Tech exec Stephany Zamora sat transfixed as she watched events unfold at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Troubled by how misinformation has fueled the country’s growing polarization, she woke up the next morning committed to do something. Even though she had never before produced a film, she decided to recruit a team and produce a documentary that explores what has caused people’s trust in the media to wane and whether that trust can be restored. 

In Trustworthy, producers spent 23 days during the pandemic journeying across the country to speak with journalists, experts and everyday Americans to discover what brought the country to this moment. Among those interviewed included Paula Madison, former executive producer and journalist, executive producer Mimi Geller, journalist Arthel Neville and more. 

Los Angeles-based creative agency Vivid Zero, led by Michael Vamosy, teamed up with the filmmakers to enhance the film’s visual storytelling elements. The Vivid Zero team imagined the more than 180 deliverables as a visual roadmap that included the film’s main title, infographics, archival film clips, locators and more. 

The main title, which was integrated into the body for the film, was intended to represent the hundreds of people across the country whom the filmmakers interviewed, and how they all came together to tell this wonderful story. The main title starts with Allen Media Group’s Byron Allen saying, “That’s our great democracy. Everyone should be heard.” It then zooms out to capture hundreds of similar headshots, overlaid with graphics representing the American flag. 

Locators situated viewers in the film, with the names of each city displayed in large all-caps sans serif font, overlaying video captured at that location. The film visits such sites as Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami. 

Within the film, charts, graphs and other infographics inform the story and help shape viewers’ understanding of the subject matter. Vivid Zero also framed up archival news clippings and photography to connect them to the film’s overall graphic story. 

Creative advertising agency Lussier, also based in Los Angeles, cut the trailer, which was edited by Jason Pachomski. 

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