Amazon: Discover New RME Opportunities

Role: Director

The Brief

Two Amazon teams with different audiences rarely produce content together. This project began as a self-initiated collaboration between Ops Internal Comms, where I supported employee-facing communications, and the Reputation, Marketing, and Insights team, responsible for Amazon's external brand perception. Rather than producing separate campaigns, we set out to prove that a single documentary-inspired commercial could accomplish both objectives—driving internal awareness while strengthening Amazon's reputation externally, all from a single production.

The Challenge

Creating a 30-second film that resonated with two very different audiences wasn't the only challenge. Internally, the video needed to inspire frontline employees—who weren't required to watch it—to consider careers in Reliability, Maintenance & Engineering (RME). Externally, it needed to reflect the innovation and opportunity within Amazon's operations for industry elites and reputation stakeholders. The story centered on an employee whose career journey perfectly embodied the campaign's message. There was just one catch: she had never appeared on camera before and wasn't comfortable sitting for a traditional interview.

The Approach

Rather than forcing a documentary interview, I collaborated with the employee to develop a voiceover script rooted in her own words and experiences, allowing her story to remain authentic while working within her comfort level. On location, I directed a three-person freelance crew consisting of a DP, AC, and sound mixer inside an active Amazon fulfillment center, adapting continuously to the realities of a live operational environment. In post, I partnered with a freelance editor, providing creative direction through final delivery.

The Results

The collaboration proved that one thoughtfully crafted asset could successfully serve both internal and external audiences. The campaign became one of the top five performing videos of 2025, driving more than 36,000 employees to the RME careers page while significantly outperforming internal benchmarks. More importantly, it helped leadership rethink how our two teams operate and established a new model for future collaborations.

  • CO-DIRECTOR: BEN HERSON

    PRODUCER: JILL TEGMAN

    PRODUCTION COMPANY: GRADIENT FILMS

    DP & EDITOR: KYLE COUTURE

    AC: JON MARTINEZ

    SOUND: KEVIN HAGEN

    COLOR: ROB BESSETTE