Upworthy and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) turned to Glass Entertainment Group to create an emotional, impactful and authentic documentary, profiling a SNAP recipient, her daily life, personal struggles and the importance of receiving SNAP benefits. In this film, we profiled Kristyn Fayewicz and her family. Two years ago, Kristyn was diagnosed with MS. Weakened by her symptoms and deteriorating health, she was no longer able to work. Kristyn, the proud mom of one-year old Murphy, finally had to swallow her pride and ask for assistance. Without SNAP benefits, she would be unable to put food on the table for her new born child and her boyfriend, Paul. Our goal was to capture Kristyn's story, highlight the importance of the SNAP program and how it is helping Americans every day and demonstrate that these benefits are not just for individuals asking for a handout.
Casting was the key to this documentary. It was important to find the right family with the right story to capture the authentic nature of the narrative we set out to tell. Kristyn's story jumped off the page. Her recent diagnosis, becoming a new mom and her inability to work juxtaposed by her spirit and energy was so emblematic of the ideal character we were looking to document. It didn't hurt that her little Murphy loved the camera and the cameras loved her back! Our goal was to be a fly on the wall. We wanted to see a day in the life of Kristyn and her family. This included trips to the grocery store, baby lap sit at the library, family dinners and adventures outside. Kristyn is the one telling her story and the audience is there to take it all in. The piece was to be intimate, authentic and real. This is their life and we get a window into what it looks like.
The production was seamless. The interview was powerful, raw, authentic and inspirational. It coupled perfectly with the b-roll and footage captured in Kristyn's community and at her home. The piece was extremely impactful for SNAP and Upworthy. Further, SNAP asked for a 60 second cut down of the documentary for their direct social medial pages.
Engagement:
400,000 views on Upworthy's Facebook Page
4,500 likes
385 comments
1,400 shares
An article about Kristyn and her family was published on October 31st, 2018 by Upworthy as an integrated media piece.
