At the end of last year, we teamed up with Samsung and Sabrina Carpenter to make a couple videos through documentary filmmaking.

As part of a Samsung ad campaign that focused on making connections through gift-giving, we flew from Austin to Boston to Atlanta to film the genuine reactions of some best friends giving and receiving a few unexpected gifts: some tech from Samsung along with a personalized music video from Sabrina Carpenter.

We started the project with a flight to Boston to meet two sisters, Jamie and Annie.

Like a lot of people, the sisters were initially nervous in front of the cameras. That being said, we’re pretty good at helping people to relax and open up. We wanted the honest and genuine reactions and connections we knew these gifts would bring, so helping people relax in front of the camera comes with the job description.

The two sisters are best friends. Jamie was home for the holidays after leaving for her first year at college, and this was their first Christmas back together. Annie, the younger of the two, deals with a serious heart condition, so Samsung gave her a Galaxy Watch to help monitor her heart (which is also the reason behind the rhythm of a heartbeat throughout the video).

After our time in Boston, we hopped on a plane to Atlanta to meet Erin and Ari.

Although they aren’t sisters, they might as well be. As they finish high school, there’s a pretty good chance that the two are going separate ways, so this was the last holiday while they still lived close.

On top of their own unique and upbeat music video, the “dancing twins'' got some Samsung Galaxy Buds, so dancing together and being themselves was that much easier. They might not have seemed like it in the video, but they were also pretty nervous.

Which makes sense. Being the center of attention of an international ad campaign for Samsung like this can definitely be nerve-wracking, especially when there are camera crews filming a personal and intimate moment like this was meant to be. 

But we know that, so we get to know the people we film and make them comfortable. When people like Erin, Ari, Jamie, and Annie are comfortable and willing to open up, that’s when we can capture the authentic stories and honest moments that we love, no matter how big the project might be.

The campaign was international in scope, and we worked with teams in Australia, South Korea, and Sweden all the while filming in the U.S. and keeping the people at the center of the stories comfortable enough to be themselves the whole time.

When asked about the project, Sabrina Carpenter said, “My fans have been so supportive of me for so long. Being able to deliver gifts to them through music was a dream, and partnering with Samsung allowed me to give the holiday gift of all time.”

Watch Erin & Ari here, and Jamie & Annie here.