NEW YORK and DEL MAR, Calif., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The filmmakers
from creative production company Shilo (http://www.shilo.tv) recently collaborated
with an extraordinary group of individuals and organizations to create a
powerful animated :90 public service announcement (PSA). The piece,
entitled "Burma Viral," uses footage of warplanes bombing Burma with
flowers as a dramatic call-to-action, inviting viewers to visit a new Burma
Arts Board website, noneofusarefree.org, where they can send messages of
support to the people of Burma in honor of their continuing struggles
against the notorious practices of their oppressive military government,
learn more about the devastating effects caused by the recent cyclone, and
find ways to contribute to relief efforts.
Uniting the talents of Shilo with those of Carl Le Blond, Executive
Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam, John Jackson, Director of
Social Responsibility, MTV Networks, Suki Dusanj, Founder of The Burma Arts
Board, activist Sam Roddick and others, the provocative film debuted
yesterday on participating MTV networks worldwide, via countless
video-sharing websites around the globe, and in New York's Times Square,
where it was screened throughout the day on MTV's 25-by-40 foot HD
Jumbotron near 44th Street.
"As Cyclone Nargis tore across Burma, the world witnessed one of the
worst natural disasters in history," said Suki Dusanj. "Since then, the
world has watched the military Junta block aid from reaching those who need
it so desperately. It is our hope that this Burma Viral will circulate
around the world and into Burma, and bring about the changes necessary to
make the aid and rescue efforts effective -- and to allow the Burmese
people the freedom to enjoy the civil liberties they deserve."
"This spot somehow talks directly to the emotions we feel about the
current humanitarian crisis in Burma," said John Jackson. "We know that
people desperately need help and we also know it is not reaching them. The
narrative conjures up a task force that brings a powerful message of
support to the people of Burma, and an urgent appeal to donate to the
international relief effort."
Continuing, Jackson explained, "As the hours and days pass, the need
grows greater and so too will the aid that is required. A humanitarian
disaster is slowly turning into a catastrophe. If at times like this we can
use the particular skills we have to help, then the creative power of Shilo
and Ogilvy have been brought together at full force to get funds to those
that need it. MTV are proud to be part of this collaboration."
"Since long before this disaster occurred, the people of Burma have
been oppressed: They have not been free to express themselves," began Shilo
co-founder, creative director and director Andre Stringer. "Speaking on
behalf of a group of individuals who make art everyday for our livelihoods,
we place a tremendous value on personal expression. So when Carl contacted
us, shared his script and asked if we wanted to direct it, we jumped at the
chance. We immediately realized that this project could help to make a
difference for a nation of more than 55 million people being denied the
rights we take for granted -- and that it would be the most important piece
of work we've ever created.
"After the cyclone hit," Stringer went on, "we realized we could make
some slight changes to the film and the campaign site, and possibly have an
even greater positive impact on the people of Burma at a time when their
needs are even more desperate."
The project began as a dialogue between Le Blond and Jackson. Last
year, Le Blond wrote a script, and since then, had been searching for the
right production partner. "I had this script which, though I thought
worked, would have been prohibitively expensive to execute, just because of
the scale implications involved," said Le Blond. "Then as I started
thinking of other ways to try to make it, I spotted a film by Shilo which
just took my fancy. When I spoke with Shilo, there was an immediate
understanding of what we were trying to do."
According to Tracy Chandler, Executive Producer for Shilo, things
clicked quickly from there. "There was no pretense, there was no
negotiation," she said. "Everybody was in and everybody was excited, and we
all knew that the film had to touch people so that they'd want to share it
with others and get involved in the cause."
Since the film's imagery would have been impractical to obtain via
live-action cinematography, Shilo chose a very multi-media approach. The
visual content was created by Shilo's artists using Autodesk Maya for 3D,
QUBE for managing renders, Mental Ray for rendering, Adobe Photoshop for
texturing, Adobe After Effects for compositing, and Final Cut Pro for
editing. Reflecting a great amount of audio research, concepting and
exploration by Shilo's team, the PSA's soundtrack was ultimately performed
and mastered by the artists at Amsterdam-based Good Sounds.
