Filmmaker Drake Doremus of B-Reel directed this spot which introduces us to glassophobia–anxiety over or fear of public speaking–and the lad who has it yet still has to make a speech in front of his class. Deploying his Google Nexus 7 tablet, the boy accesses great historic speeches, Colin Firth’s performance in The King’s Speech, and assorted other resources that help him feel more comfortable talking before an audience.
A brief message from mom–“if you’ve changed one mind, you’ve succeeded”–also provides inspiration as he embarks on his big day in class.
This warm, humorous tug-at-the-heartstrings piece ends with the boy delivering a rousing speech which elicits applause from his classmates, including a girl who catches his eye. This leads to his embarking on a quest to tackle another fear when his next query via tablet is, “How do I ask a girl out?”
Agency is Autofuss.
Gene Hackman’s Estate Asks Court To Block Release Of Death Investigation Records
A representative for the estate of actor Gene Hackman is seeking to block the public release of autopsy and investigative reports — especially photographs and police body-camera video — related to the recent deaths of Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa after their partially mummified bodies were discovered at their New Mexico home last month. Authorities last week announced that Hackman died at age 95 of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's disease as much as a week after a rare, rodent-borne disease — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — took the life of his 65-year-old wife. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity on Feb. 18, indicating an abnormal heart rhythm on the day he likely died. The couple's bodies weren't discovered until Feb. 26 when maintenance and security workers showed up at the Santa Fe home and alerted police — leaving a mystery for law enforcement and medical investigators to unravel. Julia Peters, a representative for the estate of Hackman and Arakawa, urged a state district court in Santa Fe to seal records in the cases to protect the family's right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — emphasizing the possibly shocking nature of photographs and video in the investigation and potential for their dissemination by media. The request, filed Tuesday, also described the couple's discrete lifestyle in Santa Fe since Hackman's retirement. The state capital city is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors. The couple "lived an exemplary private life for over thirty years in Santa Fe, New Mexico and did not showcase their lifestyle," said the petition. New Mexico's open records law blocks public access to sensitive images, including depictions of people who are... Read More