GOVERNOR’S SERVICE AWARDS The Michigan Community Service Commission had a problem: They announce a winner’s name for a prestigious award – in this case one of the Governor’s Service Awards, given to exemplary volunteers from all across Michigan – and the audience thinks, “Who?” That’s when they called Nice Work. For the swanky event hosted by Actor/Musician Jeff Daniels and Governor Granholm, we crafted short tribute videos that immediately conveyed the passion of the state’s best volunteers, and elicited numerous standing ovations along the way. One even led to the stage being swarmed by bikers. But it was a good thing – getting that kind of a response to your work always is. Ask us and we’ll tell you all about it.
HANDS ON MICHIGAN We were so blown away by the Governor’s Service Award winners, we wanted everyone to hear their stories. So we asked the Governor’s Office for permission to raise additional money so we could turn the videos into a one-hour TV show for broadcast on public television. And thanks to the good folks at Masco, The Home Depot and Hands On Network, that’s exactly what we did. Hands On Michigan: The Governor’s Service Awards was simulcast on all seven of Michigan’s PBS affiliates – the first time the Governor’s Service Award winners had ever received that kind of exposure. And because we like to under-promise and over-deliver, we created shorter, interstitial versions of selected segments, which are still airing in all dayparts on public TV stations across the state.
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH ANTI-STIGMA CAMPAIGN Just to show how doing things well can lead to more good things, when a tri-county consortium of Community Mental Health agencies in Michigan needed a cutting-edge print, radio and TV campaign to try to destigmatize people with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities, they remembered how much they liked the segment Nice Work did on St. Clair County Community Mental Health agency’s Executive Director (whew, that’s some title!), Michael McCartan. Mike not only enjoyed the segment we did on him, he was impressed by our professionalism and way we made work fun. (We can’t take all the credit – when we go out to shoot, we always hire the best.)
ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL SPECIALS When the University of Michigan’s public television station needed fresh thinking and new ideas for their annual series of programs on the Ann Arbor Film Festival, they thought: Nice Work. We put an emphasis on creating new audiences from people who might be put off by the very idea of experimental film. The result? Attendance was up, and Michigan Television’s Director of Production was thrilled.
