Director Martin Rodahl, inspired by the moving story of Special Olympics Illinois athlete Susie Doyens, brought an idea for a public service announcement to life at the Bartlett Hills Golf Club in Bartlett, Illinois. Born with Down syndrome, Susie remained practically mute for most of her childhood due to social pressure and anxiety. In “Speechless,” Susie literally shatters those fears and attributes her transformation to the confidence gained through Special Olympics.nnHaving maintained a professional relationship with Special Olympics Illinois for several years, Rodahl immediately accepted the opportunity to direct, produce and edit the PSA: “It’s an honor to work with Special Olympics and the individuals that this wonderful organization touches, whether it’s an athlete, volunteer or staff member. I have a sister with special needs so the subject is very close to home.”nn
nnAccording to Barbara DiGuido, director of communications for Special Olympics Illinois, “In a short PSA, Martin was able to capture the essence of Susie’s powerful story in a dramatic and compelling way that leaves a lasting impression about the power of Special Olympics to change lives.”nnTom, Dick & Harry Creative of Chicago, Illinois, provided support for the concept, spearheaded by creative director Amy Markley and art director Taylor LeCroy. The PSA relied heavily on its post-production team, including visual effects by Chris Ryan of Chaos Studios, color by Tyler Roth of Optimus, sound design and mix by Cory Coken of NoiseFloor and music composition by Shawn Sutta of Audiocastle.nnSaid Rodahl, “I am so grateful to everyone who dedicated their time and effort to this project. This was one of those rare moments in advertising where everyone recognized the value of the product and its importance to our community as a whole.”nn”Speechless” is posted on theBarbara DiGuido Special Olympics Illinois (630) 942-5610 Contact Barbara via email
Contact:Martin Rodahl 71 Degrees North (402) 880-9492 Contact Martin via email
Liz Charky Directs a Playful and Reflective Video For Henry Hall’s “Tiny Door”
Directed by Liz Charky, the music video for Henry Hall’s ‘Tiny Door’ is a playful and profound exploration of the song’s intriguing perspective on love. Silly moments and serious heartbreak are skillfully weaved together in a series of cheeky, dreamy, profound, and sometimes psychedelic scenes. “I am a huge fan of love songs that have an unusual, hyper-specific perspective on love,” says Hall. “That’s what I wanted to do with ‘Tiny Door.’ It’s about loving someone unconditionally while recognizing that love is something that isn’t always straightforward — I think that’s something we all attempt to come to terms with in our lives. I thought it was a unique yet universal detail about love and therefore an intriguing subject matter for a song. Even though the song is a ballad at its core, it still has a lighthearted sense of humor to it — that’s really portrayed well by Liz, and Ellin Aldana, our cinematographer.” Charky explains, “When I first listened to the song, I felt it was a love song full of longing with a kind of wishful melancholy. As I spoke with Henry about his intention behind the lyrics and sound, I was assured that I'd need to explore heartbreak in a nuanced way – with a degree of levity and playfulness. For me, falling in and out of love runs the full course of human expression. Love and heartbreak can be so emotionally intense and sometimes lonely, other times quite goofy or liberating. In developing the concept, I focused on both the literal and figurative ways that falling in and out of love might look like. So, you see Henry and co-star Franny Arnautou falling, flying, dancing, raging, winking, smiling, and... Read More