Government Advocacy

"I love the video. ... You are a true artist!"

Frank E. Baxter
U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay

What if you had the same powerful tool our government agency clients used to break gender stereotypes (Department of Industrial Relations), save lives (Cal/OSHA) and provide second chances for at-risk youth (NASA)?

That’s what we offer—the secret that helped them meet these challenges, despite tightening budgets, smaller staffs and increasing demand. (And yes, we can work within your budget, too!)

DIR: Building a Workforce

When the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR)—a repeat client—needed to address the shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry, we built a video that advocated inclusion by breaking down longstanding gender stereotypes.

The state had no shortage of facts, data and research about the needs and benefits of bringing women into the industry—but reports and PowerPoints weren’t enough to win the hearts and minds of young people, parents, counselors, employers and trade unions across California.

DIR needed the cinematic storytelling that’s Art Simon Productions’ specialty.

After witnessing how our film inspired its target audience into action, DIR returned to us once again to help expand the new green construction market. The resulting video is now used for recruiting in high schools, trade organizations and employment agencies across California as the state prepares its workforce to build a more sustainable future.

Pop Quiz!

Match each of these statistics with a cause

Despite the vital issues and organizations listed, your eyes probably just glazed over—even if you knew the answers. That’s because soulless facts and numbers are neither memorable nor influential. People make decisions based on what the facts mean to them, not on the facts themselves. If you cannot open up your audience’s hearts, you’ll never convince them to support your effort.

Now try this one: Rosa Parks was a key figure in...

A) Women’s health
B) Wildlife conservation
C) Civil rights

That one you got, right? Why? Because Rosa Parks had a compelling story.

Story Opens Minds
by Unlocking Hearts

The key to making a difference is to put your facts into an emotional context by wrapping them up in a compelling story.

Art Simon Productions: the Key to Story, the Door to Success

Whether you’re a contracting officer, program manager or frontline government employee, fulfilling your agency’s mission requires building faith—and that requires telling purposeful stories.

So tell us your objective, then let us into your organization’s world. We’ll mine it thoroughly, conducting interviews and research to discover the core story that best communicates your aims. Then we’ll use the dynamism of cinema to aid your mission by touching your audiences’ hearts.