Dirty dishes, neglected yard work, unpaid bills. A man and a woman sitting on the couch, mesmerized by whatever they’re watching on TV as an unseen baby cries in the background.
A voiceover explains, “Each year, millions of HBO subscribers allow their favorite shows to prevent them from leading responsible and healthy lives.”
The camera then takes us on a succession of case studies to prove that assertion. The first is Mr. and Mrs. Johnson who refuse to answer their phone while watching HBO. We hear the caller on the answering machine. “Mom, dad–come on pick up. I know you’re there. Pick up.”
We then see who the caller is–a teenager–and where he’s calling from, a police station/jailhouse pay phone. A voiceover says of the police, “I’m sure they’ll let Tommy make another phone call tomorrow.”
Next we’re taken to another HBO household, where Jennifer and her friends are watching TV. Jennifer likes it quiet while her favorite show is on. A male guest makes the mistake of coughing during the show, prompting Jennifer to explode. “Get the hell out of my house, Bill.” A voiceover notes, “These days most of her friends seem to prefer watching from home.”
Then there’s wheelchair-bound Mrs. Bernstein who’s caught in an escalator track trying to get to the upstairs of her house. She calls out for help. Unfortunately her son in the next room is oblivious, his eyes transfixed on an HBO show.
Next, we see Michael driving a car, with the passenger being his wife Alice. They’re returning home from a relaxing dinner. Maybe not so relaxing as Michael is driving recklessly through traffic, nearly causing an accident. Alice understandably appears nervous. Just when you think she’s going to admonish her husband, she instead blurts out, “Hurry up, we’re going to miss it.” Clearly the “it” is an HBO program.
And finally, we see a slice of Americana–a father pushing a bicycle on which his young daughter is seated. “Don’t let me go,” urges the helmet-wearing girl. However, they pass a house in which an HBO show is being watched. The dad stops in his tracks to peer through the window as his terrified daughter is left solo on the bike, pedaling down the sidewalk.
A concluding voiceover relates, “At the end of a long day, who doesn’t like to kick back with some HBO and take the edge off a little. It’s only when it begins to affect the rest of your life that it becomes a problem.”
A supered end tag reads, “HBO. Please watch responsibly.”
Michael Downing of harvest, Santa Monica, directed this one-minute-and-39-second promo for HBO’s in-house agency. The HBO creative ensemble consisted of creative director Karen Sands, VP of brand image Marc Rosenberg, senior line producer Louis Tancredi, and writer/producer Daniel Zibulsky.
Bonnie Goldfarb and Scott Howard executive produced for harvest, with Francie Moore serving as producer. The DP was John Schwartzman. Editor was Jim Hutchins of HutchCo, Los Angeles.
Oscar Nominees Delve Into The Art Of Editing At ACE Session
You couldn’t miss Sean Baker at this past Sunday’s Oscar ceremony where he won for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Editing on the strength of Anora. However, earlier that weekend he was in transit from the Cesar Awards in Paris and thus couldn’t attend the American Cinema Editors (ACE) 25th annual panel of Academy Award-nominated film editors held at the Regal LA Live Auditorium on Saturday (3/1) in Los Angeles. While the eventual Oscar winner in the editing category was missed by those who turned out for the ACE “Invisible Art, Visible Artists” session, three of Baker’s fellow nominees were on hand--Dávid Jancsó, HSE for The Brutalist; Nick Emerson for Conclave; and Myron Kerstein, ACE for Wicked. Additionally, Juliette Welfling, who couldn’t appear in person due to the Cesar Awards, was present via an earlier recorded video interview to discuss her work on Emilia Pérez. The interview was conducted by ACE president and editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE who also moderated the live panel discussion. Kerstein said that he was the beneficiary of brilliant and generous collaborators, citing, among others, director Jon M. Chu, cinematographer Alice Brooks, and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. The editor added it always helps to have stellar acting performances, noting that hearing Cynthia Erivo, for example, sing live was a revelation. Kerstein recalled meeting Chu some eight years ago on a “blind Skype date” and it was an instant “bromance”--which began on Crazy Rich Asians, and then continued on such projects as the streaming series Home Before Dark and the feature In The Heights. Kerstein observed that Chu is expert in providing collaborators with... Read More