Family Portrait: Denis

There's a human side to every call made through Skype, whether it's reaching out to a family member, friend or a business associate. Pereira & O'Dell decided to document some of these in their "Stay Together" online series of short documentaries about people who retain ties to faraway family and friends over Skype.

In this episode, we follow Denis, who moved to the United States from Uganda and left his famliy behind. He stays in contact with them through Skype and has been able to see his son grow up through the video calls. As part of the project, a virtual family portrait is taken and here we see the results.

"Everyone knows Skype as a tool to connect to your far away family every now and then, a brand that equals getting together," says Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder PJ Pereira from Pereira & O'Dell. "What we wanted to do was show it as a tool that allows consumers to stay together. Enjoying big and little moments -- frequently. That's something you do not by showing features, but by showcasing human stories that need that constant connection, like a father living far away from his son because of a war. Then, the device of the photo helps solidify the idea of staying together even more. So here you have a video… of a photo… of a video call. Sounds complicated, but it's actually the simplest thing ever."