Breaking the Cycle: Chance & Sarah
Process
Stories of youth homelessness are often misrepresented, reduced to statistics or framed through deficit. This project was about doing the opposite. We wanted to help the audience feel connected to the lived experience of two young people, not by focusing on hardship, but by highlighting who they are and how they have grown.
We began by spending time with Cocoon House staff to understand the landscape, build trust, and identify participants who were open to sharing their stories. That’s how we met Chance and Sarah. Both brought an incredible level of openness and vulnerability to the process.
To ensure a respectful experience, we held pre-interviews to discuss any off-limit topics and invited both Chance and Sarah to participate in creative decisions throughout. The production was slow, quiet, and intentional. The tone was shaped by them, not by us.
The final film was screened at Cocoon House’s annual event, An Evening of Silk, to a room of over 300 attendees. Chance and Sarah were both in the audience and watched their story unfold on screen. The video helped Cocoon House raise over $150,000, its most successful fundraiser to date.
But the moment that stayed with us most came after the screening. Chance and Sarah stepped out of the room, overwhelmed. When they returned, they were in tears. They hugged our team and said, “This was so amazing. Thank you.”
That was the real impact. The story landed where it mattered most, with the people who lived it.
Results
Services
Content Development & Strategy
Collaborated with Cocoon House to build trust with participants, approached the story with care, and ensured ethical storytelling guided every step of the process
Production
Filmed interviews with Chance and Sarah in Everett, capturing both guided conversation and atmospheric b-roll rooted in their environments
Post-Production
Edited the full fundraising film with attention to pacing, tone, and consent, delivering a piece that honored both the organization and the storytellers
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