"The crux of the film's story is based in juxtaposition and surprise:
An ominous set-up gives way to hope. The flowers are the perfect icon for
that," Stringer said. "My favorite shot involves a really close-up shot of
a flower fluttering in front of the camera, where the camera has a lot of
shake on it. Seeing that scene made me realize that the flowers had already
become characters for us, like they were paratroopers falling on D-Day.
Some look really lyrical, beautiful and fluid, and some of them dive with
intensity. To me, it's really cool to be able to take something like a
flower and let it become a paratrooper -- or a performer that can
poetically deliver a powerful message, as these do."
Jose Gomez, who along with Stringer is co-founder, creative director
and director for Shilo, shared his own perspective on this project. "An
important goal for each of us, in every project we take on, is getting
people to think," he said. "This project is the ultimate example of that.
As directors, we generally regard ourselves as provocateurs, but in this
case, we're actually activists, hoping that those who see this film will
help us to make positive differences for the people of Burma."
"From the very beginning, everyone I met at Shilo was just
automatically going above and beyond ... and that to me is what filmmaking
is all about," added Le Blond. "It's about complete collaboration, to
actually make something better than just a script. As the details of the
cyclone came to light, that same spirit allowed us to take the film a step
further, to a point where it can potentially heighten relief efforts, while
also raising awareness for the societal difficulties these people face
every day, even under normal circumstances."
For Ogilvy & Mather Amsterdam, Brenda Bentz van den Berg served as the
project's agency producer. Shilo's project team also included executive
producer (UK) Mark Hanrahan, Stringer's fellow lead artists Tamir Sapir and
David Hill, matte painting artists Mathieu Reynault and Rodeo FX, Marco
Giampaolo, Cassidy Gearhart and Noah Conopask, 3D animators Henning Koczy,
Richard Cayton, Ohad Bracha, Bren Wilson, Eugen Sasu and Kiel Figgens, 3D
artists Christina Ku, Richard Kim, Warren Heimall, Craig Kohlemeyer and
Scott Denton, compositors David Hill, Tamir Sapir, Cassidy Gearhart, Noah
Conopask and Stieg Retlin, miniature designer Willi Patton, editor Nathan
Caswell, sound designer Dante Nou, producer Lindsay Bodanza, and
coordinator Danielle Smith.
In the U.K., Shilo is represented as a director by HANraHAN
(http://www.hanrahan.co.uk).
About Shilo
Shilo is an Emmy Award-winning creative production company representing
a group of filmmakers led by directors Jose Gomez and Andre Stringer.
Internationally known for creating original and commissioned work that is
powerful, provocative and visually extraordinary, Shilo's deeply held
passions for design-infused storytelling and their innovative applications
of live-action, design, and animation techniques deliver breakthrough
experiences for screens large and small. From its studios in New York and
Del Mar, California, where recent projects have spanned short films,
commercials and music videos, Shilo has the capacity and experience to
originate ideas and handle all aspects of production. Shilo published its
first book, We Make It Good, in 2007, and also curates the site
http://www.WeMakeItGood.com. For more information, or to request a reel, please
contact Tracy Chandler at +1.212.352.2044, or visit Shilo online at
http://www.shilo.tv.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Jose Gomez
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=76315
Andre Stringer
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=76317
SOURCE Shilo
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Related links:
http://www.shilo.tv
http://www.noneofusarefree.org http://www.hanrahan.co.uk
http://www.WeMakeItGood.com
CONTACT:
Roger Darnell of DWA, +1-828-264-8898,
rd@darnellworks.com, for Shilo; or Sandra Lee of MTV Networks
International, +1-212-846-6261, sandra.lee@mtvn.com
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