Hidroelectrica – annual event presentation film
Trofeul Energeticianului Curtea de Arges 2023
The Power of Storytelling – How to Use Story to Drive people engagement and internal brand consolidation
The 25th edition of this event organized by Hidroelectrica took place at the Hidroelectrica Curtea de Argeș Branch. In this regard, the organizers wanted to create a presentation video of the branch to showcase it to hundreds of guests from all over the country. They aimed for a lively and captivating presentation video that would highlight the team, hydrotechnical constructions, as well as the natural beauty of this part of Romania.
It was the perfect context for Toud, a project in which we had the chance to touch people’s hearts and minds through the power of storytelling. We quickly embraced this project, driven by the context, and began discussing it with the team. We needed an idea that would be the foundation of this film, something that would captivate, inspire, and nourish the audience.
We worked on this project using a process developed by Toud, which consists of multiple stages and incorporates a series of key elements. In short, we were further developing the important sequences.
Big idea – "I change the world"
We began with research, engaging with people from within the organization to find this unifying idea (let’s call it the “big idea”). Concurrently, we sought to understand the history, culture, and specifics of the organization from both external and internal sources (websites, articles, external individuals). We had a series of meetings with the Hidroelectrica team where we analyzed several communication directions based on different main ideas (big ideas) and story arcs (types of narrative threads in which the defining narrative elements occur in a different order).
We settled on the following “big idea” – “I change the world“. This idea connects the work of every individual at Hidroelectrica with the energy revolution that humanity is experiencing. Through this film, we aimed to showcase the higher purpose to which each person in the organization is called and to demonstrate the impact they bring to their surroundings. The indirect message is this – “Be proud to be part of the Hidroelectrica team – We are experiencing a rapid transformation as a civilization, driven by the transition to green energy. In this context, every Hidroelectrica employee has the opportunity to be part of the change, to actively contribute to its propagation“.
A film that tells a story
We didn’t want a sequence of shots simply showcasing hydrotechnical developments and the beauty of nature; we wanted a story. We desired something that would keep the viewer curious about what comes next, make them feel like it’s about them, and, most importantly, leave them thinking at the end, “I’m where I should be.” It’s a lofty goal, and we may not know how close we’ve come to it, but we did have a story, and the shots weren’t arranged like a list. Additionally, we had tension and emotion.
We followed a classic story arc, with an introduction, intrigue, tension building, action, climax, release of tension, and resolution. The film includes a series of metaphors.
The film begins with the image of a child who, in their innocence, has the courage to believe that they can change the world. It then transitions to the image of an adult trapped in routine, who doesn’t feel or see the impact of their work. This leads to tension and a sense of disconnection from the life they’re leading, a restlessness. The main character begins to question their life, their work, the people they interact with, and the civilization’s transformation that they are witnessing (electric cars, electric bikes, green energy, etc.).
They experience a moment of revelation where they understand that they have the opportunity to contribute in a very real way through their work to this energy transformation. Furthermore, they realize that without their contribution (even if it’s just a tiny cog in a global chain), this transformation couldn’t exist.
The film features over 100 sequences showcasing people, natural landscapes, and scenes from inside hydroelectric power plants.
In the Toud process, we took into consideration elements such as: the shift (the change we want to create for the audience watching the film), beats and sequences – we thought about each element that could help us in building the story – places, people, stories of the places, objects, authenticity (we sought to present everything in the most real, authentic manner), depth elements (metaphors, symbols) to enrich the content.
From the very beginning, we created a structure with scenes aligned to the chosen story arc. Additionally, we carefully considered the narrator’s narrative. For the voiceover, we collaborated with a team of professionals in this field.
Since this film includes scenes from hydroelectric power plants, it cannot be made public. Below, we’ve included a few frames to convey a small glimpse of the emotion behind this project.
For us, this project was unique in many ways: it was a large-scale endeavor that required hundreds of hours of work. It involved excellent collaboration with the filming team and complete trust, as the video editing part was our responsibility. There were very high expectations and a significant context, a national event attended by people from both within and outside the organization, including the Minister of Energy.
Some frames from this presentation film
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