keep set-ups small and personal.  This is especially helpful for making interviewees feel relaxed and comfortable.  Our series for the MSAA “Why I Swim” campaign asked people with MS to share difficult stories about their diagnosis.  With the help of EyeDirect, it was almost as if the camera wasn’t even in the room.”  DP Matt Bockelman

“One video introduces us to Iris.  Iris was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was 26 years old. Daily swimming is helping her manage the emotional and physical impact of the disease.  Check out Why I Swim.org for more on the MSAA’s program to promote swimming for people with MS.”  KRISTEN ADAMS MEDIA

“For years I’ve been interviewing people on camera in the classic “look to the side of the lens” fashion.  It was silly; who are they talking to?  When someone is telling a personal story, they should tell it directly to the audience, straight into the lens.  The only problem is that it is really hard to talk naturally down a barrel of a lens–especially for people who are not used to being on camera.  Enter the EyeDirect.

After drooling over EyeDirect for over a year, I was finally able to obtain one.  But because I film in remote locations, I needed one that can pack up in a backpack.  The inventor Steve McWilliams worked with me to create a prototype for the first foldable EyeDirect, and I had the honor of using it a couple of weeks ago.  I’m hooked!  And I really believe the production value that I can bring to a project has gone way up! Thanks to Steve McWilliams!” – Larry McLaughlin, Filmmaker Extraordinaire