Production of vaccination videos in India: learnings from a science-art partnership

BACKGROUND: Cross-cultural communication, often conceptualized along culture and language dimensions, is an important issue for collaborative teams that include both scientists and artists. Such teams must balance the standardization needs of rigorous scientific methods, on the one hand, with openness for artistic creativity, on the other. The scientific literature does not provide clear guidance on how to structure such collaborations. DISCUSSION: We created eight videos manipulating the type of appeal, message tone, and gender of the vaccine promoter in a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. The four stages of the filmmaking process were 1) conceptualizing filmmaking and script writing through a scientific lens, 2) pilot testing and finalizing the script, 3) video production and editing, and 4) dissemination. We describe the process and learnings from a collaboration that included filmmakers, researchers, and vaccine experts from India and the United States in producing, disseminating, and evaluating videos that promoted vaccine uptake in Odisha, India. CONCLUSIONS: When projects require close collaborations between scientists and artists, committing to a unified vision is essential for facilitating open, bidirectional communication and building trust between the partners. Clearly denoting research boundaries ensures that the scientific needs of the project are met while simultaneously welcoming space for the filmmakers’ creativity, fostering a sense of ownership, and enhancing the final product. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-023-15607-w.