Jasper Gray of Futuristic Films directed this PSA for ad agency TDA_Boulder which opens on model rocket materials laid out across a table. As the spot progresses, the gentle, soothing voice of a man can be heard discussing how much he enjoys sharing the hobby with a young person.
Moments later, the camera jumps back, showing that the table is clearly within a prison environment–and the speaker, whose face is distorted by pixelation, is sitting behind it in a jumpsuit. He tells viewers, “It’s not easy to identify a pedophile. You just spent 20 seconds with one.”
A female voiceover intervenes, relating that to learn more about how to protect your children from sexual abuse, visit blueskybridge.com. Blue Sky Bridge is the only victim assistance agency in Boulder County, Colorado, that provides forensic services to children for whom abuse or neglect is reported, as well as counseling and other support services for non-offending family members.
The organization notes that child abuse remains a serious problem in Boulder County and throughout the state of Colorado. Research indicates that as many as 1 of every 4 girls and 1 of every 6 boys are sexually abused before age 18. In Boulder County, it is estimated that two new children are sexually abused every day.
Creation of the spot took about a year, and required assistance by Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett and cooperation from the Colorado Department of Corrections. Correctional staff helped identify potential offenders to appear in the spot, who were interviewed to determine suitability. TDA_Boulder filmed the ad during a single day at the correctional facility in Cañon City where the offender is housed. Assisting on the spot were agency producer Alli Gerrish and account executive Stephanie Hearon.
The ad is airing now on cable television through Comcast Colorado, after which it will be rolled out to other interested child advocacy centers around the state and across the country.
Netflix Series “The Leopard” Spots Classic Italian Novel, Remakes It As A Sumptuous Period Drama
"The Leopard," a new Netflix series, takes the classic Italian novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and transforms it into a sumptuous period piece showing the struggles of the aristocracy in 19th-century Sicily, during tumultuous social upheavals as their way of life is crumbling around them.
Tom Shankland, who directs four of the eight episodes, had the courage to attempt his own version of what is one of the most popular films in Italian history. The 1963 movie "The Leopard," directed by Luchino Visconti, starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or in Cannes.
One Italian critic said that it would be the equivalent of a director in the United States taking "Gone with the Wind" and turning it into a series, but Shankland wasn't the least bit intimidated.
He said that he didn't think of anything other than his own passion for the project, which grew out of his love of the book. His father was a university professor of Italian literature in England, and as a child, he loved the book and traveling to Sicily with his family.
The book tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, a tall, handsome, wealthy aristocrat who owns palaces and land across Sicily.
His comfortable world is shaken with the invasion of Sicily in 1860 by Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was to overthrow the Bourbon king in Naples and bring about the Unification of Italy.
The prince's family leads an opulent life in their magnificent palaces with servants and peasants kowtowing to their every need. They spend their time at opulent banquets and lavish balls with their fellow aristocrats.
Shankland has made the series into a visual feast with tables heaped with food, elaborate gardens and sensuous costumes.... Read More