Cisco /
Building A Brighter Future
A film about the life-changing power of Cisco’s Networking Academy.
BRANDED CONTENT
Project work
Film Direction
Creative Direction
Creative Development
Post Supervision
Location
Zhengzhou & Yuzhou, China
Cisco has changed the lives of over 8 million students from 180 countries around the world through their Networking Academy programs. This film tells the personal story of Cheng Liangliang, an alumni from Zhengzhou, China. We not only captured Cheng’s story, but also the lives and spirit of his parents, wife, and young child. The film captures the scale of their lives next to China’s growing cities, and the many ways that Cisco’s technology is creating opportunities for a new generation.
This film was an opportunity to work across language and cultural barriers, something I’ve done before and always find to be a fun challenge. With local producers, we worked to make Cheng’s family feel comfortable around the cameras and crew. Another fun part of this project was creating some of the visual concepts, drawing inspiration from how network systems are built in order to film the world graphically.
Howie Lam, producer, helping prep a location. Photo by Adam McDaid.
A couple of family elders have a chat in a small village within Yuzhou. Photo by Adam McDaid.
When the DP asks the director and producer to stand-in for a shot setup. Photo by Howie Lam.
Cisco's producer, Rina, getting ready for a day of travel.
A couple guys from the crew finding a moment to relax. Photo by Howie Lam.
Our charming producer, Fan Fan, always seemed to be smiling with a camera in hand.
Team
Agency The Hatch
Global ECD Dennis Lim
Global CD Andrew Reed
Agency Producer Valerie Peller
Production Noir Creation
Director Keith Ehrlich
Exec Producer Howie Lam
Producer Fan Fan Cheung
Director of Photography Adam McDaid
Editor Matt Shapiro at Crew Cuts
Colorist Jaime O’Bradovich at Company3