The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) and Tampa Bay-based creative video agency Diamond View turn the spotlight on the youngest of pediatric cancer warriors in this heartfelt brand film โHopes and Dreamsโ.
Directed by Diamond Viewโs Vanessa Diaz, the three-and-a-half minute public service film interviews superstars Eli (6), Ever (8) and Audrey (10)–now cancer survivors–on their difficult childhood cancer experiences and other lasting effects from harsh treatments; procedures that Dr. Trisha Larkin, whoโs featured in the film, points out were tried and tested for adults, rather than the fragile bodies of infants and children.
Diaz cultivated a supportive set environment where each child could openly share their cancer stories. They delivered frank, surprisingly deep responsesโlike Eli, who described his brain cancer as โsomething youโre not supposed to have in your headโ and pointed to the spot on his scalp where surgeons removed his tumor. Audrey, who was diagnosed with stage 3 liver cancer at just five months old, described the lasting effects she faces today, including GI tract issues and substantial hearing loss unfortunately caused by the chemotherapy treatment that saved her life.
โThe way that a lot of the medications and therapies weโre using currently have been developed are really for adult cancers,โ stated Dr. Larkin. โSo weโre also constantly looking at ways to reduce the toxicities of the treatments weโre giving.โ Dr. Larkin is an investigator for the Sunshine Project Consortium, which heads research for such treatments. She was treated for pediatric leukemia at age three.
CreditsClient National Pediatric Cancer Foundation Shelby Gehrdes, Anna Ranges, Dawn Zachman. Production Company Diamond View Vanessa Diaz, director; Susan Mulvey, exec producer; Victoria Pezzella, producer; Lucy DiVilio, production coordinator; Alex Segovia, DP; Sam Gutman, project manager; Kayla Gremer, editor; Alec Pieper, colorist. Audio Julie Deichman, sound mixer.
The Best Work You May Never See: Director Dan French, Elemental Go By The Numbers For Meridian Bank
For North American bank Meridian and Toronto-based ad agency Elemental, Dan French directed this spot depicting a dystopian world populated by nameless folk. Itโs a society in which thereโs no personalized identity. Rather people are referred to by their account numbers, making the commercial--titled โWorld of Numbersโ--a metaphor for the impersonal treatment some larger banks give their customers. By contrast, thereโs a human-based, community-centric spirit provided by regional bank Meridian.
Produced by Impossible Studios, Toronto, in collaboration with Elemental, French (whoโs repped by Stink Films in the U.S. and U.K.) sought to build a highly crafted and stylized world with depth. Through intricate set builds and choreographed cinematography, he constructed a narrative to transmit the somber energy behind a nameless society. Casting was a fun but rigorous task. French and his team set out to find a diverse group of people to accurately represent todayโs public, while also collectively portraying a lack of identity and sense of confusion. Weโre confronted with a series of familiar scenarios that are thrown off by the โworld of numbers.โ
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