The setting fades in from black. WS. The huge open marble, brass and dark wood interior of an iconic government building of the early 20th century. From either side of the frame men in dark suits, grey moleskin gloves and bowler hats enter and gather before a high central window with a step before it. The window is shuttered behind brass bars. There is a huge ornate oval mirror at an oblique angle to the left of the window.
Footfalls echoing.
2.
CS. The window shutters open. It is dark and misty within.
Sound of window shutters opening.
3.
MS. The scene as seen from within the window, a high angle looking down on the gathered men. The men in the bowler hats have no faces. In teams of two the men approach the window. White-gloved hands appear at the bottom of frame, and hand the faceless men folded letters with scarlet seals and ribbons. One man accepts, the other watches.
4.
CU of the document in the gloved hands of the man. He opens the document. It is seen just long enough to know there is formal script, like an ancient legal document, but not long enough to be visible.
Sound of seal tearing.
5.
WS. The original scene-setting shot.The first team of Faceless Men step down from the window and turn to walk towards the mirror. A second team steps up to the window.
6.
CS. The mirror. The surface shimmers eerily, then implodes in a vortex.
The sound of the vortex in the mirror. Think: The sound the Stargate makes when it opens.
7.
MS. The two Faceless Men step through the mirror and vanish. A second set of Faceless Men step down to approach the mirror, while a third set steps up…
8.
WS. A brilliant Caribbean beach. Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins stand on the beach looking out to sea.
The sound of ocean waves.
Jim: IT IS LOVELY, LONG JOHN…
Long John: “AYE, ME LAD. THE SEA IS MY HOME, AND WILL BE FOREVER…”
9.
WS. The same scene. The oval vortex of the mirror appears of the right side of the frame. The scene freezes. The Faceless Men walk out of the vortex.
The vortex sound.
10.
MS of the Faceless Men with the Mirror in the background seen from between the frozen faces of Jim and Long John. The man not holding the document raises his right hand and swipes it slightly side to side. After a moment the men turn and go back through the mirror.
11.
WS. The men step through the mirror. We see Jim and Long John in the foreground, the scene still frozen. Long John’s artificial leg is missing. The camera zooms into the mirror as it disappears.
Slight suction sound as mirror vortex disappears.
The sounds of waves and nature as the scene unfreezes.
12.
CS. Long John and Jim. Long John looks down, sways unsteadily and moves out of frame.
Long John: MY LEG! IT’S GONE!
Music begins low.
13.
WS. The classic light saber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.The scene freezes as the mirror appears and the Faceless Men emerge.
Light sabers clashing.
Music.
Vortex sound.
14.
MS. The Faceless Men walk toward Luke and Vader.
Music.
15.
CU. Luke’s hand gripping his light saber. The Faceless Man’s moleskin-gloved hand wipes across the scene. Luke’s hand is gone.
Music.
16.
MS. The frozen duel. Luke’s light saber suspended in mid-air. The Faceless Men turn toward Vader.
Music.
17.
CU. Vader’s hand clasping the light saber. The grey gloved hand wipes across the screen and removes the hand.
Music.
18.
WS. The Faceless men turn to return to the mirror.
Music.
19.
CU. The dark floor. Two light sabers crash to it.
Sound of vortex disappearing.
Music.
20.
WS. The classic opening scene from the Six Million Dollar Man, with him running the track. The scene freezes and the mirror appears.
Music.
Vortex sound.
21.
CU. The Faceless men emerge from the mirror. The camera follows them as they move ominously toward the Six Million Dollar Man. One of the men raises his gloved hand…
Music.
22.
WS. The room from the first scene. There are now teams of Faceless Men lined up and stepping through the mirror.
Music.
23.
MS. A mirror appears. The men step through.
Sound of vortex.
Music.
24.
WS. A frozen scene from Robocop. The mirror hovers in the air, the men stepping out. The camera spins around the frozen scene as the men approach Robocop and one of them raises his hand.
Music.
25.
CU. Iron Man’s head, torso and arms, frozen in the midst of a landing. The camera simultaneously begins to spin around Iron Man and zoom out, revealing two Faceless men approaching the frozen Iron Man. One of the Faceless Men reaches out his gloved hand and reaches for Iron Man’s heart as the narrative begins.
Music.
Jim Byrnes: FACELESS BUREAUCRATS TAKING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS, LEAVING THEIR VICTIMS HELPLESS. THINK IT’S JUST FICTION?
26.
