At MediaStorm we strive to depict the truth of every single person we document. I sometimes refer to this process as going with the grain of the wood. That is, telling the stories that are embedded in the raw material. We aim to shape what is documented, not what we would like to see. That is our highest aspiration, to reveal the specific. In pursuing this ideal for close to a decade now, we have employed a number of techniques that permeate our work [1]. You are no doubt familiar with some of them: Stories that begin with an individual’s plight and end with a larger call to social justice. A steady pace defined by frequent cutting on musical beats. Video portraits that blend photography and motion. We use these conventions because they work and when used effectively they are powerful. I believe in them. I helped, in part, to create what…