Jason Doty: Award-Winning Director and Producer

In an interesting plot twist, police departments nationwide are looking for filmmakers.  Storytellers.  Those who understand how to create not just an image but a connection.  So, while there is no shortage of Hollywood screenwriters looking for the next big crime thriller blockbuster, there is a niche market that is harder to fill.  

The Police Recruitment Video producer.  It is a new genre.  Well, kind of.  If you are looking for video shorts of cops kicking in doors, blowing stuff up, or dropping out of helicopters, you can find them easily.  But does that tell the story of your agency?  One might argue that the allure of the action-packed, three-minute police thrill ride could attract the wrong type of person into policing.  But, dang, they are cool and fun to watch.  

In a new era of policing where the "Militarization" of the police has become a progressive punching bag, police leaders have been struggling to share the story of who they are.  Most cops never shoot anyone in the line of duty, but a quick search on YouTube will generate no shortage of action-packed, shoot-em-up videos.  So how do we tell the more "realistic" story of what policing in America is today?

In this week's episode, I picked the brain of the best storyteller and screenwriter I know.  He may be the only "true" screenwriter I know, but that is beside the point.  Jason Doty, an award-winning director and producer, knows what to write, shoot, direct, and produce a police recruitment video.  Well, the police storytelling might not have been something he wanted to do, but knowing his talents, I asked a favor a few years ago and put him to work.  That was in 2013 when he produced my former agency's first-ever recruiting video.  

It would be hard to have predicted how crazy the market for these videos would become, but that is what happens when applications drop, veteran officers retire, and the world turns upside down on policing in general.  

If you want to create a police recruiting video, Indiana Film Works might be an excellent place to start.  But before you take that step, you need to focus on the most important thing.  The message you look to send to your future recruits.  

So, listen to this week's episode of the Coptimizer Podcast as Jason and I break down a few popular videos circulating and discuss what it takes to tell a good story!

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