This captivating, moving spot is hard to watch, a delicate balance that underscores the filmmaking challenge successfully met by Gary McKendry who directed the PSA via boutique production house Blinder in Dublin, Ireland, for Dublin-based agency The Hive.
The :30 shows us the life of a young boy who has to endure an alcoholic father and physical abuse, witness the physical, emotional and mental abuse of his mother, as well as see an older brother who hangs with the wrong crowd, enters a life of crime and ends up dead. All these tragic chapters, though, unfold through the young child’s eyes, a POV that at times appears strangely lyrical and which is accompanied by a song that is the hopeful antithesis of what is being experienced. There are scenes of drug dealing and abuse, as well as vandalism, which includes spray painting of a public place and the firebombing of a car.
At the end, as we see the lad look up at us, a supered message simply reads, “We are what we remember. Help children make good memories,” followed by the logo and website address (www.barnardos.le) for Barnardos, a children’s charity that offers kids and their families the chance for a better life through educational and support services, and counseling.
McKendry described the scenes in the PSA–at time brief moments, expertly pieced together by editor Juniper Calder of Screen Scene, Dublin–as “the unvarnished truth” of what many at-risk youngsters face in Ireland. Many of the scenes are real-life instances captured by DP Simon Walsh in depressed, impoverished areas of Dublin. Footage was shot using the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera, a hybrid model that shoots still work and video.
“The camera was so small that it allowed us to get in and out of areas quickly and unobtrusively,” said McKendry. “I don’t think we could have captured the realistic footage and done this spot without this camera.”
Sense of urgency McKendry’s “unvarnished truth” was the necessary means to an end. The director explained that with the economic recession, charitable contributions are hard to come by, particularly during the upcoming holiday season on which Barnardos has perennially been so reliant.
Thus The Hive and Barnardos felt a sense of urgency and the need to make a big push leading up to Christmas. “They decided to hit the buttons harder than they would in most years,” said McKendry. “The hope is that the truth of the conditions here for so many kids would help to cut through the economic malaise and get people to reach into their pockets and donate money.”
The spot has appeared both on television and in cinemas throughout Ireland. The latter venue had the PSA shown prior to screenings of the Disney/Pixar movie Up before audiences of parents and their kids. “This audience–people who have and love their own children–is very important to fundraising for Barnardos,” related McKendry. “We thought the spot would show these parents that even though the economy is bad in Ireland, they are still pretty lucky because they have loving families and kids who are enjoying their childhood. We wanted to inspire them to be grateful for their families and to donate to help others who aren’t nearly as fortunate.”
Collaborators
McKendry credited The Hive, including agency creative Adam Craine and producer Margaret Livingstone, for breathing life into the PSA, which is titled “Memories.” Beyond their creative/conceptual contributions, The Hive, continued McKendry, sought out an unpublished songwriter James McMorrow, who was singing at a local bar. McMorrow’s music and vocals are the haunting soundtrack for the spot.
Helen Hayden produced for Blinder.
Editor Calder’s colleagues at Screen Scene included colorist Gary Curran and Flame artist Allen Sillery.
U.S. resident McKendry, who recently joined Aero Film, Santa Monica for stateside spot representation, is a native of Ireland. He returned to his homeland to take on this PSA. This isn’t the first time he’s gravitated to Ireland for worthwhile work. He did so several years ago to direct Everything In This Country Must, a short set in Northern Ireland. The film received an Academy Award nomination in the live-action short film category in ’05.
