For want of a PSA

It is a rare occasion these days for any of us to see the wrong side of the sunrise; but the wee hours of this past Saturday morning found us fine-tuning a shot treatment for our entry into the first annual Great Canadian Commercial Contest. Our team had 48 hours to concept, write, shoot and edit a 30-second broadcast public service announcement (PSA) commercial for Room To Read, an organization striving to break the cycle of poverty through educating children by building libraries in impoverished villages in Southeast Asia.

Teaming up with Gemini award-winning director Tony Papa of Avanti Films, producer Karen Nielsen and editor Aren Hansen, we developed a concept based on George Herbert’s 17th century poem “For Want of a Nail” which demonstrates how seemingly small actions can have profound effects on the world at large. It reads:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a nail.
The basic idea was to shoot different children reading this rhyme, with a final
line that tied it back into the campaign by stating “One book can change a life;
imagine what a library could do”.

So we had our concept. Now our challenge was scouting a location to shoot somewhere
in the Lower Mainland that would look like South East Asia. We found what
we were looking for in Finn Slough. Located on the south arm of the Fraser River,
there is a historical fishing village consisting of “shanty town” shacks
and float homes which gave off the perfect vibe.

The piece came together brilliantly. Later in the week there was an event at
the Atlantis night club showcasing the work of all 45 teams that had participated.
For our efforts we were awarded “Best In Category”. You can view
our PSA here.

Photo by DB
Photo and Film

Posted by Kevin Broome

Tags: Articles