Mission-Driven Video Storytelling That Amplifies Voices That Need to Be Heard

At Barking Squirrel Media, we believe every human being has a story worth telling — especially those who have faced adversity and found the courage to rise. Our work goes far beyond traditional video production. We practice mission-driven video storytelling, where real people and their lived experiences take center stage. The Empower Project is a powerful example of our commitment to telling stories that matter. Learn more about our mission and values.

In collaboration with Empower, we produced a series of four testimonial films that illuminate the emotional journeys of mothers who struggled with addiction during pregnancy. These films reveal the complexity, humanity, and strength behind recovery — offering hope to others who may be walking a similar path.

This project exemplifies why we do what we do: to engage hearts, change minds, and inspire action.

About Empower

Empower works to support women navigating addiction and recovery in one of the most vulnerable chapters of their lives: pregnancy and early motherhood. They provide compassionate guidance, community support, and access to resources for women who often face stigma, isolation, and fear. Empower’s mission requires stories that break silence — stories that show recovery is possible and you are not alone.

The organization recognized that film could communicate what statistics, pamphlets, or medical instructions couldn’t: empathy, shared experience, and hope.

That’s where Barking Squirrel Media came in.

Four Women. Four Journeys. One Shared Truth.

These four women bravely opened their hearts and shared their stories on camera — not for attention, but to reach the woman who believes she has no hope left.

Each of their journeys is unique, yet connected by a series of emotional themes:

• Navigating pregnancy while struggling with addiction

• Isolation and guilt

• Encounters with a healthcare system not always equipped for compassion

• Moments of breaking — and moments of breakthrough

• The courage to choose recovery, again and again

Their voices are raw. Their memories are unfiltered. Their victories are hard-earned.

And that is exactly why their stories are transformative.

Mission-Driven Video Storytelling Requires Compassionate Filmmaking

Telling stories of addiction is delicate work. It demands more than cameras, scripts, and lighting. It requires:

• Trust

• Listening

• Respect

• Trauma-informed interview techniques

Before we ever pressed “record,” we spent time with each woman — off camera — hearing her story privately, learning what she was comfortable sharing, and ensuring she felt safe. This allowed the interviews to unfold naturally, with emotional honesty rather than performance. This commitment to understanding the emotional landscape is central to our Video Discovery Process.

Our crew operated with intention:

• Minimal personnel, to maintain privacy and comfort

• Soft lighting, to create a warm, safe visual environment

• Thoughtful pacing, allowing participants to speak without being rushed

• Still-framed shots, so the audience can sit with the humanity in each moment

The camera didn’t intrude — it witnessed.

This is core to mission-driven video storytelling:
We do not tell stories for people. We create the space for people to tell their own.

Cinematic Choices That Support Emotional Truth

While emotion drove the story, experienced filmmaking shaped how that emotion is felt.

We used:

• Natural light and warm tones, reinforcing humanity and dignity

• Simple sound design, supporting the voice rather than competing with it

• Slow, steady pacing, allowing viewers to breathe with the speaker

• Close framing, bringing the viewer into an intimate emotional space

Our goal was not to dramatize the story — but to reveal its reality.

This approach ensures that the visual style supports the story rather than overshadowing it.

Where the Healthcare System Falls Short

A recurring theme across these stories was the feeling of being judged rather than helped.

Some women spoke of:

• Being dismissed or spoken down to

• Being treated as a problem rather than a patient

• Having healthcare conversations filled with shame instead of support

This isn’t about blaming individuals — it’s about acknowledging that:
Addiction requires compassion as much as treatment.

By documenting these lived experiences, the Empower Project gives healthcare professionals, families, and communities the opportunity to better understand the emotional landscape surrounding addiction and pregnancy.

Mission-driven storytelling makes the invisible visible — and once seen, it cannot be ignored.

Stories That Offer Hope — Not Perfection

Recovery is not linear. There are setbacks. There are moments of doubt. There are days that require choosing strength hour by hour.

What makes these stories powerful is not the idea of a neat, complete transformation — but the continued courage to keep going.

Each participant shares:

• What support looked like when it felt real

• What helped them take the first step

• What made the journey feel worth it

• What they want other women to know

The result is a message of resilience and shared humanity.

Women watching these films may see themselves not as failures — but as someone who still has hope.

How Empower Uses These Films

These films are much more than testimonials. Empower uses the video series to:

✔ Train healthcare providers in compassionate, person-centered care
✔ Support outreach and educational initiatives
✔ Encourage mothers who are currently in recovery
✔ Reduce stigma and shift public perception
✔ Strengthen community and donor support

The films serve as both emotional connection tools and practical educational resources.

This is the power of mission-driven video storytelling —
the story lives beyond the screen.

Why Mission-Driven Video Storytelling Matters

Stories shape belief.
Belief shapes behavior.
Behavior shapes systems.

When we tell authentic stories of:

• Courage

• Vulnerability

• Resilience

• Recovery

We help communities see addiction differently — not as a moral failure, but a human experience requiring understanding, support, and compassion.

This is why organizations like Empower turn to Barking Squirrel Media — because they aren’t just trying to inform.
They are trying to create change.

Our Commitment to Stories That Make a Difference

At Barking Squirrel Media, we are honored to help tell stories that carry emotional weight, social significance, and human depth. Our mission is always the same:

To use video storytelling to make a positive impact in real people’s lives, the community, and the world.

If your organization works to improve lives, strengthen communities, or support people in vulnerable circumstances, we would be honored to help you tell your story.

Let’s create stories that inspire hope, build connection, and create change.
Contact Barking Squirrel Media to begin your mission-driven video storytelling project.