No Smash and Grab with Hank and Henry

Last month, we were hustling to deliver the keynote story for Family Building Blocks’ largest annual fundraising event. We had a good story. Hank—a hunk of a guy with a big heart and a tough history—had, against all odds, raised a healthy little boy from infancy to boyhood, thanks in part to the support of a Family Building Blocks home visitor. It was shaping up to be something special.

For our master interview, Bailey had a brilliant idea: shoot in Marion County Courthouse —a place Hank knew well from his former life. I hustled to get us access, and soon we were setting up. We had a great A-cam shot locked off, with Bailey roaming on the B-cam, using a longer lens for some added creativity. Hank arrived, and sat down. It was clear he was nervous. “You’re shooting the wrong side of my face. We need to move over there.” This was different. Our subject was leaning in to direct the scene. 😬

After some back-and-forth and gaining a better understanding of why the change mattered to Hank, we found middle ground. The setup, the shot, wasn’t what we originally envisioned. Multiple shooting days later—more back-and-forth with Hank, more rapport building—we found a rhythm. But none of it came easy. And there were compromises along the way.

Weeks later it was time to show Hank the first cut. We invited him down to the studio. I was nervous. Bailey was bracing for the worst, thinking Hank might hate it. But as the story arc peaked, I glanced over. Tears streamed down Hank’s face. When it ended, he turned to us and said, “You guys, this is amazing.” We hugged it out. “You guys did it!” he said. I smiled through misty eyes myself and replied, “No, you did it. You raised a healthy boy, and that comes through.”

Filmmaking can be a smash-and-grab. But that’s not how we do things. For us, it’s about people—making real connections, listening, leading with trust and rapport, even sometimes sharing power. It’s the process that matters as much as the product.

Oh yeah, on the day of the event, when the house lights came up after the film, Hank and Henry took the stage. 750 people rose to their feet for a long time, cheering. More tears. And even though the moment wasn’t about us, Hank took the chance to shout us out from the stage—and from the back of the room, we shouted encouragement right back.

The shot? Maybe not perfect. But the moment? Beautiful. ✨