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    Ed McCulloch directs IAVA’s “You Are Not Alone”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1280 Views

    Ed McCulloch of Holiday Films directed this PSA for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) out of agency GumCo which shows a soldier under fire in the throes of combat. He is separated from his unit and seemingly all alone. He sits slumped over on the ground, holding a gun–a scene which transitions to him in the same posture but as a civilian, seated on the kitchen floor in the throes of depression, with a firearm in hand.

    Consecutive supers read, “You Are Not Alone”/”Call for Backup,” followed by a toll-free phone number and the IAVA logo.

    Reports released by The U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs are claiming 22 suicides per day in the U.S. with as many as 15 times that amount of attempts. Obviously this is a crisis situation that needs some attention.

    McCulloch, who has family and friends who have served in the military, said, “I hope it will bring about an understanding of what our servicemen and women go through for our country. Not just on the battlefield but the battle that continues to rage on in their mind long after they come home; that they can be helped and their lives can get better. They may never completely heal but they should be able to live happy and productive lives after their service.” 

    IAVA will be running the PSA on select programming as well as on its website (iava.org).

    Credits

    Client Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Agency GumCo, Salt Lake City, Calif. Steve Driggs, creative director; Garrett Martin, writer; Phil Smallwood, art director. Production Holiday Films, Toronto Ed McCulloch, director; Paul Meyers, DP; Derek Sewell, Josefina Nadurata, Steve Wi, exec producers; Marybeth Mazzone, line producer. Editorial Saints Editorial Mark Paiva, editor. Post Alter Ego, Toronto Wade Odlum, colorist; Cheyenne Bloomfield, postproduction producer; Andres Kirejew, Darren Achim, Eileen Peng, Eric Perrella, Michelle Demelo, VFX. Sound Design SNDWRx Didier Tovel, Slater Groves, sound design. Wardrobe/Hair/Makeup Lisa Thomas

    Media Type:Commerical: PSA
    ScreenWork Categories:Commercial
    Video Tags:Holiday Films



    Director Ezra Hurwitz, Artistic Director Francesca Harper Team On Short Film “Echoes of Ailey”

    Tuesday, January 7, 2025

    Dancer turned director Ezra Hurwitz collaborates with Ailey II artistic director Francesca Harper, featuring movement as museum pieces against the Whitney Museum of American Art’s striking architecture for this short film titled Echoes of Ailey. Commissioned to celebrate “Edges of Ailey” at the Whitney Museum, the film accompanies the first large-scale exhibition on the life and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. “Edges of Ailey” is currently on view at the Whitney until February 9.

    Animating iconic images from Alvin Ailey’s 20th-century repertory, the film expands on the exhibition by constructing a visual narrative around his storytelling and influences. Set to Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School capture the emotional core of the company’s history--physically situating Ailey’s masterworks amongst the Whitney’s collection.

    “As a child, my grandmother took me to Ailey’s Revelations once a year,” said Hurwitz. “No matter how often I saw it, the work captivated me. There isn’t one specific thing I hope viewers take away from the film--or one way to interpret its images. It’s meant to be an abstract work, like Ailey’s creations.”

    Turning to his archive, Hurwitz and Harper illuminate key sequences symbolic of Ailey’s profound legacy, closing on an uninterrupted sequence from "I’ve Been Buked," the opening movement of Ailey’s legendary "Revelations." Carrying a watershed moment back to its own medium, Echoes of Ailey captures the multigenerational impact of Ailey’s work, continued by his organization. The short film first premiered on Nowness.

    Hurwitz is... Read More

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