Barking Squirrel Media

Cincinnati Children’s Critical Care Videos

How Medical Storytelling Videos Help Cincinnati Children’s Open Their Critical Care Building During a Global Crisis

At Barking Squirrel Media, we believe stories have the power to heal, connect, and move people to action. That’s why we specialize in medical storytelling videos—cinematic, emotionally resonant content that brings to life the missions of hospitals, nonprofits, and healthcare innovators. With offices in Cincinnati and Chicago, we were honored to partner with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and AGAR Agency to tell the story of their $600 million Critical Care Building during one of the most challenging times in modern healthcare: the COVID-19 pandemic.

This six-video campaign wasn’t just a virtual grand opening. It was a human-centered experience—an invitation for the community to see how world-class care, thoughtful design, and tireless collaboration were coming together in a new space designed for healing.


Medical Storytelling Videos Provide a Virtual Solution During COVID-19

When COVID-19 made in-person gatherings impossible, Cincinnati Children’s needed a creative solution for launching their new Critical Care Building. They couldn’t host tours, ribbon cuttings, or donor events—but they could bring people inside through film.

Barking Squirrel Media produced a series of medical storytelling videos that allowed viewers to explore the new facility, meet the people behind its creation, and understand how it would transform pediatric care. From trauma bays to sensory rooms, every detail was shared with emotional weight and cinematic beauty.

These videos became the hospital’s primary tool for public engagement during the pandemic—offering access, inspiration, and a celebration of hope when the world needed it most.


A Campaign Built on Purpose, People, and Narrative

Unlike standard marketing videos, our approach to medical storytelling videos centers on uncovering the human stories behind healthcare innovation. We don’t just highlight features—we find the faces, voices, and experiences that bring a facility to life.

For this series, we crafted six films, each with its own narrative arc and emotional focus:

  • A vision film introducing the project’s purpose and significance

  • A story highlighting staff and frontline workers

  • A video focused on mental health spaces and emotional support

  • A feature on the trauma center and ICU innovations

  • A look into family advisory contributions

  • A showcase of the facility’s architectural brilliance and design philosophy

Each film allowed Cincinnati Children’s to connect with a specific audience: families, staff, donors, and the broader community. Together, the series served as a cohesive, multidimensional story told from multiple perspectives.


High-End Production with a Heart for Healthcare

Healthcare storytelling demands a unique blend of credibility and compassion. That’s why we approach every shoot with the same care Cincinnati Children’s brings to its patients.

Directed by Christine Marque and produced by Daniel Marque, Scot Dannenfelser, and Rob Mason, the Critical Care Building series was a full-scale production. We used RED cinema cameras, professional lighting kits, cinematic B-roll, and FAA-licensed drone footage to capture the beauty of the facility and the people who make it extraordinary.

But great gear is only part of the equation. What sets our medical storytelling videos apart is the intentional pacing, narrative clarity, and emotional tone we build into every frame. Our goal is to honor the subject matter while keeping viewers fully engaged—whether they’re watching on a phone or a 20-foot screen.


Strategic Discovery Ensures Story-Driven Outcomes

Before we ever touched a camera, we took Cincinnati Children’s through our discovery process—a foundational step in our storytelling philosophy. This isn’t just a creative exercise. It’s a strategic roadmap that ensures every video we make has a clear message, a defined audience, and a measurable impact.

Together with the hospital’s marketing team and AGAR Agency, we uncovered key narrative goals:

  • Celebrate the people who made the project possible

  • Show how design supports healing and innovation

  • Spotlight the facility’s emotional and community impact

  • Deliver a virtual experience that feels intimate and inspiring

This intentionality helped guide everything from interview questions to camera placement. It’s how we make medical storytelling videos that not only look beautiful but also deliver results.


Medical Storytelling Videos that Highlight Emotional Truth

Our audience doesn’t just want facts—they want meaning. That’s why our videos focus on emotional truth. For Cincinnati Children’s, that meant featuring real voices from the front lines: doctors, nurses, family advisory council members, mental health professionals, and patients’ loved ones.

