London Fire Brigade TV (written and directed by Damon Hutson-Flynn)
For all the essential household items that exist in every home, -it's tragic that a working Smoke Alarm is not always one of them.
The LFB were a great support as a client and technical consultant for this film. There were 12 different executions in all, -each featuring a so-called essential household item found in any home (that had ultimately proved useless at saving the occupants in a fire).
Like an X-ray, objects take on new visual meaning in structure when surrendered to fire. Unlike an X-ray, fire also causes objects to take on new colours. It was then my intention to highlight the visually graphic burnt aspect of each household object against a white background, along with how this very real burnt remanent of a life would naturally overspill its sooty presence in such a pristine environment. The sooty outlines stopped the objects from looking 2-dimensional or cut out and more filmed (while also allowing for a natural template for the end title with dirtied outlines of the removed objects, -the visual effect we achieved with a Motion Control camera).
I worked with the equivalent of CSI in the Fire Brigade in order to better research and understand the effects of fire within homes and damage caused to domestic items (a senior member of the LFB would then approve the objects I scorched with the help of the prop master and pyro genius of the TV show London's Burning). Given the profundity of what those who serve in the Fire Brigade do, I wanted this campaign to be as much for them as the public (by atleast making the films feel very authentic and certainly not addy in anyway).
So as it was my intention that as each fire damaged object appeared wholly real, -as should the sound of the voice-over to be that of an actual Firefighter. This meant not using any recognisable talent as a VO, yet or could I risk burdening real Firefighters and consequently frustrated sound engineers to use novices which such a task (the lines I had written could risk sounding pithy, sarcastic or outright read out if not handled exactly right). It was thus very fortunate to work with mostly unknown yet highly talented actors and actresses (which even then, attaining a truly dead pan natural unrehearsed voice would often be a mix of the first and at times 50th take, -and a still frustrated sound engineer ;-)
The campaign was initially just planned for 6, then 12 months before eventually ceasing TV broadcast after an 18 month run (giving a monthly statistic of injuries and fatalities caused through a lack of a working smoke alarm). This was a great project and honour for me. Working as an Advertising Creative at McCanns London, I worked as the Copywriter and Art Director of this campaign, then was entrusted with the production as the Director, -from illustrating the storyboards, carefully over seeing each and every stage of pre-production, filming, post, through to an on budget and on time delivery with an instantly approved film by the client.
Yet for all my involvement and drive in this proud result, I remain completely humbled by the size of humanity and achievement of our London Fire Brigade, -they ultimately deserve 100 % credit for this film
Project Tags
Companies
McCann London
- Advertising