The scene above slowly dissolves into a MS of a dark room. Narrator Jim Byrnes stands spotlit in the center of the room. The camera zooms into him.
Music continues under.
Jim Byrnes: THINK AGAIN.
27.
Byrnes on camera.Titles lower third: “Jim Byrnes – Award Winning Actor and Musician, Double Amputee”
Music under.
Jim Byrnes: PROPOSED CUTS IN MEDICAID AND MEDICARE COULD SOON PUT MODERN PROSTHETIC DEVICES OUT OF REACH OF AMPUTEES. WE’RE NOT TALKING JUST COSMETICS HERE. TODAY’S STATE OF THE ART PROSTHETICS ARE AMAZING…
28.
Cut to CU of Tim Whittaker’s prosthetic leg on the vertical climb of Mount Everest. The camera zooms out….
Music under.
Byrnes: …AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR THEM DO AMAZING THINGS.
29.
…to show Whittaker ascending the sheer face of the mountain.
Music.
Byrnes: TIM WHITTAKER CLIMBED MOUNT EVEREST. NOW HE’S ON A MISSION…
30.
Quick dissolve to Whittaker waving the flag at the top of Mount Everest.
Music.
Byrnes: …TO CLIMB THE HIGHEST PEAK ON EVERY CONTINENT TO SHOW WHAT AMPUTEES CAN DO.
31.
Dissolve to WS of Karl Dorman surfing.
Music Continues.
Byrnes: KARL DORMAN IS A CHAMPION SURFER…
32.
CS of Dorman’s leg.
Music.
Byrnes: …WHO USES A WATERPROOF ARTIFICIAL LEG.
33.
Byrnes on camera.
Music fades out…
Byrnes: TODAY’S PROSTHETICS ALLOW PEOPLE LIKE TIM WHITTAKER AND KARL DORMAN TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY… AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER MEN AND WOMEN TO LIVE PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
34.
CS of Hanger i-Limb hand.
Byrnes: IMAGINE AN ARTIFICIAL HAND WITH LIFE-LIKE FINGERS THAT CAN FLEX AND GRIP ANYTHING.
35.
CS, Arradondo’s hand picking items off grocery store shelves.
Byrnes: THAT’S THE I-LIMB HAND, MADE BY HANGER ORTHOPEDIC GROUP – THE WORLD’S LEADING SUPPLIER OF PROSTHETICS. WITH THE I-LIMB…
36.
MS. Arrandondo in grocery store aisle.
Byrnes: …JUAN ARRANDONDO CAN PICK UP ITEMS…
37.
CS of Arradondo’s hand picking a can off the shelf.
Byrnes: …ON THE GROCERY STORE SHELF…
38.
WS. Arradondo at office desk shuffling papers. He reaches for a Styrofoam cup of coffee.
Byrnes: …SHUFFLE THROUGH PAPERS AT WORK, USE A COMPUTER AND DRINK OUT OF A STYROFOAM CUP.
39.
CU of c-Leg.
Byrnes: THE HANGER C-LEG HAS MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED JOINTS THAT LET WEARERS SPEED UP, SLOW DOWN, CLIMB HILLS AND GO DOWN STAIRS.
40.
MS of Ezra French playing basketball.
Byrnes: EZRA FRENCH IS AN ACTIVE SIX-YEAR OLD WHO LOVES PLAYING BASKETBALL… EVEN THOUGH HIS LEFT LEG THAT WAS AMPUTATED AT BIRTH. WITH THE C-LEG…
41.
WS of Ezra on the ski slope with his instructor.
Byrnes: HE’S LEARNING TO SKI. AND LAST YEAR…
42.
CU of Ezra running. Zoom out to WS of race.
Byrnes: … HE COMPLETED IN A SAN DIEGO TRIATHLON.
43.
CU of actor’s head-shot of Cameron Clapp.
Byrnes: CAMERON CLAPP LOST AN ARM AND BOTH LEGS IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT AT 15. BUT WITH THE I-LIMB AND C-LEG CLAPP IS A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR.
44.
Scene from “Carnivale” with Clapp.
Byrnes: HE’S APPEARED IN HBO’S ‘CARNIVALE’, NBC’S ‘MY NAME IS EARL’, AND THE MOTION PICTURE ‘STOP LOSS’.
45.
WS of Clapp counseling disabled veterans. Camera zooms in slowly.
Byrnes: IN HIS SPARE TIME CLAPP VOLUNTEERS COUNSELLING SOLDIERS WHO’VE LOST LIMBS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
46.
WS of Erica Watkins entering a room. Her children run to greet her.
