Producing a Donation Disco
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Date: May 30, 2025
Role: Multimedia Design Manager
Services: Video Director, Concept Development, Editing, Coloring, Graphic Design
Location: OK Pop Museum - Tulsa, OK
Talent: Anne Roberts, Rachel Roberts, Adam Andreassen, Family & Children's Services staff and community partners
Crew: Tom Taylor - Chief Development Officer Chris Posey – Director of Marketing and Communication
Sara Hathcoat - Creative Director
Russell Wadlin - Multimedia Design Manager
Successful fundraisers are critical to the work at Family & Children’s Services. They fuel programs, expand access, and directly impact the lives of thousands of Tulsans. The Party: Just Wear White sits at the tip of the spear for those efforts. It is not just an event. It is a signal to the community that celebration and support can exist in the same space. My role is to ensure that energy communicates effectively and carries the mission forward.
In 2025, The Party’s annual event theme centered around Studio 54. Previously unaware of the iconic New York club’s lore, my quick research revealed a unique irony for the project. A disco-era nightlife brand known for excess and controversy paired with a mental health fundraiser supporting substance use recovery and wraparound care. That tension became the creative challenge. I was tasked with featuring mixologists without highlighting alcohol. I needed to nod to the disco aesthetic without referencing the more problematic parts of that history. I did what any good creative would do and went straight to YouTube. I studied full-length documentaries on the subject, compiled rare clips from inside the original Studio 54, and pulled celebrity soundbites that captured exclusivity and cultural relevance. Vintage gold and silver tones alongside 1970s motion cues became the foundation for a unified visual system across every deliverable.
The promotional trailer was where that system came to life first. I spliced archival footage with newly captured shots of our co-chairs, Anne and Rachel Roberts. They leaned into the theme with charisma and presence, following direction while bringing their own energy to the frame. I layered in quick motion graphics and stylized edits to tie past and present together. The goal was simple: make this event feel like the place to be. A night where Tulsa’s most notable faces show up for something bigger than themselves.
The pre-recorded speaker videos were more pragmatic productions. This was the first year we replaced live speeches with recorded segments from the co-chairs and CEO. I handled the technical operation and directed performance. Talking to a camera can feel stiff. My job was to build comfort, keep energy high, and help deliver clear calls to action for higher conversion. We used a teleprompter for continuity, but the tone still had to feel natural. The result worked. Those videos landed with the audience and became a new standard for future events. It also gave leadership the freedom to be more present with donors during the night, which is a quiet but meaningful win.
The recap video tied everything together. Russell Wadlin and I leaned into a hybrid format that blended modern footage with a camcorder aesthetic that mirrored the texture of the 70s. We let that grainy, imperfect look live alongside clean HD shots of the event. Go-go dancers, dinner toasts, and candid moments all moved through that visual contrast. It blurred the line between homage and reality. It made the night feel like it existed in its own timeline. That was the goal. Strip away the lore. Keep the energy. Anchor it in purpose.
That night, The Party raised over $450,000 for the state’s largest mental health nonprofit programs. The media did more than capture that success. It helped extend it. It reinforced trust with donors and gave the night a second life beyond the room. That is the role these projects play. Turning celebration into something that continues to give.
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