We filmed moments of vulnerability, joy, tension, and triumph. Staff shared what it meant to work through the pandemic while building for the future. Architects explained the emotional decisions behind seemingly technical design choices. And parents described how the hospital’s thoughtful planning made them feel seen and supported.

These aren’t scripted performances. They’re authentic stories captured with care. And they’re the reason our medical storytelling videos resonate so deeply.


Visual Storytelling with Cinematic Craft

Barking Squirrel Media’s background in cinematic brand storytelling shines through in this series. Our visuals were designed not just to inform but to inspire. Through carefully composed shots, strategic lighting, and movement-based cinematography, we created an immersive viewing experience that mirrored the wonder and depth of the Critical Care Building itself.

Some of our visual techniques included:

  • Wide drone shots to showcase the facility’s architectural scale

  • Close-up interview framing for emotional intimacy

  • Natural lighting setups for warmth and realism

  • Slow camera moves to create a sense of calm and reflection

These creative choices helped transform informational content into narrative experiences. The result? Medical storytelling videos that viewers don’t just watch—they feel.


Multi-Asset Content Strategy for Long-Term Value

One of the hallmarks of our approach is content sustainability. We don’t just deliver a single video. We build libraries of assets that support a client’s goals over time.

From this campaign, Cincinnati Children’s received:

  • Six complete narrative films

  • Dozens of social media cutdowns

  • Internal use videos for staff appreciation and onboarding

  • Modular B-roll for future projects

  • Interview audio segments for podcast integration and social captions

By designing this multi-asset deliverable from the start, we maximized their investment and ensured consistent messaging across platforms. It’s a core reason why healthcare clients trust us for medical storytelling videos: we think beyond the timeline. We build tools for long-term storytelling.


Medical Storytelling That Reflects Brand and Mission

Storytelling isn’t just about what you show—it’s about how you show it. At Barking Squirrel Media, we know that every shot, soundbite, and music cue reflects our client’s brand. That’s why we work so closely with mission-driven organizations, especially in healthcare.

Cincinnati Children’s is a world-class institution, and our work needed to reflect that caliber of care and trust. From pre-production to post, we stayed focused on their core values: compassion, innovation, collaboration, and family-centered care.

The final series reflects those values with authenticity and emotional clarity. It’s not promotional—it’s personal. That’s what defines great medical storytelling videos: a true alignment between story, subject, and soul.


Why Barking Squirrel Media Is a Leader in Medical Storytelling Videos

With offices in both Cincinnati and Chicago, Barking Squirrel Media is uniquely positioned to serve healthcare institutions across the Midwest and beyond. But geography is only part of the story. What sets us apart is our philosophy.

We believe that:

  • Every organization has a story worth telling

  • Video is the most powerful medium for emotional engagement

  • Audiences crave authenticity and connection more than ever

  • Strategy is the secret sauce behind cinematic storytelling

Whether we’re producing a donor tribute, a staff recruitment campaign, or a series like the one for Cincinnati Children’s, we bring our full creative and strategic team to the table. We don’t just shoot videos—we help healthcare institutions move hearts and minds.

If you’re looking for a team that can bring your mission to life with purpose and cinematic power, Barking Squirrel Media is your partner in medical storytelling videos.


Ready to Create Your Own Medical Storytelling Video Series?

Are you a healthcare leader, nonprofit communicator, or hospital marketing team looking for a fresh way to tell your story?

Let us help.

Barking Squirrel Media will work with you from concept through completion to craft medical storytelling videos that honor your mission, elevate your brand, and leave a lasting impact. Whether you’re launching a new facility, sharing patient success stories, or celebrating your staff, we’re here to make sure your message connects.

📩 Contact us to schedule a free discovery call.

Together, we’ll create something powerful.

Agency: AGAR
Producers: Scot Dannenfelser, Daniel Marque, Rob Mason
Director: Christine Marque
Director of Photography: Daniel Marque
AC/Gaffer: Matt Henkes
Grip: Alex Ding
Script Writers: Christine Marque, Jordan Beck & Jeremy Mosher  
Hair & Makeup: Lynn Molitor
Audio: Reid Rice