Justyna Obasi of production house Love Song directed this commercial titled “Wisdom & Obi,” part of Expedia’s new “Never Give Up On Going” campaign.
Following a father and young son, the spot match-cuts the child’s hands running over a common beige carpet as he imagines the feeling of sand on the sunny beaches of Jamaica, his father’s childhood home. Inspired to show his son the place where he grew up, the boy’s father utilizes Expedia to make this goal a reality. The spot ends with the family in Jamaica creating new memories, experiencing what, before that moment, had only been a dream.
The film strikes a personal note for Obasi, an alum of SHOOT’s 2020 New Directors Showcase, who shared, “It took me back almost 30 years ago when my mother decided to finally show me Nigeria. This is me; this is a familiar feeling.” Leading with empathy, the camera follows the characters as they grow, move through the story, and reveal more about themselves. Obasi speaks to the need for “Wisdom & Obi” to unfold organically, adding. “If we are not authentic enough, then we risk a cliché. These characters are not clichés.”
Credits
Client Expedia Group Hector Muelas, SVP global creative; Michele Rousseau, SVP global brands; Kevin Tenglin, Luke Harris, executive creative directors; Michael McCommon, creative director; Bruno Barbieri, Diogo de Souza Valim, associate creative directors; Perrin Rausch, head of integrated production; Lindsey Wood, executive producer; Kara Fromhart, sr. producer; Lauren Bautista, associate producer. Production Love Song Justyna Obasi, director; Kelly Bayett, managing partner/exec producer; Daniel Wolfe, partner/exec producer; Deannie O’Neil, exec producer; Nicole Powell, producer. Editorial Exile Edit Sound Barking Owl Kelly Bayett, creative director/co-founder; Gus Koven, sound designer; AJ Murillo, mixer; Beau Manning, assistant mixer; KC Dossett, producer. Music "Ballerina" by Yehezkel Raz Color/Finish Trafik Mark Gethin, colorist; Nate Seymour, assistant colorist; Greer Bastiche, color producer; Megan Lang Bice, color exec producer; Benji Davidson, VFX supervisor/sr. Flame artist; Jacob Goldberg, Markis Lazarre, Flame artists; Charlotte Preuss, finish producer; Karena Ajamian, finish exec producer.
Filmmaker Natalie Johns Creates Spec Gun Violence Prevention PSA
Her social media feed is filled with frustration and “prayers” for families torn apart by yet another mass shooting as filmmaker Natalie Johns is engaged in the morning ritual of negotiating school attendance with her 4½-year-old. Between laughing and arguing with their daughter, the Johns think deeply about the prospect of waking up without her--deeply enough to feel an inch of what it might be like to lose her--a feeling profound enough inspire her most personal commitment to date as a filmmaker.
“Gun violence should not be a normalized part of life in America,” she noted. “I felt it was worth putting my whole heart on the line to deliver this message.”
The director invited her long-time collaborator and cinematographer, Bill Kirstein (Mean Girls, Happyend), to capture their family’s experience over several mornings in a spec PSA. She wanted to capture her own joy and truth as a parent with a view to inspiring action from the deepest love she has known.
On the third day of filming, Johns received an email from their daughter’s preschool notifying parents of a lockdown that had occurred due to a gunman outside the school. The children, aged 2-5, were gathered in a small bathroom for an hour, singing songs with their teachers while the man was apprehended by law enforcement. This was the family’s first narrow escape from tragedy.
“The coincidence of filming this PSA and experiencing my family’s first lockdown was both shocking and surreal. I simply could not wrap my head around it,” said director Johns.
Even more terrifying for Johns was discussing the incident with other parents who had already experienced several lockdowns with their older children. This reality is all too common and far too... Read More