A choir of clean-cut youngsters stands on a tiny high school auditorium stage, flanked by a U.S. flag and an accompanist at an upright piano. This slice of Americana would do Norman Rockwell proud. A cross-section of our country’s youth—boys and girls from different ethnic backgrounds—begins what promises to be a stirring rendition of "My Country ‘Tis of Thee."
What’s poignantly stirred, however, are thoughts and reflections about equal rights and justice. While the tune is familiar, the lyrics are another matter. To the tune of "My Country ‘Tis of Thee / Sweet Land of Liberty," we hear:
"This country’s equal rights
Change if your skin’s not white
Or you’re ethnic.
If you’re from foreign lands,
You’re not American
Or even if you seem too tan,
You look suspicious."
The camera pulls back to show the adults in the front rows of the audience. They sit silently staring at the stage; there is no applause. Against this tableau, a two-part supered message appears: "If equal rights are important to you," / "Rock The Vote." At the bottom of the screen, we see the nonprofit organization’s Web site address (www.rockthevote.org).
Titled "High School Chorus," this is one of three spots in a public service campaign directed and shot by Joe Pytka of Venice, Calif.-based PYTKA. The campaign is the first work to come out of the recently formed Rock The Vote Action Group, a pro bono coalition spearheaded by Los Angeles-based Squeak Pictures. Several months ago, Squeak and Rock The Vote entered into a long-term production partnership (see separate story, p. 1). Squeak founder Pam Tarr then organized the Action Group, bringing several diverse entities into the fold, including TBWA/Chiat/Day, to help create the PSAs as well as future longform endeavors.
Tarr and TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, gravitated towards Pytka as the ideal director for the PSAs. According to Tarr, Pytka contributed generously to the campaign creatively, visually, emotionally and financially. The other two PSAs—"Campfire" and "Classroom"—address the issues of freedom of speech and the environment, respectively. "Campfire" offers alternate lyrics for "Oh, Beautiful," another ode to America, while "Classroom" provides an variation on our Pledge of Allegiance.
At press time, the spots were slated to begin airing on select cable networks and local stations. The first high-profile exposure, though, came for "High School Chorus," which aired last month as part of an ABC Nightline segment exploring the delicate balance between heightened homeland security and civil liberties.
For "High School Chorus," the creative team from TBWA/Chiat/Day, San Francisco, consisted of executive creative director Chuck McBride, creative director/writer Rob Smiley (who has since left the agency), art director/writer Eric King and executive producer Jennifer Golub.
The campaign was produced by PYTKA and Squeak Pictures. Tarr was creative executive producer; PYTKA’s Tara Fitzpatrick was exec producer, with Karen Chen line producing. Pytka lensed "High School Chorus" on location at Eagle Rock Women’s Club, Eagle Rock, Calif.
Freelancer John Norvet edited "High School Chorus," with Andy Lee serving as assistant editor. Colorist was Mike Pethel of Company 3, Santa Monica. Denise Brown was telecine producer. Online editing was done by Company 3’s Libor Zednicek, with Christine Carr producing. Audio mixer was Eric Garcia of 48 Windows, Santa Monica.
