How we worked with Miwatj Aboriginal Health Organisation
Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service operating across East Arnhem Land, engaged Hero Productions to produce a series of videos addressing diabetes and foot health in community. The project produced three distinct deliverables, each built for a different audience and purpose.
The first was a clinical training video for health professionals working across the NT, covering callus removal and debridement. It was produced to be used in practice, not as a general awareness piece.
The second was Jacob's Story. Jacob is a Torres Strait man living on Galiwinku, Elcho Island, who shared his personal experience of living with diabetes and its impact on his feet and his health. The video was produced primarily for community use, with clinical settings as a secondary context.
The third was a comprehensive education resource running over thirty minutes, delivered in Yolngu language with English translation and broken into ten chapters. It covers diabetes management and foot care in a format designed for community members to engage with in their own language and at their own pace.
All three videos were produced for use in the clinic on Galiwinku, including in waiting room settings where patients can engage with the content during appointments.
The shoot itself required significant flexibility. Filming was scheduled across nearly two days on Galiwinku, but a delayed flight out of Darwin left the crew waiting in the airport for around eight hours for a replacement plane, reducing the time on the island to less than 24 hours. The shoot schedule was restructured around Miwatj's priorities so that everything essential to the three deliverables could still be captured, without rushing the community members appearing on camera. Each participant was given the time they needed to feel comfortable and to share their experience accurately.
Each video went through a structured review process. Rough cuts were shared with Miwatj for timestamped feedback, consolidated through a single point of contact on their team, so each round of changes arrived as one clear set of notes. Revisions were unlimited, allowing every piece to be refined until Miwatj was satisfied with it.
Consent for Jacob's Story was confirmed by Miwatj during pre-production, and Jacob signed a talent release on the day of filming.