Michael Marantz directed this personal short film as a lasting message to his child (now children, because it took him a bit longer to make it than anticipated). Crafted specifically for his son Orion, the short–titled To My Child–carries relevance for a broader audience, providing hope and inspiration.
Marantz, who’s an alum of the SHOOT’s 2015 New Directors Showcase, explained his motivation for the film as coming shortly after Orion’s birth. “I think the impetus was like, Hey, how do I make something that will help him live his life if for some reason I’m not around in the future?”
Through looks back and forward, the short provides glimpses of the spectrum that life has to offer from joy to sorrow, adversity to triumph. The short offers reflections on challenges and failures–and the lessons learned from those experiences.
Credits
Production Already Alive Michael Marantz, director/executive producer; Tim Sessler, DP; Jason Oppliger, executive producer; Zach MacDonald, producer; Denis Zenchenko, Riley Price, production coordinators; Anna Remus, 1st AD; Asa Reed, Filipp Penson, Anthony Earabino, 1st ACs; Bella Yang, Pierce Pyrzenski, 2nd ACs; Jeffrey Kelsey, Riley Price, production designers; Dan Eaton, picture car coordinator; Todd Lajoie, location manager; Natalia Che, hair/makeup; Andrew Pearl, Brian Misiewicz, sound mixers Editorial J.P. Damboragian, Michael Marantz, editors; Koby Leff, assistant editor. Special Effects Ocean State Pyrotechnics John Ruggieri, SFX supervisor. Original Music Michael Marantz Audio Post Brandon Hickey, sound mix. Color Tim Sessler.
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick.
The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs.
“I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years.
Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
“There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
