Key Takeaway: Why short, character-driven videos are the most effective format for advocacy and awareness campaigns.
When you work with an organization as visible and politically charged as Planned Parenthood, you don’t just bring a camera, you bring courage, clarity, and creative discipline. Over the course of three years, Two Parrot Productions had the honor of working with Planned Parenthood on four separate projects, each one rooted in storytelling, advocacy, and mission alignment.
It’s one of the most polarizing nonprofit brands in the country, but it’s also one of the most recognizable. Planned Parenthood doesn’t just provide healthcare, it fights to protect it. Birth control and abortion access are among the most politically volatile issues in modern American life, and that makes the organization’s storytelling needs even more urgent.
We were called to help tell those stories, stories that were personal, complex, and often emotional, in a way that respected both the brand and the individuals behind it.
Project 1: My Birth Control Journey (Studio-Based Interview Series)
Our first collaboration with Planned Parenthood was a deeply human video series titled My Birth Control Journey. We filmed seven participants in a single day, inside a minimal white studio, focusing primarily on intimate A-roll interviews.
Each person had their own reason for using birth control. Some were preserving their energy before starting a family. Some were managing health conditions. Others simply wanted control over their own timeline and body. The stories were unique, honest, and quietly powerful.
Since we didn’t have time or budget to shoot field-based B-roll, we got creative inside the studio. We used visual techniques like zooms, pans, tilts, rack focus, and direct eye contact with the camera to bring emotional variety. Some interviewees held Planned Parenthood merchandise, pins, t-shirts, buttons, offering subtle visual reinforcement of their pride and support.
“Every woman’s story was different. Our job wasn’t to generalize, it was to let them be specific, and make that specificity feel universal.”
— Dr. Jessica Kizorek
Project 2: The Women’s March in Washington, D.C. (March 21, 2017)
This project was history in motion. We were on the ground in Washington, D.C., during the Women’s March, an event that became one of the largest political demonstrations in U.S. history.
Working alongside a team of six photographers, I filmed using everything from a DSLR to a GoPro, a smartphone, and even a 360 camera. It was a whirlwind of interviews, chanting, protest signs, and spontaneous emotion. We captured man-on-the-street interviews with marchers, supporters, and Planned Parenthood representatives in real time.
“You don’t realize you’re filming history until you look around and see thousands of women walking shoulder to shoulder in defense of their rights. It was overwhelming, in the best way.”
— Dr. Jessica Kizorek
There was no script. No storyboard. Just instinct, energy, and the need to preserve a collective moment of resistance and resilience.
Project 3: The Post-March Celebration (Celebrity & Donor Interviews)
That same night, Planned Parenthood hosted a celebration in D.C. It drew celebrities, donors, and organizers from around the country, people energized by the movement and ready to amplify it.
Our job was to keep filming. Not just the party, but the why behind it.
We recorded dozens of cameos and interviews with supporters, capturing fresh reactions from the day’s events. For many, the march wasn’t just a moment, it was a turning point. They shared why they marched, what Planned Parenthood meant to them, and why they’d keep showing up.
It was intimate, fast-paced, and high-stakes, and we made sure every interview felt personal, not performative.
Project 4: Testimonials from All Walks of Life
In our final collaboration, Planned Parenthood asked us to capture voices from across the gender and generational spectrum, staff, volunteers, supporters, even family members. One of our most touching interviews came from the son of a staff member, who shared what it meant to him to be raised by a woman committed to reproductive justice.
These weren’t campaign videos. They were windows into lived experiences. Stories of access. Of survival. Of gratitude.
Some interviews were filmed in the studio. Others were in informal settings. Across the board, we ensured everyone had space to speak honestly and safely.
Working with Big Brands and Tight Guidelines
One thing Planned Parenthood does well, and expects from its vendors, is brand consistency. And we were ready.
They provided folders of brand assets, including:
- Hex codes for their official colors
- Logo treatments and lockups
- Typography guides
- Sample videos and tone recommendations
- Mission, vision, and voice guidelines
We studied them all.
“When we work with a brand like Planned Parenthood, we don’t just make videos. We extend the voice of the organization, visually, tonally, emotionally.”
— Dr. Jessica Kizorek
For other nonprofits (especially those with national visibility), the lesson is clear: if you want your videos to be on-brand and on-message, gather your assets upfront. Share your guidelines. Give your production partner what they need to protect your voice.
Final Thoughts
Working with Planned Parenthood was an honor, and a challenge. The topics were sensitive. The climate was political. The stories were personal. But that’s exactly why this work matters.
Each project reinforced what we’ve always believed: people support what they feel. And video, done ethically, strategically, and powerfully, is still one of the best ways to move people to feel, act, and advocate.
If you’re a bold nonprofit with a powerful mission and need help telling your story in a way that honors your brand and moves your audience, we’d love to work with you.
