Execution
Creative Direction & Production:
RTF led the concept, on site direction, and post production in partnership with Live Nation’s in house creative team.
Cinematography:
Captured in immersive 4K across multiple festival stages with high speed coverage of both performers and interpreters.
Editorial & Sound:
Mixed with authentic live sound and layered with audience reactions to convey a multi-sensory experience.
Distribution:
Released across Live Nation’s YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook platforms as part of their “Inclusion & Culture” initiative, later used in internal DEI and festival marketing communications.
Purpose
To craft a heartfelt, cinematic short film that highlights the extraordinary work of Deaf music interpreters at Austin City Limits, proving that music transcends sound and that Live Nation’s festivals are built for everyone.
The brief was to go beyond documentation and create a story that would move audiences and industry peers alike, redefining what accessibility looks like in live music.
Concept
Respect the Funk conceived a visually intimate, emotionally powerful portrait of the interpreters who transform rhythm into motion and melody into emotion.
The piece balances interview driven narrative with concert scale visuals, using warm lighting, fluid slow motion, and kinetic edit pacing to mirror the interpreters’ expressive energy.
Every frame was designed to make viewers feel the music, even in silence.
Results
- Winner – Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards (2024) for Best Social Impact / Corporate Film
- 1.1M+ YouTube views on the official Live Nation channel within the first month
- Thousands of organic shares, duets, and fan reposts across Instagram and Facebook
- Featured in Variety, Pollstar, and LinkedIn News as a model for inclusivity in live events
- Used by Live Nation as cornerstone content for their Accessibility & Inclusion Program rollout
- Fan sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, comments describing it as “beautiful, humbling, and powerful.”
Impact
This project positioned Respect the Funk as a creative partner capable of transforming purpose into artm, bridging documentary realism with brand storytelling.
By blending cultural empathy, cinematic craft, and festival energy, RTF helped Live Nation deliver one of its most emotionally resonant and globally recognized campaigns to date.
“When a film about accessibility wins at Cannes, it proves one thing, that inclusion isn’t just policy, it’s powerful storytelling.”
CREDITS
- Directed: Gabriel Santos
- Produced: Tyler Cunningham
- Shooters: Nathan Doherty and Gabriel Santos
- Edit: Lidsey Wilkens
- Interpreters: Amber Galloway, Amy Patton, Julian Ortiz, Martise Colston, AV Vilavong, Tyrone Reins