Brand Video Production for The Ohio Children’s Alliance: Empowering Families, Elevating Voices, and Strengthening Ohio’s System of Care

Brand Video Production that changes hearts and minds is at the center of what we do at Barking Squirrel Media. Our mission is to tell the stories of organizations that make a meaningful difference in real people’s lives, and The Ohio Children’s Alliance (OCA) is a powerful example of that purpose in action. When the Alliance approached us to produce their brand video, we immediately recognized the significance of their work: advocating for children and families, strengthening community systems, and ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have support, hope, and a path toward success. This is exactly the type of story we are passionate about bringing to the world.

The Ohio Children’s Alliance is a statewide leader committed to empowering families, enhancing behavioral health resources, advancing child welfare, and shaping legislation that improves the system of care throughout Ohio. They work as both a convener and a catalyst—unifying community providers, elevating youth voices, educating lawmakers, and designing programs that fill gaps where support is most urgently needed. Their work impacts thousands of children and families each year, while influencing the policies that shape future outcomes.

Our Brand Video Production process was designed to capture the authenticity of their mission, the emotion in their advocacy, and the dignity of the families and young people whose lives have been transformed through the Alliance’s work.

Brand Video Production Begins With Understanding the Story

The foundation of impactful Brand Video Production is understanding—not just what an organization does, but why it matters. For The Ohio Children’s Alliance, the “why” is clear:

Ohio’s children and families deserve support. They deserve empowerment. They deserve an authentic, equitable system of care.

To ensure we communicated this with clarity and heart, we began the project with a Discovery process, interviewing the Alliance’s leadership, youth advocates, and network partners. These conversations were held over Zoom and were later transcribed for script development.

Preserving Authentic Voice Through Scriptwriting

From these conversations, we identified recurring themes:

• Empowerment rather than just service

• A statewide community working together to create change

• The importance of extending foster care beyond age 18

• Education and legislative advocacy as essential tools for progress

• Equity in access — regardless of geography, circumstance, or background

Instead of rewriting voices into corporate language, we honored the original phrasing, tone, emotion, and lived experiences that emerged naturally in the conversations. This preserved the authenticity that is essential in Brand Video Production, especially when the subject matter involves youth, family preservation, and statewide policy change.

Visual Storytelling Rooted in Real Impact

Our next step in the Brand Video Production process was a site scout. Using photography and spatial observation, we documented filming locations and mapped out how to best convey the Alliance’s mission visually. These images were then developed into storyboards, allowing the Alliance to review the narrative visually before filming began.

Filming the Story Over Two and a Half Days

During production, we focused on:

• Real people, not actors

• Genuine settings rather than staged environments

• Conversational interviews instead of rehearsed delivery

• Visual motifs of community network and support

This natural approach allowed the message to breathe and the emotional resonance to shine through.

Editing for Emotional Clarity and Narrative Strength

Post-production took eight days, during which our team:

• Crafted an emotional pacing arc

• Paired voiceovers with intentional visuals

• Incorporated tone-setting music and subtle sound design

• Ensured the focus remained on people, not policy language

The final film communicates both the scale and humanity of the Alliance’s work.

The Mission: Empowerment, Advocacy, and System Change

The transcript from the featured interviews underscores a profound message: The Alliance is not only advocating for change—they are actively creating it.

Empowering Youth to Lead Their Own Stories

One participant shared that there is a difference between serving youth and empowering them. The Alliance ensures young people have a voice, a support network, and the knowledge to shape their own futures.

Extending Foster Care: The Bridges Program

The Alliance played a pivotal role in extending foster care support through age 21. This program has given countless young adults:

• Time to transition into independence

• Opportunities to pursue college or career training

• Stability as they build adulthood at their own pace

Other states have struggled to implement similar programs effectively — but Ohio’s model is seen as a national example of how to do it right.

Education and Collaboration that Strengthens the System Statewide

The Alliance brings agencies together to share best practices so that all children, regardless of region, have access to the same quality of care. They also educate legislators, providing real-world context for policymaking that impacts families statewide.

Brand Video Production That Honors Human Dignity

The Ohio Children’s Alliance is “the glue” in Ohio’s child-serving system. Capturing that role required a storytelling approach built upon respect, listening, and shared humanity. The video reflects real lives, lived experiences, and a shared belief:

Ohio’s children and families deserve a chance at success.

This message becomes the film’s refrain—a call to responsibility, unity, and hope.