UF HEALTH INSPIRE: MATT BENAVIDEZ
Matt Benavidez and his mother (Denise) and stepfather (Gary) let us into their lives to tell Matt’s amazing and inspiring story. His horrific motorcycle accident left him dead in the street. But the paramedics on site and UF Health’s trauma team not only brought him back to life, but helped him defy all odds and return to nearly full physical and cognitive function. As Dr. Rosenthal says in the the video, Matt had less than a 1% chance to survive and ever thrive again.
We spent a few months with Matt and his family getting to know them. We built a trust relationship almost immediately, as we promised to tell Matt’s story authentically and honestly. We followed Matt around town, and at every stop friends greeted him with hugs and high-fives. Matt’s positive personality is infectious, and his story around Gainesville is well known.
Our production team likes to think of itself as an extension of Matt’s incredible care team and support network. During one shoot at Matt’s apartment, Denise fed us all Piesano’s pizza. Around Gainesville that’s high praise. You know a family has welcomed you in when they feed you Piesano’s!
We didn’t shy away from the hardest parts of Matt’s story, especially in pictures and video. We were lucky enough to obtain actual footage from Matt’s family just after the accident and during his rehab. It was critical to show Matt before and after, as well as during, so viewers could truly appreciate how much of an inspiration Matt is, and how long and difficult his road to recovery was. But Matt didn’t do it alone. His story highlights the importance of a support network when you’re fighting for your life.
For this production, we wanted to recreate the action at the accident scene and in our trauma bay. We also wanted to see Matt’s friend and tattoo artist, Christian, up close and personal, as Matt’s prolific body art helps to tell his story and keep him grounded. We also didn’t want to shy away from Matt’s very real afterlife experience that he can precisely recall. After all, that’s what drove him to return to “embrace the fight.” And because our videographer, Kyle, is also a drone pilot, we were able to create a sense of Matt’s out-of-body experience after he died at the accident scene.
We edited this story to build and reveal new layers as it went on. We captured the unexpected outcomes and twists and turns without giving too much away in the beginning. I love how this story unfolds and develops, crescendoing with Matt’s passion for serving others. We have the pleasure of now watching Matt help other patients embrace their own fight toward healing and wellness.
This was our most ambitious video project ever at UF Health, and by far the most complex. A team of 6 pulled this thing off. And we’ll remember this—as Matt and his family will—for the rest of our lives. I couldn’t be more grateful for the 5 talented colleagues and friends I got to work with.
Matt and his family keep thanking us for telling his story, but it’s really our honor to be able to tell it. We’re thankful that Matt gave us full access to his life. I wish we had room in this story to feature all the in-between conversations we had with Matt and his family while the cameras weren’t rolling. Every word, every moment of this experience was pure gold.
This Silver-Telly-Award-winning video is part of the University of Florida Health Inspire series, a storytelling initiative I began and currently direct. UF Health Inspire stories are meant to be special. These are unique stories that share an extraordinary achievement, that are highly produced and well promoted. A UF Health Inspire story must meet this criteria:
Must be a story that is primarily motivational and aspirational versus informational (i.e., not a story about a process improvement or quality of care award). This should be about a person or family who faced and persevered through a unique struggle.
Must focus on the human experience and human condition of healing in its various forms
Will feature the uncommon or extraordinary. We are focused on sharing a variety of different patient stories in different venues and places. Because of the added investment involved to produce and promote an Inspire story, we are looking for those stories that are truly extraordinary and carry that “wow” factor!
Will highlight conflict and tension, which resolve in a climactic ending
Capitalize on personal and professional experiences and expressions
Aren’t afraid to reveal failures, shortcomings or weaknesses
Empower people to adopt different perspectives by asking uncomfortable or challenging questions
Mobilize or catalyze change; inspire people to action
Below are some shots from our many production shoots. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to tell Matt’s story. Special thanks to everyone involved!
