Otto Arsenault of ONE at Optimus directed and edited this sobering spot which focuses on a Smartphone screen as we see texting go back and forth between teen friends, one who is driving a car rushing to get to an evening movie screening. The PSA, which had The Martin Agency working with ONE at Optimus and Optimus, is designed to encourage Virginia high school students to create their own ads for the Project Yellow Light competition in order to raise awareness of safe driving and to help save lives. The winner of Project Yellow Light receives the Hunter Garner Scholarship, which was established by Julie Garner, a VP at The Martin Agency, Richmond, Va., who lost her 16-year-old son, Hunter, in a car accident in 2007.
CreditsAgency: The Martin Agency Julie Garner, VP. (who established the Hunter Garner Scholarship) Production Company: ONE at Optimus Otto Arsenault, director/editor; John Noble, creative director/exec producer; Amanda Speva, writer; Sarah Slevin, producer; Mark Pallman, DP; Abbie Hamilton, production assistant. Audio: Optimus Joel Anderson, audio engineer.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More