At Ibis River Studios, we believe film is more than entertainment—it is a tool for transformation. Few projects have embodied this belief more powerfully than our work documenting the life and mission of Erica Ford, founder of LIFE Camp, Inc., through The Orange Print. As one of the nation’s most influential voices in gun violence prevention, Erica has dedicated her life to building peace, protecting communities, and shaping a blueprint for change.
Capturing her story has been both humbling and instructive. Along the way, we’ve gathered lessons on how storytelling can move beyond awareness and toward impact. Here are five lessons from the field that continue to shape our approach to social justice filmmaking.
1. Lead with Humanity, Not Statistics
Numbers can illustrate the scope of a crisis, but they rarely touch the heart. Filming The Orange Print, we saw how Erica’s work is rooted in the lives of real people—mothers, sons, neighbors, survivors. By focusing on individual voices, we captured the humanity behind the headlines. A single story can shift perspective more deeply than a thousand statistics.
2. Build Trust Before You Press Record
Communities affected by violence carry layers of trauma and mistrust. To capture their truth, you must earn the right to listen. Our cameras didn’t roll until relationships were built, and spaces were respected. This trust opened doors to authentic moments—conversations, ceremonies, and acts of resilience—that no staged interview could replicate.
3. Make the Invisible Visible
Social change often happens in spaces that go unnoticed—healing circles, quiet moments between mentors and youth, neighborhood walks where safety is reclaimed one block at a time. In The Orange Print, we sought to illuminate the often-unseen labor of peace work. By spotlighting the “behind-the-scenes,” we revealed the invisible scaffolding of change.
4. Amplify, Don’t Author
As filmmakers, our job isn’t to speak for communities—it’s to amplify their voices. With Erica Ford, the vision was clear: The Orange Print had to reflect her blueprint, not ours. This meant listening, adapting, and ensuring that the documentary became a vessel for her message, not an interpretation of it. True storytelling for social change requires humility.
5. Leave More Than a Film Behind
A documentary should spark dialogue, but it should also leave something tangible with the community. With The Orange Print, we designed the project as both a film and a resource—a tool that schools, activists, and policymakers can use in the fight for peace. Social change filmmaking isn’t complete when the credits roll; its impact lives on in the hands of those who use it.
Final Thoughts
Filming The Orange Print has shown us that storytelling can be both art and activism. It requires empathy, patience, and a commitment to truth-telling. Erica Ford’s journey reminds us that when stories are told with integrity, they can do more than raise awareness—they can shift culture, inspire action, and lay the foundation for a more just future.
At Ibis River Studios, this is the heart of our mission: to tell stories that don’t just observe change, but help create it.