Byrnes: ERICA WATKINS LOST BOTH HER LEGS AND BOTH HANDS TO DISEASE. BUT WITHIN FIVE MONTHS SHE WAS BACK CARING FOR HER THREE CHILDREN.
47.
CS of Watkins putting on makeup.
Byrnes: WITH PROSTHETICS SHE CAN WALK, PUT ON MAKE-UP, COOK MEALS AND CHANGE DIAPERS.
48.
CS of Watkins tying her son’s shoe laces.
Byrnes: SHE EVEN TIED HER OLDEST SON’S SHOELACES THE MORNING OF HIS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
49.
A split screen of Medium Shots of Arradondo shopping and French playing basketball. The shots squeeze back to the upper half of the screen to reveal…
Music fades up.
Byrnes: BUT IF THE BUREAUCRATS GET THEIR WAY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LIKE JUAN AND EZRA…
50.
…a split screen in the lower half of Clapp and Watkins. Clapp is skiing. Watkins is playing with her children.There are now four video segment on the screen, from upper left clockwise:Arradondo shopping…
French running…
Watkins playing with her children…
Clapp skiing downhill…
Byrnes: …AND CAMERON AND ERICA WON’T HAVE ACCESS TO PROSTHETICS. WITHOUT PROSTHETICS AMPUTEES MIGHT NOT BECOME THE PRODUCTIVE, TAX-PAYING CITIZENS THEY OTHERWISE MIGHT. WE’D BE IN DANGER OF CREATING A PERMANENT UNDERCLASS OF NEW DEPENDANTS. THAT’S PENNY-WISE… AND POUND-FOOLISH. THESE PROUND, STRONG, TALENTED INDIVIDUALS DESERVE BETTER. AND THEY AREN’T ASKING FOR ANYTHING THEY DON’T ALREADY HAVE TODAY.
51.
Byrnes on camera against the darkened background.
Music underByrnes: SO I URGE YOU: CALL YOU CONGRESSPERSON, YOUR SENATOR, YOUR STATE RESPRESENTATIVE. TELL THEM YOU SUPPORT KEEPING MEDICAID AND MEDICARE ACCESS TO PROSTHETICS.DON’T LET THE FACELESS –AND HEARTLESS- BUREAUCRATS WIN.
52.
Byrnes turns and walks away from the camera into the darkness.Titles appear on screen: “Call your representatives today. Tell them you support continued coverage for prosthetics. This message is sponsored by Hanger Orthopedic Group.”
Music under and fades out.
Notes on the Final Project:
The main challenge between the draft and final project was cutting the time of the piece. The project was shortened by the following:
The James Edward Hanger story was deleted entirely. This story can stand on its own in another piece.
Three amputee profiles were deleted: Lindsay Block, Hope Harrison and Jordan Wells. Block and Harrison did not add significant information to the story. Although compelling, Jordan Well’s story was long and the cover video of newspaper clippings was not engaging.
The copy was tightened.
Some additions were made.
Ezra French’s story is new in the final project. Ezra’s story is compelling. He also adds an element that was missing because he is a young child with a congenital defect. His story replaces that of Jordan Wells and has equal impact but it is significantly shorter.
A few new shots were added to avoid jumps in the new edit. For instance, in the draft Juan Arradondo was seen shopping in the grocery store and then the story moved to Lindsay Block at her desk. In the final project Arradondo replaces Block at the desk, so a close-up of Arradondo’s hand picking a can off the store shelf was added to avoid a jump cut.
The setting fades in from black. WS. The huge open marble, brass and dark wood interior of an iconic government building of the early 20thcentury. From either side of the frame men in dark suits, grey moleskin gloves and bowler hats enter and gather before a high central windo with a step before it. The window is shuttered behind brass bars. There is a huge ornate oval mirror at an oblique angle to the left of the window.
Footfalls echoing.
2.
CS. The window shutters open. It is dark and misty within.
Sound of window shutters opening.
3.
MS. The scene as seen from within the window, a high angle looking down on the gathered men. The men in the bowler hats have no faces. In teams of two the men approach the window. White-gloved hands appear at the bottom of frame, and hand the faceless men folded letters with scarlet seals and ribbons. One man accepts, the other watches.
4.
CU of the document in the gloved hands of the man. He opens the document. It is seen just long enough to know there is formal script, like an ancient legal document, but not long enough to be visible.
Sound of seal tearing.
5.
WS. The original scene-setting shot.The first team of Faceless Men step down from the window and turn to walk towards the mirror. A second team steps up to the window.
