Sanford Health: Trauma Designation Film

The Challenge: Visualizing the Invisible

As a Level 1 trauma facility, Sanford Health needs to demonstrate its readiness for any emergency, from intake to recovery. However, filming in a high-stakes medical environment presents a unique hurdle: we couldn’t film an actual patient. We were tasked with creating a step-by-step, visually engaging look at the trauma process within a very tight filming window, all while maintaining the dignity and privacy of a working hospital.

Our Approach: An Immersive First-Person Perspective

To solve the “patient” problem, we took a creative, first-person approach to storytelling:

• The “Patient” POV: We used a member of our own team to act as the “eyes” of the patient. By filming from this perspective as he was loaded into the ambulance and moved through the trauma unit, we created an immersive experience for the viewer.

• Multi-Camera Illusion: To give the film a high-end, cinematic feel, we captured numerous versions of every scene to create the illusion of a massive, multi-camera production.

• Full-Scale Sound Design: Because the environment was too loud for clean audio, we completely rebuilt the soundscape in post-production. Every siren, sliding door, and footstep on gravel was carefully designed to build a sense of urgency.

• In-Depth Storyboarding: This was one of our most storyboard-intensive projects to date, ensuring that the fast-paced edit remained cohesive and professional.

The Result: Urgency Meets Professionalism

The final film successfully conveys the high-pressure environment of a Level 1 trauma center while highlighting the calm, expert care Sanford provides. It serves as a powerful training and marketing tool that accurately reflects their elite designation.