Ellie’s Story
The Brief
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity asked Humanoid to create a video case study, re-telling the story of a young car crash victim and the Air Ambulance team’s mission to save her life.
The Solution
We shot interviews with everyone involved and reconstructive sequences to tell Ellie’s story in a respectful and emotionally impactful way that showed the importance of the MAA service.
The Result
The MAA team were very pleased with the video, which helped to raise over £40,000 at its premiere. It received a standing ovation, and Ellie’s family complimented its impact.
Humanoid’s second project for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is a retelling of one of their most critical rescues, from the perspective of 14-year-old car crash victim Ellie, her family and the team of lifesavers.
The case study video was created to be played out at the Red Ball: the Charity’s black-tie evening fundraiser in Telford, Shropshire.
Humanoid shot interviews with all involved, filming MAA’s Critical Care Paramedic at their RAF Cosford base and the air operations dispatcher at West Midlands Ambulance call centre. The surgeon on call who treated Ellie gave an interview remotely from the United States.
Working with the interview videos and witness statements from the day, we were able to reconstruct the events leading up to and following Ellie’s accident. For authenticity, footage was shot on the M54 where the accident occurred, and a recording of the original emergency dispatch request was included in the video.
A number of different organisations came together to contribute to the production: the authentic land ambulance and uniformed paramedics were provided by Staffordshire University’s Faculty of Health, and the video’s opening radio sting was recorded especially by BBC Radio Leicester host Karl Cooper.
The interviews and dramatisations were intercut with footage of Ellie and her family, as well as a 3D map graphic to show the time-saving advantage of airlifting patients for emergency treatment.
The video screening received a standing ovation on the night and helped to raise over £40,000 for the charity – enough to fund another 17 lifesaving missions.
“We were really pleased when MAA returned to us with a new project. We worked closely with their Communications Manager Helen Stevens to make sure we told the story suspensefully and tastefully. It’s great to hear that the video was well received and played a part in raising funds for the charity.”
–Ant Thane, Humanoid’s Technical Director
The case study video will also be used on the MAA’s social media to raise awareness about how the team save lives.