6.
CS. The mirror. The surface shimmers eerily, then implodes in a vortex.
The sound of the vortex in the mirror. Think: The sound the Stargate makes when it opens.
7.
MS. The two Faceless Men step through the mirror and vanish. A second set of Faceless Men step down to approach the mirror, while a third set steps up…
8.
WS. A brilliant Caribbean beach. Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins stand on the beach looking out to sea.
The sound of ocean waves.’
Jim: IT IS LOVELY, LONG JOHN…
Long John: “AYE, ME LAD. THE SEA IS MY HOME, AND WILL BE FOREVER…”
9.
WS. The same scene. The oval vortex of the mirror appears of the right side of the frame. The scene freezes. The Faceless Men walk out of the vortex.
The vortex sound.
10.
MS of the Faceless Men with the Mirror in the background seen from between the frozen faces of Jim and Long John. The man not holding the document raises his right hand and swipes it slightly side to side. After a moment the men turn and go back through the mirror.
11.
WS. The men step through the mirror. We see Jim and Long John in the foreground, the scene still frozen. Long John’s artificial leg is missing. The camera zooms into the mirror as it disappears.
Slight suction sound as mirror vortex disappears.
The sounds of waves and nature as the scene unfreezes.
12.
CS. Long John and Jim. Long John looks down, sways unsteadily and moves out of frame.
Long John: MY LEG! IT’S GONE!
Music begins low.
13.
WS. The classic light saber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.The scene freezes as the mirror appears and the Faceless Men emerge.
Light sabers clashing.
Music.
Vortex sound.
14.
MS. The Faceless Men walk toward Luke and Vader.
Music.
15.
CU. Luke’s hand gripping his light saber. The Faceless Man’s moleskin-gloved hand wipes across the scene. Luke’s hand is gone.
Music.
16.
MS. The frozen duel. Luke’s lightsabe suspended in mid-air. The Faceless Men turn toward Vader.
Music.
17.
CU. Vader’s hand clasping the light saber. The grey gloved hand wipes across the screen and removes the hand.
Music.
18.
WS. The Faceless men turn to return to the mirror.
Music.
19.
CU. The dark floor. Two light sabers crash to it.
Sound of vortex disappearing.
Music.
20.
WS. The classic opening scene from the Six Million Dollar Man, with him running the track. The scene freezes and the mirror appears.
Music.
Vortex sound.
21.
CU. The Faceless men emerge from the mirror. The camera follows as they move toward the Six Million Dollar Man. One of the men raises his gloved hand…
Music.
22.
WS. The room from the first scene. There are now teams of Faceless Men lined up and stepping through the mirror.
Music.
23.
MS. A mirror appears. The men step through.
Sound of vortex.
Music.
24.
WS. A frozen scene from Robocop. The mirror hovers in the air, the men stepping out. The camera spins around the frozen scene as the men approach Robocop and one of them raises his hand.
Music.
25.
CU. Iron Man’s head, torso and arms, frozen in the midst of a landing. The camera simultaneously begins to spin around Iron Man and zoom out, revealing two Faceless men approaching the frozen Iron Man. One of the Faceless Men reaches out his gloved hand and reaches for Iron Man’s heart as the narrative begins.
Music.
Jim Byrnes: FACELESS BUREAUCRATS TAKING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS, LEAVING THEIR VICTIMS HELPLESS. THINK IT’S JUST FICTION?
26.
The scene above slowly dissolves into a MS of a dark room. Narrator Jim Byrnes stands spotlit in the center of the room. The camera zooms into him.
Music continues under.
Jim Byrnes: THINK AGAIN.
27.
Byrnes on camera.Titles lower third: “Jim Byrne – Award Winning Actor and Musician, Double Amputee”
Music under.
Jim Byrnes: PROPOSED CUTS IN MEDICAID AND MEDICARE COULD SOONPUT MODERN PROSTHETIC DEVICES OUT OF REACH OF AMPUTEES. WE’RE NOT TALKING JUST COSMETICS HERE. TODAY’S STATE OF THE ART PROSTHETICS ARE AMAZING…
28.
Cut to CU of Tim Whittaker’s prosthetic leg on the vertical climb of Mount Everest. The camera zooms out….
Music under.
Byrnes: …AND THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR THEM DO AMAZING THINGS.
29.
… to show Whittaker ascending the sheer face of the mountain.
Music.
Byrnes: TIM WHITTAKER CLIMBED MOUNT EVEREST. NOW HE’S ON A MISSION…
30.
