WORK: A SUPER BOWL FIRST
This year's Super Bowl gave us much to talk about around the proverbial water cooler. There were commercials that featured flying pigs, adorable puppies, and talking woodland creatures. Others offered celebrities like Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan, Lindsay Lohan, and Bryan Cranston. Yet one of the most memorable among them had none of that - and it made Super Bowl history. The spot's important message can be found not in the visuals but rather the audio, a 911 call that slowly reveals a much more sinister situation.
Our very own Lance Parrish (WNW Member #5505) was behind this PSA, which was sponsored by the NFL in conjunction with No More, an organization that aims to unify people to combat domestic violence and sexual assault. This was the first domestic violence PSA to air during a Super Bowl. Lance gave us a peek inside what went into creating this compelling piece:
"The audio kind of chose us. My partner (Steve Nathans) and I recalled a story we had seen making the rounds on the Internet a few months ago. It was about a 911 call retold by the emergency operator who took it about 10 years prior. It was an amazing story and it said everything we wanted to say. But since the actual call had long been deleted, we had to recreate it using an actor and a real dispatcher. Then we used sound design to make the call sound authentic. Finally, we brought on director Nadav Kander and shot footage of what could have been the scene of the call without committing to any particular type of house or person since domestic violence and sexual assault affects everyone. We wanted the viewer to be able to place anyone they might know in the home. The entire process was about being aware of the line we wanted to walk, too subtle and you miss everyone, too big and you've become offensive."