BREAKING STIGMAS: CLINICAL TRIALS
YOUNG SURVIVAL COALITION - PHOTO AND VIDEO SERIES
Turning a Hotel Room into a Studio: The Process Behind Our Work with Young Survival Coalition
As we prepare for a new project with Young Survival Coalition (YSC) this March, we’ve been thinking about what makes these stories work—not just visually, but emotionally.
Last year, we filmed and photographed patient testimonials about clinical trials—a project designed to challenge the stigma around participation and highlight the need for better access. Filming at a packed conference meant adapting quickly:
Limited time with each person—we had to build trust fast and get to the heart of their experiences.
Uncontrolled environments—we transformed a basic hotel room into a professional studio.
Authenticity over scripting—these were real patients, and their voices needed to feel natural and unscripted.
One of the biggest challenges was the space itself. Conference hotel rooms are rarely ideal for filming—old carpeting, poor lighting, and a lack of controlled backdrops. We needed to create a setting that felt modern and serious, but also allowed for lighter moments.
We chose a neutral gray backdrop with backlighting, which served multiple purposes:
✔️ It turned a generic hotel space into a clean, focused environment.
✔️ It kept the visual tone serious but flexible enough for warmth and lighter moments.
✔️ It ensured that the focus stayed on the patients’ lived experiences, not the setting.
Beyond the technical setup, trust was everything. Because we’ve shared our own experiences so publicly, people felt safe opening up to us—some even sharing more than they expected. That kind of honesty is what makes these projects meaningful.
For us, the lighting, sound, and visuals matter. But if the connection isn’t there, the story doesn’t resonate. Looking forward to bringing this same approach to our next collaboration with YSC.
- Angelica, Metastatic Breast Cancer
“I have the same fear most people have. What if I get the placebo? What if I’m wasting my time, and it’s too late for me?”
- Tiffany, Stage III Breast Cancer
“Speaking to my family, at first they were really against it. I think it’s because they didn’t have enough information about what they are.”
- Mariah, Stage II Breast Cancer
““I didn’t really know about clinical trials that could be offered to me. Because they weren’t.”