Quick dissolve to Whittaker waving the flag at the top of Mount Everest.
Music.
Byrnes: …TO CLIMB THE HIGHEST PEAK ON EVERY CONTINENT TO SHOW WHAT AMPUTEES CAN DO.
31.
Dissolve to WS of Karl Dorman surfing.
Music Continues.
Byrnes: KARL DORMAN IS A CHAMPION SURFER…
32.
CS of Dorman’s leg.
Music.
Byrnes: …WHO USES A WATERPROOF ARTIFICIAL LEG.
33.
Byrnes on camera.
Music fades out…
Byrnes: TODAY’S PROSTHETICS ALLOW PEOPLE LIKE TIM WHITTAKER AND KARL DORMAN TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY… AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER MEN AND WOMEN TO LIVE PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
34.
MS. Photograph of Hanger in uniform. Camera zooms slowly in.
Byrnes: JAMES EDWARD HANGER SAW TO THAT. ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS AGO JAMES HANGER MARCHED OFF TO FIGHT THE CIVIL WAR…
35.
Dissolve to monument at Philippi Bridge.
Byrnes: AND IN THE WAR’S VERY FIRST LAND BATTLE…
36.
Sepia-tone shots of Hanger amputation reenactment at 150th anniversary of the Battle of Philippi.Titles lower third: “Reenactment of first amputation of the Civil War, June 3, 2011”
Byrnes: …HE BECAME ITS FIRST CASULTY WHEN A CANNONBALL STRUCK HIS LEG. HANGER SURVIVED THE FIRST OF THOUSANDS OF CIVIL WAR AMPUTATIONS.
37.
Picture of Hanger with “Hanger Limb.”
Byrnes: DISGUSTED WITH THE SIMPLE CARVED WOODEN REPLACEMENT LIMBS OF THE DAY, HANGER INVENTED A PROSTHETIC WITH MOVABLE JOINTS…
38.
Photo of Hanger company late 1800’s
Byrnes: …AND WENT ON TO FOUND A COMPANY THAT TODAY IS…
39.
CU of interior workings of computerized limb.
Byrnes: …THE INNOVATIVE LEADER IN CUTTING EDGE PROSTHETICS.
40.
CS of Hanger i-Limb hand
Byrnes: IMAGINE AN ARTIFICIAL HAND WITH LIFE-LIKE FINGERS THAT CAN FLEX AND GRIP ANYTHING.
41.
CS. Arradondo’s hand picking items off grocery store shelves.
Byrnes: THAT’S THE HANGER I-LIMB HAND. WITH THE I-LIMB…
42.
MS of Arrandondo in grocery store aisle.
Byrnes: …JUAN ARRANDONDO CAN PICK UP ITEMS ON THE GROCERY STORE SHELF…
43.
CS of Arrando at ATM.
Byrnes: …USE AN ATM, AND TYPE ON A COMPUTER.
44.
MS Lindsay Block putting on makeup in mirror.
Byrnes: LINDSAY BLOCK CAN PUT ON MAKEUP IN THE MORNING…
45.
WS Bloch at office desk shuffling papers. She reaches for a Styrofoam cup of coffee.
Byrnes: …SHUFFLE THROUGH PAPERS AT WORK, DRINK OUT OF A STYROFOAM CUP…
46.
CS of flowers, pulling back to show Block arranging them.
Byrnes: …AND ARRANGE FLOWERS.
47.
CS of C-Leg.
Byrnes: THE HANGER C-LEG HAS MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED JOINTS THAT LET WEARERS SPEED UP, SLOW DOWN, TAKE ON HILLS AND GO DOWN STAIRS WITH EASE.
48.
WS of Hope Harrison walking in front of the Capitol.
Byrnes: AT AGE 16 HOPE HARRISON LOST HER LEG TO A MEDICAL CONDITION. TODAY SHE IS A PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WHO HAS WORKED IN THE CLINTON AND BUSH WHITE HOUSES.
49.
WS of Harrison playing tennis.
Byrnes: HER FAVORITE HOBBY IS PLAYING TENNIS.
50.
CS of Jordan Wells Graduation photo.Newspaper headlines and accounts of accident dissolve in at angles.
Byrnes: JORDAN WELLS WAS A 19-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE FRESHMAN ON HER WAY BACK FROM HER HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING WHEN THE CAR SHE WAS IN WAS STRUCK HEAD-ON ON A RAIN-SOAKED ROAD. HER INJURIES WERE SO SEVERE A HELICOPTER WAS CALLED TO LIFE-FLIGHT HER TO A TRAUMA CENTER. BUT THE HELICOPTER CRASHED… KILLING EVERYONE ABOARD EXCEPT JORDAN, WHO LOST HER RIGHT LEG.
