Peace Through Music - United Nations Global Event
The Story of Playing for Change - a mini-documentary
Working on this purposeful project, I wrote, produced, and directed an 8 minute mini-documentary recounting the Playing For Change evolution. The project started out as a celebration of the United Nations 75th anniversary - but it quickly grew into a global event partnering with Facebook, Gibson, Audio-Technica, Owens Corning, and many other brands to create original programming that was delivered to 10s of millions of viewers in more than 80 countries via livestream on Facebook.
Re-imagine a 'united' world connected by music. Join Playing For Change and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice.
About the project
In honor of the United Nations' 75th anniversary and Human Rights Day, this global virtual event aims to showcase the interconnectedness of humanity and activate the world to stand up for and champion the full protection and promotion of human rights for all, especially those in the most vulnerable communities.
- ~1m YouTube views
- Live-streamed to over 100m Facebook pages
- Celebrated by global audiences and featured in social campaigns, streaming platforms, and worldwide press
An eternal theme of hope, love, and unity
Few projects have ever been so ambitious. The Peace Through Music Global Event delivered beyond measure, and the message keeps on giving to millions worldwide.
The Challenge
- Telling a broad, complex story in a brief short film.
- Aligning creative vision across new directors, crews, and locations.
- Giving proper emphasis to key storylines without diluting the overall message.
- Managing massive amounts of mixed media from hundreds of other videos.
- Building on an already powerful story without repeating it.
The Goals
- Deepen the emotional arc of the program with new cultural perspectives.
- Showcase the emotive power behind the Playing For Change movement.
- Maintain the authentic voice of the founders and the brand.
- Keep transitions seamless, to feel like a single continuous experience.
- Keep the timing under 4 minutes (we happily failed).
Reviews
What an amazing work of love, peace, and pure joy of music from all corners of the world. There are no words to express how much Playing For Change has impacted my life and love of music.
Screenshots & Moments
Holding a live audience for more than 2 hours requires talent, amazing stories, and a lot of teamwork. Playing For Change delivered, and we were happy to be a small part of it.
This project deserved more than a creative touch - it required clear vision, tight production timelines, and a deep respect for the global story being told.
From last-minute release dates and times to location changes, one of the challenges was balancing the client's natural authenticity with a cinematic experience.