Documentary Case Study

As one of London’s 8 hyper-acute stroke units, Northwick Park Hospital treats around 1600 patients every year.  The need for clear and engaging communication when helping people navigate their way through the recovery process following a stroke is paramount.

The Problem

A stroke can be one of the most devastating events that can happen to an individual. From physical disability, issues with speech and language and psychological problems, there is a dizzying amount for patients to take on board and deal with once they get home.

Patients were reporting feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of documents they were leaving hospital with, signposting them to the different types of rehab and support available. There had to be a way of condensing it all into a manageable format that was easy to take in, informative and engaging.

 The Solution

Working with the Stroke Unit and the Community Stroke Co-ordinator, we identified a documentary approach as the ideal way to achieve this, and so began production on ‘One day at a time: The journey to recovery from stroke’. The documentary would be an hour long, and aimed at people who had just been discharged from hospital following their stroke, and their families.

The 60 minute duration allowed us to cover an extraordinary range of topics, from what exactly is a stroke, to the various therapies available to aid recovery. The documentary was broken down into 6 bite-sized chapters, each dedicated to a particular subject and recapped at the end with the main points.

The Finished Film

The film featured the professional viewpoints of various stroke specialists, therapists and charities. It also drew heavily on the personal testimony of stroke survivors who had already been, or were still going, through the recovery process. It was very important to give the film a very human angle, to let viewers know they were not alone.

The documentary format is a brilliant way to tell human-interest stories. They can be as short as a few minutes, as long as an hour or anywhere in between. For sheer audience engagement, the personal touch of a documentary is hard to beat!