Authentic Stories, Real Impact: How DOU DOU Helped Uno Health Connect with Senior Members
Client Challenge
Uno Health approached DOU DOU with a critical challenge: they needed to tell their brand story in a way that would genuinely resonate with both potential members and healthcare partners. Traditional healthcare marketing often feels clinical and impersonal, creating distance rather than connection. Uno Health wanted something different – an approach that would capture the authentic experiences of their senior members while conveying the real impact of their healthcare services.
Our Approach
Drawing inspiration from acclaimed documentaries like "Some Kind of Heaven," our team developed a production strategy focused on authenticity and human connection. We recognized that for elderly members, a traditional film production with extensive equipment and crew could feel intimidating and result in performances rather than genuine moments.
Our production monitor showing a subject in their natural home environment, with minimal equipment visible in the background. The soft lighting and neutral backdrop create a non-intimidating atmosphere for our elderly participants.
Instead, we implemented what we call our "Nimble Documentary Approach":
Minimal Equipment Setup: We utilized only essential camera gear, creating an unobtrusive environment that helped members feel comfortable in their own homes.
Small, Considerate Crew: Our team members were specifically selected for their ability to connect with senior subjects, creating rapport before filming began.
Real Environments: We filmed exclusively in the members' actual homes, capturing the true context of their lives rather than constructed sets.
Unscripted Conversations: Rather than working from rigid scripts, we developed conversation guides that allowed for natural dialogue and unexpected moments of truth.
Patience-First Filming: We allowed extra time for each shoot, ensuring seniors never felt rushed or pressured during the storytelling process.
Our portable, streamlined equipment cart allowed for quick setup and minimal disruption in participants' homes. This approach contrasts with traditional commercial shoots that can overwhelm sensitive environments.
Production Execution
The production phase presented unique challenges and opportunities:
One of our participants photographed against a neutral backdrop in his own home. Note the natural posture, authentic clothing choices, and gentle directional lighting that enhances rather than alters his appearance. The subtle warm tones and textured background create a dignified, authentic portrait that respects his individuality.
We implemented extended pre-interviews, allowing elderly members to become comfortable with our team before cameras were introduced.
Our cinematographer used natural lighting supplemented with minimal, non-intrusive lighting equipment to maintain the authentic feel of each home.
A powerful moment capturing the genuine human connection that emerged from our approach. These unguarded moments of reflection and emotional authenticity were only possible because participants felt safe and respected throughout the filming process.
We scheduled filming sessions in shorter blocks with plenty of breaks, respecting the energy levels and comfort of our senior subjects.
Our documentary approach extended to capturing participants in their natural environments, like this gentleman photographed in his home.
By maintaining a conversational approach throughout filming, we captured candid moments that revealed the true healthcare journeys of the members.
Incorporating personal elements of participants' lives—like this gentleman with his motorcycle—added depth to their healthcare stories and presented them as whole individuals rather than just patients.
Results and Impact
The resulting campaign transformed Uno Health's brand storytelling:
Authentic Representation: The documentary approach captured the genuine diversity of aging experiences, avoiding stereotypical portrayals of seniors.
Emotional Connection: The unfiltered stories created powerful emotional resonance with viewers, generating significantly higher engagement metrics compared to previous campaigns.
Trust Building: By showing real members in their actual environments, the campaign established immediate credibility with potential new members.
Brand Differentiation: The documentary aesthetic immediately distinguished Uno Health from competitors in the healthcare space, whose marketing often relies on stock imagery and scripted testimonials.
Member Empowerment: Participating members reported feeling valued and heard, with many sharing that the filming experience itself was therapeutic and affirming.
Key Learnings
This project reinforced our belief that when working with sensitive subjects and vulnerable populations, less can be more in terms of production approach. By prioritizing human connection over technical complexity, we created an environment where authentic stories could emerge naturally.
The success of this campaign has inspired us to further refine our "Nimble Documentary Approach" for other clients seeking to tell genuine human stories that connect on a deeper level with their audiences.
DOU DOU is a production company specializing in documentary storytelling that centers underrepresented narratives and histories. Through innovative visual techniques and deep subject immersion, we create content that challenges conventional perspectives while building bridges between diverse communities.
Documenting LGBTQ+ Heritage: DOU DOU Partners with National Parks Conservation Association
It all begins with a single step
In an exciting development at the intersection of filmmaking and historical preservation, we're proud to share details about our latest collaboration with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Together, we've created a powerful documentary that shines a light on America's first federally recognized LGBTQ+ historic site, told through the remarkable journey of activist Mark Segal.
The Power of Personal History
When we first approached this project, we knew we needed to ground it in lived experience. Mark Segal's story provided the perfect narrative backbone. As a Stonewall veteran and lifelong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Mark's firsthand account of the riots and the decades-long fight for recognition creates an emotional entry point that resonates with viewers regardless of their background.
What makes this documentary special is how it connects personal struggle with national identity. By following Mark's journey, we've been able to document how trauma, resistance, and community building have shaped not just LGBTQ+ history, but American history as a whole.
Reimagining National Parks Through a Queer Lens
This project challenged us to think differently about what constitutes a national landmark. When most people think of America's parks system, they envision natural wonders like Yellowstone or Yosemite. But our national parks also include sites of cultural and historical significance—places where pivotal moments in our collective story unfolded.
Through intimate storytelling techniques, we've helped the NPCA expand the conversation around preservation to include queer identity, marginalized history, and cultural memory. The documentary asks viewers to consider: Whose stories get preserved? Who decides what's historically significant? How do we ensure diverse experiences are reflected in our national monuments?
Mark Segal Activist
Creating Visual Language for Invisible Histories
One of our biggest challenges was developing a visual approach for histories that have often been deliberately hidden. LGBTQ+ stories have frequently been erased, with physical spaces repurposed or demolished. Our team worked to create a visual language that acknowledges absence while celebrating presence.
We combined archival footage, on-location filming, and carefully composed interviews to create a sense of place that honors both the physical landmark and the emotional landscape it represents. The result is a documentary that feels both historically grounded and intimately personal.
Impact Beyond Screens
What's most exciting about this project is its potential impact beyond the documentary itself. By documenting this landmark site through Mark's story, we're contributing to a broader movement to preserve LGBTQ+ history for future generations.
The NPCA has already begun using footage and insights from our collaboration in their education and advocacy work. For communities whose histories have been systematically erased, seeing their stories reflected in national preservation efforts represents a powerful form of validation and inclusion.
Looking Forward
This documentary represents just the beginning of what we hope will be ongoing work in preserving marginalized histories. At DOU DOU, we believe in the power of visual storytelling to not just document the past, but to shape how we understand our shared spaces and collective future.
We're grateful to Mark Segal for sharing his story, to the NPCA for their partnership, and to everyone who has supported this project along the way. Together, we're helping to ensure that America's parks system truly reflects the diversity of American experience.
Stay tuned for information about where you can watch the documentary and how you can support efforts to preserve LGBTQ+ historic sites in your own community.
DOU DOU is a production company specializing in documentary storytelling that centers underrepresented narratives and histories. Through innovative visual techniques and deep subject immersion, we create content that challenges conventional perspectives while building bridges between diverse communities.