Past installments of this column have expressed how gratified we feel when projects recognized in SHOOT–particularly in “The Best Work You May Never See” gallery–go on to gain widespread exposure and acclaim.
But such gratification was taken to another level, going outside our “Best Work” coverage, with a piece we did in the summer of 2003. Titled “Work In Progress,” the story was published in SHOOT in the hope that it would help a worthwhile project become a reality–and now it has.
The project we wrote about was an initiative–consisting of two public service campaigns–designed to raise awareness among young people about the Holocaust. Arnold Worldwide, Boston, and Michael Franzini, then of Public Interest Productions (backed by bicoastal/international @radical.media), were seeking financial support for the project and had put together a pitch book containing storyboards and conceptual strategies.
Their presentation was most impressive and the creative premises compelling. We checked on the progress–or more accurately, the lack thereof–during the ensuing months. But eventually it didn’t seem worth keeping tabs on the initiative anymore in that it appeared to have fallen by the wayside.
However, Franzini was persistent, finally lining up sponsorship and recently directing one of the proposed campaigns on location in Prague with production support from Stillking.
The two spots just debuted on MTV (both on air and online) and are covered in a separate news story in this week’s issue. The campaign is work to be proud of–and Franzini gave SHOOT an extra measure of pride by crediting our initial story with helping to get the project off the ground.
“That coverage legitimized what we were doing,” he said. “It took a long time for us to get the sponsorship we needed but your article meant we didn’t have to start from square one. People read the piece and it made the project seem real to them. It meant a lot as we were pitching for support.”
SHOOT is honored to have had a small hand in bringing this campaign about in that the cause is so important. Franzini and Arnold embarked on the work in light of research findings showing that a large percentage of young Americans don’t even know what the Holocaust was, much less its place in history and its relevance to their lives today.
“We knew this was a vital message that we had to get out so that teenagers would understand the significance of the Holocaust and the lessons we must learn from it,” related Franzini who has formally embarked on a directorial career and is seeking a spot shop roost. “The Arnold team and I were very much inspired creatively by a visit we made in 2003 to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.”
Roger Baldacci, one of the campaign writers, who is an executive VP/creative director at Arnold, said that the campaign’s significance and relevance remain intact despite the long waiting period to get it made. “The creative has stood the test of time,” he assessed. “But more importantly, you could argue that the campaign is even more relevant today given what’s going on in the world.”
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More