In PSAs created by Arnold Worldwide, Boston, directed by Joshua Seftel of Redtree Productions, Boston, and broadcast by Comcast, viewers will get the chance to see the good being done by the young volunteers of City Year who dedicate a year to community and country as tutors, mentors and role models who transform children’s lives.
The spots feature City Year corps members–17-to-24 year-olds from diverse backgrounds–in meaningful moments that convey the powerful impact they have as young people engaged in citizen service. Each PSA carries the City Year tagline “give a year. change the world.”
The centerpiece “Anthem” spot shows the volunteers decked out in their red City Year jackets, juxtaposed with stock footage of historic figures who have been faces of positive change, including Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez and Mother Theresa. A young volunteer declares, “I am change and this is what I wear.” We see a group of youngsters in unison zip up their red City Year jackets. And then the camera shows the back of that jacket, carrying the City Year logo. The website address cityyear.org also appears.
“The more you learn about City Year, the more you are inspired by the energy, passion and optimism that shine through everything they do,” said Arnold creative director Brian Hayes. “We hope these new ads convey this and motivate more young people to get involved in the program.”
The ads will be broadcast nationwide by Comcast, a City Year corporate partner. Part of its three-year, $27 million commitment to City Year is the donation of airtime that will show the PSAs nearly 2,400 times on Comcast networks.
Seftel brought his documentary chops to the campaign, chronicling the work of City Year volunteers. The DP was Giorgio Scali.
The Arnold team included CCO Pete Favat, creative director/copywriter Hayes, creative director/art director Andi Bird, art director Chris Geraghty, copywriter Matt Kaiser, producer Chris Perry and assistant producer Reaghan Puleo.
Editor was Shondra Burke of Red Tree. Post facility was Brickyard VFX, Boston.
Visionary Filmmaker David Lynch Dies At 78
David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark and dreamlike vision in such movies as "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" and the TV series "Twin Peaks," has died just days before his 79th birthday. His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not immediately available, but Lynch had been public about his emphysema. "We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole,'" the post read. "It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way." Last summer, Lynch had revealed to Sight and Sound that he was diagnosed with emphysema and would not be leaving his home because of fears of contracting the coronavirus or "even a cold." "I've gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I'm homebound whether I like it or not," Lynch said, adding he didn't expect to make another film. "I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it," Lynch said. "I wouldn't like that so much." Lynch was a onetime painter who broke through in the 1970s with the surreal "Eraserhead" and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences, peers and critics in the following decades. His notable releases ranged from the neo-noir "Mulholland Drive" to the skewed Gothic of "Blue Velvet" to the eclectic and eccentric "Twin Peaks," which won three Golden Globes, two Emmys and even a Grammy for its theme music. "'Blue Velvet,' 'Mulholland Drive' and 'Elephant Man' defined him as a singular, visionary dreamer who directed films that felt handmade," Steven Spielberg said in a statement. Spielberg noted that he had cast Lynch as director John Ford in the 2022 film "The... Read More