Impact PSA, an L.A.-based nonprofit production company whose mission is to bring awareness to elder abuse, has released "Spilled Milk," the first PSA in its planned national campaign. Conceived by DMB&B, L.A., which also distributed the spot to L.A.-area TV stations, the :30-helmed by actress/ director Catlin Adams (Beverly Hills 90210)-focuses on the psychological and verbal abuse often inflicted by caregivers.
Set in a kitchen, the spot begins as a professional, 40ish woman arrives home from an apparently stressful day of work. As she rants to an unseen second person about traffic and other irritations, closeups show her unloading groceries and frantically peeling a potato. Then we hear the sound of glass breaking-the camera focuses on a puddle of spilled milk. The caregiver blows her top, screaming at the still-unseen milk spiller and ordering her to her room, as if punishing a child-except that the camera reveals a frail, elderly woman as the milk spiller and the victim of the abuse. The PSA closes with the tagline: "Elder Abuse. There’s Just No Excuse," and a toll-free referral hotline number follows.
The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that two million elders are abused each year in the U.S., and the California Council on Criminal Justice says one out of every 20 elderly adults will become a victim of physical, psychological or financial abuse or neglect. Bonnie Matchinga, executive producer at The House Productions, L.A., founded Impact in 1997 after she discovered an incident of elder abuse in her neighborhood. "Had I or any of the other neighbors been alert in recognizing signs of elder abuse, we may have stopped this particular incident from ending so tragically," Matchinga said. "I realized then that very little media attention had been given to this type of abuse-in contrast to that given child or spousal abuse-and that a grass-roots effort was needed to stimulate awareness. I figured that if you want to say something, advertise."
Matchinga teamed with several of her neighbors, including Adams, actress/director Melanie Mayron (thirtysomething) and Oscar-winning actress Linda Hunt to both form Impact and produce the PSA. Mayron was originally set to direct the spot, and would have had she not gone into labor the morning of the shoot. At that point, Adams took over. Hunt provided the voiceover.
Impact is supported by L.A.-area film industry creatives and companies, who donated or substantially discounted fees for the production of "Spilled Milk." The team at DMB&B included managing director Diane Krouse, chief creative director John Armistead, art director John Lee Wong, copywriter Debbie Fried, senior VP of broadcast production Steve Tobenkin and senior producer Jon Nelson. Lloyd Freidus served as DP, and Steve Swersky of Steve Swersky Editorial, Santa Monica, was editor. Ed Peters and Cesar Martinez of San Mar Studios, Hollywood, handled postproduction/online editing. Larry Lantz of Buzzy’s Recording Services, L.A., was recording engineer, and Eric Ryan of RavensWork, Venice, served as sound mixer.
Matchinga plans to produce about seven spots in the initial series, each targeting a different type of elder abuse. At press time none of the L.A. TV stations had committed to air "Spilled Milk," but DMB&B’s Krouse said she remains optimistic based on favorable response to the cause and the spot’s high production value.
-Sarah Woodward
Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. Explore Generations, Old School vs. New School, In “Poppa’s House”
Boundaries between work and family don't just blur in the new CBS sitcom "Poppa's House" starring father-and-son comedy duo Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. They shatter.
"It's wonderful to come to work every day and see him and some of his kids and my sister and my brother and nieces and nephews. They all work on this show. They all contribute," says the senior Wayans. "I don't think there are words to express how joyful I am."
Wayans plays the titular Poppa, a curmudgeonly radio DJ who's more than comfortable doing it his way, while Wayans Jr. plays his son, Damon, a budding filmmaker who's stuck in a job he hates.
"My character, Pop, is just an old school guy who's kind of stuck in his ways," says Wayans, who starred in "In Living Color" and "My Wife and Kids."
Pop yearns for the days when a handshake was a binding contract and Michael Jordan didn't complain if he got fouled on the court. Pop laughs at the younger generation's participation trophies.
"It's old school versus new school and them teaching each other lessons from both sides," says Wayans Jr., who played Coach in the Fox sitcom "New Girl."
"They (the characters) bring the best out in each other and they're resistant initially. But then throughout the episode they have revelations and these revelations help them become better people," he adds.
The two have worked together before — dad made an appearance on son's "Happy Endings" and "Happy Together," while son was a writer and guest star on dad's "My Wife and Kids." But this is the first time they have headlined a series together.
The half-hour comedy — premiering Monday and co-starring Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson — smartly leaves places in the script where father and son can let... Read More