We open on a day marked by sweltering heat as a potted plant tries to survive but seemingly to no avail as it is drying out before our eyes. Still, a vine strains as if an outstretched arm to seek relief, winding its way along a circuitous route to reach a dripping faucet.
You would think the dried out, hardened vine would try to turn the water on to drench and save itself. But instead it does the opposite, turning the faucet off to stop the drip, which in the long run will help ensure survival for plant life–and for that matter, all life.
A parting super reads, “Save Water. Save California.”
This spec PSA was written, directed and animated by Lapo Melzi who earlier this year took a 2010 AICP Show honor in the Student Commercial category for Centric’s “Black Rose,” a :30 he did at the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and TV, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, under the aegis of instructor Laura Belsey (who directs commercials via C-Entertainment, New York). In ’09, Melzi’s student work earned him inclusion in SHOOT‘s New Directors Showcase.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More