Faced with extreme education cuts on the horizon, three Las Vegas dads and filmmakers decided to create the ‘Concerned Dad Collective‘ – a group of fathers committed to providing their children with quality education. The dads, who also happen to own Las Vegas-based production company oogoog productions, took matters into their own hands and self-funded three public service announcements in an effort to get Nevada’s governor to reconsider his position on education cuts. nnAll three spots, which depict children partaking in questionable or illegal behavior, have definitely ruffled some feathers in Las Vegas. When asked about the sensibility of the spots, director Wolfgang Muchow said, ‘If people are offended because a girl is standing near a stripper pole, or because a kid steals a Bentley, or because a little boy breaks into a house, I say you know what? If you’re offended by this, then you should be outraged at what is happening to education in Nevada and across America. If we choose not to fund education these scenarios can easily become reality.’nn
Future Ballerina from Concerned Dad Collective on Vimeo. This is a public service announcement about the possible negative, long-term, ramifications of cuts to education funding. nnThe Las Vegas community has been extremely supportive of the Concerned Dad Collective’s efforts with crew members working for reduced rates and vendors giving discounts on production equipment. The Collective shot on the only Arri Alexa in the state of Nevada and brought in DP, Eduardo Mayen, from LA for the shoot. Muchow on the production, "From the beginning, the producers, Chuck Akin and Wes Hirni along with myself said that if we were going to do these, we were going to do them right. We were lucky to have talented people like Jim Wise of Magic Hour Lighting and Grip who provided the Alexa and John McClain of Dog & Pony Studios, who mixed the spots, on board and down for the cause. nnSo what does the Collective hope to accomplish with their PSAs? “I want people to connect budget cuts to dashed dreams,” said Muchow. “This is a very complex issue and money alone won’t fix it. But in no way can I see how taking away money will be part of the solution. The bad news for Nevada is that we’re currently ranked 51st in the country in education. The good news for Nevada is that there’s place to go but up.”nnThe ‘Cuts Have Consequences‘ spots are currently airing throughout Nevada on NBC and will expand into three other states in the coming weeks.nnCreditsnDirector: Wolfgang MuchownCinematographer: Eduardo MayennWriter: Wolfgang MuchownProduction Company: oogoog productionsnSound Mix: Dog & Pony Studios