51.
MS of Wells running across the finish line.
Byrnes: NOW, USING A HANGER LEG, JORDAN LEADS A FULL LIFE. SHE RUNS IN PARALYMPIC GAMES...
52.
CU of Wells in lab
Byrnes: ….AND SHE IS IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, TRAINING TO BE A TRAUMA SURGEON.
53.
CU of actor’s head-shot of Cameron Clapp.
Byrnes: CAMERON CLAPP LOST AN ARM AND BOTH LEGS IN A TRAIN ACCIDENT AT THE AGE OF 15. TODAY, USING HANGER PROSTHETICS, CLAPP IS A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR WHO HAS…
54.
Scene from “Carnivale” with Clapp.
Byrnes: … APPEARED ON HBO’S ‘CARNIVALE’, NBC’S ‘MY NAME IS EARL’, AND IN THE MOTION PICTURE ‘STOP LOSS’.
55.
MS of Clapp skiing.
Byrnes: HE SPENDS HIS FREE TIME SKIING…
56.
WS of Clapp counseling disabled veterans. Camera zooms in slowly.
Byrnes: …AND IS A VOLUNTEER COUNSELOR TO RETURNING SOLDIERS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIMBS IN THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
57.
WS of Erica Watkins entering a room. Her children run to greet her.
Byrnes: 24-YEAR-OLD ERICA WATKINS LOST BOTH HER LEGS AND BOTH HANDS TO DISEASE. BUT WITHIN FIVE MONTHS SHE WAS BACK CARING FOR HER THREE YOUNG CHILDREN.
58.
CS of Watkins putting on makeup.
Byrnes: SHE CAN WALK, PUT ON MAKE-UP, COOK MEALS AND CHANGE DIAPERS.
59.
CS of Watkins tying her son’s shoe laces.
Byrnes: SHE EVEN TIED HER OLDEST SON’S SHOELACES THE MORNING OF HIS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
60.
A split screen of Medium Shots of Arradondo shopping and Block drinking from her cup of coffee. The shots squeeze back to the lower third of the screen to reveal…
Music fades up.Byrnes: BUT IF THE BUREAUCRATS GET THEIR WAY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LIKE…
61.
…a split screen of Harrison and Wells in the upper two thirds. Harrison is playing tennis. Wells is running. This split screen squeezes back into the upper third of the screen to reveal…
Byrnes: …JUAN AND LINDSAY, HOPE AND JORDAN…
62.
…a split screen in the center third of Clapp and Watkins. Clapp is skiing. Watkins is playing with her children. There are now eight active video segment on the screen, from upper right closckwise:Wells running…Watkins playing with her children…Block at her work desk shuffling through papers and working at her computer…Arradondo shopping…
Clapp skiing downhill…
Harrison playing tennis…
Byrnes: …AND CAMERON AND ERICA WON’T HAVE ACCESS TO PROSTHETICS. WITHOUT PROSTHETICS AMPUTEES MIGHT NOT BECOME THE PRODUCTIVE, TAX-PAYING CITIZENS THEY OTHERWISE MIGHT. WE’D BE IN DANGER OF CREATING A PERMANENT UNDERCLASS OF NEW DEPENDANTS. THAT’S PENNY-WISE… AND POUND-FOOLISH. THESE PROUND, STRONG, TALENTED INDIVIDUALS DESERVE BETTER. AND THEY AREN’T ASKING FOR ANYTHING THEY DON’T ALREADY HAVE TODAY.
63.
Byrnes on camera against the darkened background.
Music under.
Byrnes: SO I URGE YOU: CALL YOU CONGRESSPERSON, YOUR SENATOR, YOUR STATE RESPRESENTATIVE. TELL THEM YOU SUPPORT KEEPING MEDICAID AND MEDICARE ACCESS TO PROSTHETICS. DON’T LET THE FACELESS –AND HEARTLESS- BUREAUCRATS WIN.
64.
Byrnes turns and walks away from the camera into the darkness.
Titles appear on screen: “Call your representatives today. Tell them you support continued coverage for prosthetics. This message is sponsored by Hanger Orthopedic Group.”
