Brief
Mother Brown Films asked me to produce a guide script for a short film about Xerox. This year the Fortune 500 business, which made its name by pioneering a series of print and photocopying technologies, became two publiclly traded companies – Conduent (business process outsourcing, worth $11bn) and Xerox Corporation (document technology, worth $7bn).
Our job was to briefly explore the reasons for that separation, document the process and, above all, acknowledge the crucial role of the IT division. Trying to separate a company with 130,000 employees scattered across 180 countries was a daunting task. The strain on the company was significant, with the IT division having to work 600,000 extra hours.
The film had to convey the scale of the challenge and the mood behind closed doors. And rather than simply being a pat on the back for the IT division, an internal puff piece, the client also wanted the film to ponder the evolving role of Xerox in business. How the IT team would be moving out of the server room and into the boardroom.
Joe Wilson, Xerox’s first CEO, talked about “better communications for better understanding”. Their current proposition is to find ‘a better way to work”. It makes perfect sense, then, for the company to expand its operations to incorporate workflow automation, analytics, greater personalisation and online security solutions. The new company structure reflects that scope, providing greater strategic focus and efficiency.
Aside from the tight deadline, delivering an approved script for a three-minute film in 1-2 weeks, the complex nature of material was also a challenge. So we conducted lengthy interviews with everyone from outgoing VP Andrew Campbell, to VP Marketing & Global Brand Tracy Yelencsics and Xerox CEO Jeff Jacobson, peeling back the layers of jargon and searching for clear insights.
Response
– Company research
– Archive audit/b-roll review
– Stakeholder interviews
– Script writing
Results
Watch here.
"Kevin and his team at Mother Brown Films combine their deep expertise in cinematography with effective storytelling, leaving the viewer engaged and wanting more. Our partnership on a creative video project was a success and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience."
Watch here.
"Kevin and his team at Mother Brown Films combine their deep expertise in cinematography with effective storytelling, leaving the viewer engaged and wanting more. Our partnership on a creative video project was a success and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience."
