In a new spot for The Times, the newspaper’s mission of cutting through the noise becomes literal in a series of news-worthy moments courtesy of STALKR.

“Heart of the Story” showcases memorable and personal vignettes from news stories across the globe, whether it’s a presidential rally, a race, or a SWAT raid, all reduced to one element of sound amidst the cacophonous chaos.

Our creative team reacted in real-time, as we researched through editorial archives, documentary films, sports federations, independent filmmakers and cultural organizations to find footage that met the current events-based brief. Given the juxtaposition of the visuals and the audio, it was impossible to know what would work for the script until we reached the editing phase, which provided a unique challenge and gave an experimental feel to the whole process.

In many ways, STALKR’s involvement mirrored the overall mission of The Times: to hone in on the heart of what is meaningful about the story and let those elements shine. We sought to uncover footage that had a magical component that could allow it to work beyond just the news story to create the lasting impact found in the spot.

Watch above, and find The Times here.