The client, Hanger, Inc., wishes to engage the public with a story that will convince them to stop government efforts to eliminate prosthetics from coverage by government medical programs. A piece of approximately two minutes length will be uploaded on the Hanger, Inc. web site, the web sites of industry and social organizations seeking to oppose government health coverage changes and on YouTube.
Brand
As a brand, Hanger is well-known for cutting edge research and extensive involvement in the amputee community. To the public at large, however, medical device companies are generally seen as profit-hungry monsters. Amputees themselves are seen as something to be pitied and/or feared, and as drains on the public welfare (an exception is military amputees who have lost limbs in action.)
Audience
The audience is the general public who has the power to influence public officials. Most audience members are likely unaware of efforts to cut prosthetics coverage from Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Contact Points
Our story must make the following points:
1. Amputees are in serious danger of losing access to prosthetics.
2. With modern prosthetics amputees can be productive, contributing members of society.
3. If efforts to cut prosthetics coverage succeed, we are in danger of creating a new permanent underclass of welfare recipients.
Creative Approach
Our creative approach is to develop a compelling fictional narrative in the dark science fiction bureaucratic dystopian mode of ‘1984’, ‘Brazil’, and ‘Metropolis’. In this world Faceless Men are given the assignment to remove the prosthetics of characters in other fictional worlds and set about doing so. The story then transitions to our world today, where narrator Jim Byrnes will explain that faceless bureaucrats threaten Medicare budget cuts that will put modern prosthetics out of reach of many amputees. The narrative will provide examples of the amazing things cutting edge prosthetics developed by Hanger allow amputees to do. The narrative ends with a personal appeal to not let bureaucrats turn thousands of productive people into a permanent underclass. Music: “12 Question” by Jim Byrnes.
CPT Z: There’s a stereotype that if you’re in the Army, that you’ve got to be a man…
CPTZ: …you don’t ask for help.
CPT Y: Most soldiers like to keep their own problems personal…
CPT Z: As Commanders, I think it’s important that we recognize those soldiers that need help and try to break that barrier and let them know it’s okay to come forward and –and ask for the help.
CPT Y: If one soldier is hurting, his friends are going to know about it. His friends are going to suffer from it. It’s going to bring down morale. So as much as possible, you want to open up all avenues to help every soldier possible.
CPT Z: It’s just listening to the soldier –
CPT Y: Right.
CPT Z: — see how he acts, see how his demeanor has changed from what it usually is, and then have one of his leaders, front line leaders, just go ask him what’s — what’s going on, if there’s anything wrong.
CPT Y: You have to really have an honest ear and an open heart to accept whatever they come with.
CPT Z: You’ve got to keep communication open…
CPT Y: You don’t treat them like cases; you treat them like people. And you exhaust all possibilities to get him all the help that’s possible. That’s our approach.
CPT Z: …breaking through that barrier of, you know, “I’m a man. I’m in the Army. I don’t need help,” that’s the toughest part…
CPT Y: There’s also an essence of vulnerability. Soldiers need to see that you’re human also…
CPT Z: …you don’t always have to talk to them from a Commander to a subordinate standpoint. You just talk to them man-to-man, and you learn a lot from your soldiers when you do that.
CPT Y: I may be a Commander, but I’m a man, I’m a husband, I’m a father, and I’ve — I’ve had — made my fair share of mistakes and had shortcomings. At the same time, somebody was always there to help me.
CPT Z: Our unit is a family. And when one of them is in trouble, we all come to their aid.
CPT Y: There’s no such word as no when it comes to helping the family.
CPT Z: I’ve never seen a unit come together more than when a soldier or a soldier’s family needs help.
CPT Y: A soldier is no good without his family.
CPT Y: When a soldier’s child has — has cancer, as in the case of Specialist Jones, anybody that has kids — even if you don’t have kids — it sends something through you…
CPT Y: I don’t see how — how you couldn’t do it, how you couldn’t exhaust every possibility to give that child and give that family a chance. Just a chance; that’s all they want is a chance.
CPT Y: Specialist Jones wasn’t treated any differently. He was even given another job, but he was given support. He — whenever his child had an appointment, there was a never a question. Whenever, you know, the — the family might have needed something, it was there.
CPT Z: And that’s one of the great things about being in the Army. It doesn’t matter what other organization you’re in; if you’re working at WalMart, if you’re at Microsoft or Pepsi, no — they’re not going to support you like the Army does.
