» Client: D.C.’s Office of Latino Affairs
» Job: Produce a documentary that chronicles the Latino experience in the District from the 1970s through today. The video was commissioned by the city to celebrate the Office of Latino Affairs’ 30th anniversary.
» Agency: Maya Advertising & Communications, the city’s only Latino-owned and -focused agency
» Theme: “Through our eyes.”
» The Concept: The documentary, which Maya President Luis Vasquez-Ajmac calls a “legacy” piece, will be shot through the eyes of eight to 10 Washington-area Latinos. Thedocumentary will tell the story of Latinos in a contemporary, fast-paced style with subtitles in both English and Spanish. “You need to have walked in his moccasins,” Vasquez-Ajmac said. “Most of the time our history isn’t told fairly because we weren’t the ones telling it.”
» The Plan: Pre-production on the documentary, including scripting, researching and recruiting Washington Latinos to appear in the video, has already started. Primary footage will be shot in early July, followed by editing in July and August. Maya and the Office of Latino Affairs plan to air the documentary on a local broadcast affiliate, as well as screen the film for the community in mid-September.
» Creative Team: Luis Vasquez-Ajmac (president and executive producer), Raquel Garcia (producer), Armando Almanza (director), Keith Vejvoda (creative director), Adriana Gallegos (associate producer), Mariana Eberle-Blaylock (assistant producer), Paola Zbinden (designer)
» Ages: 25 to 45
» Background: Vasquez-Ajmac founded Maya in 1999 in his Adams Morgan apartment with the goal of using the agency to “enhance the quality of life for Latinos and other underserved Americans.” Today the agency has 14 employees and works with multiple government agencies and high-profile corporations. In the fall, Maya will open a West Coast office.
» Working on Next: Creating a new Web site for the Small Business Administration, launching Pepco’s summer brand initiative and a new campaign for Energy Star.
