By ROBERT GOLDRICH
AKIN TO WHAT SHOOT would like to accomplish via The Best Work You May Never See, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) also seeks to gain industry exposure for worthwhile creative work that might otherwise be relegated to obscurity. For ATAS, the means to that end is its annual Ribbon of Hope award for the years most effective AIDS-awareness PSA.
Fittingly, the ATAS honor was bestowed earlier this month (3/13) upon the Northwest AIDS Foundations Horn Away, a PSA which was first recognized in the debut installment of The Best Work You May Never See (SHOOT, 1/9/98, p. 15).
Directed by Russell Bates of bicoastal X-Ray Productions for the then CF2GS ad agency (now Bates Worldwide) in Seattle, Horn Away runs counter to the scare tactics or preachy approach that underscore many AIDS-prevention messages. The pro bono :30 plays like an intentionally kitsch Veg-a-matic-type commercial which peddles the fictitious Anti-Horny patch. The amazing new product dulls sexual cravings much like a nicotine patch weans smokers off cigarettes. For example, rather than fixating on feminine hard-bodies around a swimming pool, a young manawearing his Anti-Horny patchais seen instead paying attention to the beautiful blue sky. The spot then abruptly cuts to a condom-dispensing machine as a sign-off voiceover asserts: Dont be fooled by gimmicks … carry a condom.
CF2GS conducted a series of mind-and-mood group interviews with more than 200 teenagers of various racial and socio-economic backgrounds. The research concluded that: Teenagers are aware of the importance of safe sex and understand the need to protect themselves; they dislike the lecturing tone of many safe-sex messages; and humor evoked the strongest positive reaction from the groups and helped encourage open, lively discussion of the subject matter.
The agency team included creative director Mary Knight, writer Andy Kivistik, art director Troy Nebeker and producer Jennifer Allen. Johnna Turiano of Slice Editorial, Seattle, cut the spot. Martin Lund from Admusic, Santa Monica, composed original music, while Mike McAuliffe of Seattle-based Bad Animals was the sound designer.
During their relatively brief existence, both The Best Work You May Never See and the Ribbon of Hope competition have uncovered a broad range of spotmaking. Last years Ribbon of Hope winner, for instance, employed a far more serious, straightforward creative approach. Bedroomadirected by Peter Cohen via Streetsmart Productions for Streetsmart Advertising, New Yorkafeatures a man in the advanced stages of full-blown AIDS struggling to get out of bed, using seemingly every ounce of strength he can muster to complete a task most of us take for granted. His body riddled with sores, he sits up and grabs a cane to begin walking across a hardwood floor. The screen then goes black. Supered across it in stark white letters is the observation: And you think its hard to get out of bed to get a condom.
Unfortunately, though 180 degrees apart in terms of creative tact, Bedroom and Horn Away share a common bond. They suffer from pro bonos seemingly inherent curse, the lack of significant media time. Though ATAS deserves praise for its Ribbon of Hope endeavor, and while SHOOT is justifiably proud of The Best Work You May Never See, Horn Away and Bedroom deserve far more widespread public exposure and recognition than an award competition and the trade press can offer.
“Memoir of a Snail” Takes Top Prize At London Film Festival
The Official Competition jury said: “Our jury was incredibly moved by Adam Elliot’s Memoir of a Snail, which is a singular achievement in filmmaking. Emotionally resonant and constantly surprising, Memoir tackles pertinent issues such as bullying, loneliness and grief head-on, creating a crucial and universal dialogue in a way that only animation can. The jury is delighted to recognize an animated film alongside its live-action peers.”
Rounding out the winners of this year’s films screening In Competition are:
- Winner of the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition – On Falling (Dir. Laura Carreira)
- Winner of the Grierson Award in the Documentary Competition – Mother Vera (Dirs. Cécile Embleton, Alys Tomlinson)
- Winner of the Short Film Award in the Short Film Competition – Vibrations from Gaza (Dir. Rehab Nazzal)