A moving PSA opens on two compelling spokespersons: Elizabeth Smart followed by Alicia Kozakiewicz, now young adults who as teens were abducted, enslaved and abused. Both survived their harrowing ordeals and today are leading advocates for the protection of children against predators.
Smart notes, “We know where hundreds of thousands of child predators are.”
A map of the continental United States comes front and center, filled with red dots. “Each red dot on this map,” continues Smart, “shows exactly where predators are, where they are trafficking images of children.”
Kozakiewicz points out these are “children being tortured and abused. These dots lead right to the doorstep of a child waiting to be rescued.”
“I was one of those children,” affirms Smart.
“I am one of these children,” says Kozakiewicz.
According to PROTECT, a political lobbying and educational organization addressing child abuse, child pornography cases frequently result in the identification of child crime victims. Estimates are that anywhere from 55 to 80 percent of child porn possessors are hands-on offenders. Tracking and investigating those computers distributing and receiving graphic child sexual and physical abuse images online leads to the arrest of offenders and the rescue of victims. Yet less than two percent of these Internet cases are investigated.
In the PSA, Kozakiewicz goes on to observe that children are often referred to as being “priceless.”
Smart then notes that “‘priceless’ is just another way of saying that we will not allocate any money to protect them. All we need are the resources and the political resolve to act yet Congress refuses to dedicate funding to save children like us who wait for a rescue that might never come.”
“If it can happen to me, it can happen to your children,” cautions Kozakiewicz.
They note that child pornography is the fastest growing crime and urge viewers to log onto NotOneMoreChild.org to see the map and learn how to help through lobbying President Obama and the 50 U.S. governors to declare a state of emergency on the issue. Smart concludes, “There’s an abused and frightened child waiting for you to help.”
Emergency action needed
This PSA–which debuted today (11/10) on Good Morning America (for which Smart serves as a child abduction expert/missing persons correspondent and commentator)–is a key component of an initiative to call for a state of emergency on the issue. Backing the initiative is a coalition of organizations, including the National Association to Protect Children & PROTECT, The Alicia Project, Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Joyful Child Foundation, Keep Georgia Safe, radKIDS, and the Surviving Parents Coalition.
Camille Cooper, director of legislative affairs for PROTECT, hopes that raising public awareness will result in the declaration of a formal state of emergency. She noted that because of budget shortfalls, Congress and state legislatures won’t act, meaning that emergency action by Obama and governors throughout the country is the only hope for children being victimized. Using new Internet technologies, U.S. authorities have located untold thousands of children who are suffering in the hands of child predators. But federal and state governments refuse to authorize the funding to send first responders to rescue them from abuse, sexual exploitation and even torture.
Pro bono effort
The PSA was directed by veteran industry creative Len Fink and produced by Paydirt, the Beverly Hills-based production house under the aegis of executive producers Jonathon Ker and Jeremy Barrett.
PROTECT’s Cooper connected with Paydirt through its exec producer and her long-time friend Lanette Phillips who has since moved on to work independently. EPs Phillips, Ker and Barrett assembled a pro bono creative, production and post team to bring the PSA to fruition.
Ker brought Fink onto the project; the two have a long track record, which includes their having been partnered at hybrid agency/production shop Amoeba. Fink’s pedigree includes having served as part of the Creative Arts Agency (CAA) team which turned out the Coca-Cola “Always” campaign, which included the lauded “Polar Bears” spot.
Paydirt raised some money, assumed some out-of-pocket costs and called in some favors to get the Smart/Kozakiewicz PSA made. “No slouches worked on this production,” said Cooper. “They put together an amazing crew who showed up on a Saturday and dedicated an entire shoot day pro bono.”
Plans call for the PSA to also air on CNN and then elsewhere via coordination with the Ad Council. The PSA is additionally gaining exposure online, including on the NotOneMoreChild website.
Fink’s support team on the PSA, in addition to the aforementioned Paydirt EPs, included producer Melinda Nugent, 2nd unit director Montana Mann, 1st a.d. Dean Peratsakis and production supervisor David Gielicz. Giorgio Scali was the DP.
Editor was Keith Salmon of Butcher, with Rob Van serving as post EP, Graphics were done by Psyop with Lexi Stearn as EP and Minh Ly as graphic artist. Flame/online artist was Gismo of Animals West, with Cindy Chapman the EP. Providing music were Scott Hackwith and Hector Espinosa of Slogan Music. Finishing was done at Union Editorial.
Not 1 More Child from PROTECT on Vimeo.
