The Power of Science: Inside the Global Effort to Stop COVID-19 tells the story of the invention of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It documents the extraordinary efforts made by scientists and researchers to develop a one-shot COVID-19 vaccine in a pressingly short amount of time. The film takes you inside their lab—and inside their heads—as they make life-changing choices. But just as importantly, the film entertains and informs its audience to better understand not only the science behind the vaccine but the inspiring story of “an evolutionary arms race between the virus and humans.”

In early 2020, our client Terry Ragon approached us with a request to edit some footage about his Ragon Institute—a joint research venture of Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT, and Harvard that for decades has sought to develop a vaccine for HIV. In that brief piece of footage, a group of scientists was exploring how to harness the human immune system to prevent and cure disease—a lesson from the Institute’s HIV research that maybe, just maybe, could be applied to an emerging threat called COVID-19. We instantly realized that what was unfolding in these research labs was a story worth being told with much more ambition. Ragon agreed. He funded this documentary in the hopes of improving the level of understanding and the quality of the discourse around science in our society.

We took great pains to make the story of The Power of Science accessible to a wide audience; we took greater pains to be as frank and honest as possible. We leaned into intimacy with our subjects, following the researchers at the Ragon Institute as they raced to apply the lessons learned from their efforts to develop a vaccine for HIV to the pandemic that was wracking the globe. We wanted to humanize the experience of the people working around the clock in labs and hospitals to address this crisis, all while being buffeted with the same scaremongering and misinformation we all endured. We also aimed to explain the science in a way that was understandable, informative, and ultimately, inspiring.

In our production values, editing decisions, and even music score, our intent was to infuse the film with the same intensity and immediacy that the researchers and scientists were themselves experiencing as they rushed to develop the vaccine. That said, we didn’t need to bring the drama to the story; the drama was already there. As one of our subjects put it: “When historians look back on the COVID-19 pandemic, there’ll be a lot of terrible things remembered. But I think there will be one thing bright and shining through: the power of science.” Our strategy was to bring that science to light, knowing that we had unique access to deconstructing for posterity one of the most important medical breakthroughs in our lifetimes. We also had a responsibility to get every detail right.

Our studio has worked on an Emmy-nominated documentary series for Netflix, Billie Eilish’s manifesto about the environment for Nike, and a short film about complex AI breakthroughs for Sony. This was by far our most difficult production. The added risks and the constraints imposed by the very pandemic we were documenting made every aspect of the project a challenge. Most of the action takes place in the Boston area—our studio is based in San Francisco—and our subjects were themselves extremely busy doing life-changing work. We enlisted a small production team that strictly followed COVID restrictions and health protocols when we were able to go on location. Our timeline was urgent and tight; the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine was given FDA approval on February 27, 2021, less than a year after the United States first went into lockdown.

The Power of Science is an in-depth chronicle of innovation, challenges overcome, and a success beyond wildest expectations. We’ve been delighted to share this documentary at events like the 2022 Global Health Security Innovation Week at SXSW. Private screenings for high-profile donors and partners have already shown positive results for the Ragon Institute, and we’re particularly proud to supply it as a teaching tool to professors within the Institute’s network. We hope that you see it as we do—as a moving testament to the power of scientific inquiry and the strength of the human spirit. At the same time, we are confident that shedding light on the Ragon Institute’s work will help bring in donations and new partnerships to tackle global health challenges, and, most importantly, attract young scientists who want to make a lasting, positive impact in the world.