Role: Director, Producer & Editor

Location: San Diego, CA

Format: Connected TV (CTV) & Digital Video Ads (:30s & :15s)

Objective & Strategic Context

Talkspace partnered with TRICARE insurance to open direct mental health access to active-duty military service members and their families. The campaign needed to introduce this benefit not through clinical jargon, but through an authentic, grounded look at military family life.

The client provided a direct-response brief and a loose voiceover draft. I helped refine the script, pacing, and visual story to reflect the reality of homefront routines during deployment.

Having grown up in a Navy family with a pilot father, I tapped into personal experience to ensure the details rang true. We made sure the emotional rhythm reflected what military families actually go through, down to styling the service member's uniform, branch patches, and rank insignia with complete accuracy.

Production Scope & Logistics

To keep the narrative grounded and intimate, we avoided sterile studio builds and opted for practical location production in San Diego.

Location Scouting & Art Direction: I scouted and secured a craftsman home in North Park, San Diego. We dressed and staged the interior to feel lived-in, warm, and profile-agnostic while keeping the focus on the domestic rhythm of the household.

Casting the Dynamic: Authenticity in this spot relied entirely on character chemistry. I led casting to find a lead actress who could project resilience alongside vulnerability, paired with a daughter character who balanced natural teenage edge with genuine affection for her mom.

Cinematography & Visual Tone: Working with a small, nimble crew, we lit for naturalism with deep contrast and rich, warm tones. Visually, we contrasted controlled dolly moves for pivotal transitions with grounded, handheld camera work to drop the viewer directly into everyday moments.

The Story & Edit

I handled the edit directly, building two focused cuts (:30s and :15s) designed for high-retention Connected TV viewing.

The narrative tracks the everyday reality of a military spouse managing work, school drop-offs, and homework routines while her husband is deployed. Interspersed with these daily pressures, we see her utilizing Talkspace for text check-ins and video therapy sessions. The spot closes with a quiet moment of decompression, landing on a relatable message of support and resilience.

Deliverables & Key Results

Core Deliverables: 1x :30s CTV Hero Commercial, 1x :15s Direct-Response Cutdown.

Cultural Authenticity: Zero stock-military tropes; accurate uniform styling, believable domestic dynamics, and emotional honesty that resonated with TRICARE beneficiaries.

Audience Impact: The spot achieved significant scale on YouTube and streaming platforms, driving awareness for Talkspace's military coverage program.