CPT Y: We’re servants to our nation. We’re servants to our soldiers, and we’re servants to our unit. As — as Captains in the U.S. Army, it’s a rank. But it’s also — you have to know what your charge is, and as you take that charge, you don’t just feed, you don’t just listen; you nurture. And what you’re going to nurture is that philosophy of the Army values. You’re going to nurture the philosophy of helping each other. You’re going to nurture the philosophy of teamwork.
CPT Z: Once in command, I had 92 soldiers that I took command of. But I also know that I had, with those 92 soldiers, about 50 or 55 families that came with it.
CPT Y: You’ll never read about it. You’ll never see it. There’s — there’s no science to it; it’s just a culture that once you put this uniform on, that you’re part of a family. And it’s a grand scheme of taking care of each other, leaving no man behind and that your part is — your small part of the Army is taking care of your family.
CPT Z: And that saying, leave no man behind, it doesn’t just refer to when you’re on the battlefield. It refers to just as much when you’re back here at home station and your soldier needs help. You — you just don’t leave him out there on his own. You — you bring him in and you take care of him.
CPT Y: Not everybody has a problem, but everybody can always use some help, whether it’s personal, professional. It’s only going to make you that much better as a leader.
Television Commercial – “Old Spice – The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”
Video
Audio
Wide shot (WS) of a man in a bathroom. The shower is running behind him. He is wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist.
The man speaks throughout (sexy voice): HELLO LADIES.
2.
The camera slowly zooms through a medium shot (MS) and continues zooming. The man’s hands disappear from frame.
LOOK AT YOUR MAN. NOW BACK TO ME. NOW BACK AT YOUR MAN. NOW BACK TO ME. SADLY, HE ISN’T ME. BUT IF HE STOPPED USING LADY’S SCENTED BODY WASH AND SWITCHED TO
3.
The camera continues zooming to a closeup (CS). The man holds raises a squeeze bottle of Old Spice into the frame. (He was not holding the bottle at the beginning of the zoom.)
OLD SPICE HE COULD SMELL LIKE HE’S ME.
4.
The bathroom rises suddenly from behind the man, as if it were a stage set being drawn quickly to the fly loft.
LOOK DOWN.
5.
The camera zooms swiftly out to a MS. The vanishing bathroom has revealed that the man is now standing on the deck of a yacht with nautical flags, blue sky and the ocean behind him.
BACK UP.
6.
A blue and white stripped nautical shirt falls from the sky. Sleeves tied at the wrists, it falls to ring his neck and drape jauntily across his shoulders.
WHERE ARE YOU?
7.
The man tears the towel from his waist to reveal he is wearing white pants while striding to screen right. The camera follows him and zooms in to CU.
YOU’RE ON A BOAT WITH THE MAN YOUR MAN COULD SMELL LIKE.
8.
CU of the man with the sky and sea behind him.
WHAT’S IN YOUR HAND?
9.
The man lifts his hand into the frame again. Now he is holding a large oyster shell.
IT’S AN OYSTER,
10.
The oyster opens to reveal two theater tickets
WITH TWO TICKETS TO THAT THING YOU LOVE.
11.
The oyster falls from the man’s hand to reveal diamonds issuing waterfall-like in an endless stream from his hand.
LOOK AGAIN. THE TICKETS ARE NOW DIAMONDS.
12.
The camera begins to zoom out.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
13.
The diamonds continue to fall. A squeeze bottle of Old Spice rises from the diamonds in the man’s hand.
WHEN YOUR MAN SMELLS LIKE OLD SPICE AND NOT A LADY.
14.
The camera continues to zoom out. Passing through a MS we see the man is now on a beach sitting astride a white horse. The blue sky and sea are the same in the background.
I’M ON A HORSE.
15.
The word “SMELL LIKE A MAN, MAN” and the Old Spice logo appear against the sky framed by the man and the front of the horse…
We hear the famous “Old Spice” trademark whistle. The horse whinnies.
Television Commercial – Insurance Company “Prison Cell”
Video
Audio
Wide shot (WS) of a prison hallway. All of the doors are closed. There are no people visible.
Inmate 1 – voice echoes: HELLO, GUARD!
2.
Medium shot (MS) of two guards sitting in the control center of a prison.
Guard 1: IT’S THE NEW GUY, HUH?
Inmate 1 – distantly in background: YO, C’MERE! GUARD!
Guard 2: YEAH…
3.
Cut to reverse MS of control room. Guard 2 stands up.
Guard 1: CAN YOU CHECK ON HIM?
Guard 2 – somewhat grudgingly: ALL RIGHT.
4.
CU of guard 2’s feet walking down a concrete hallway.
The sound of footsteps
Inmate 1 – distant, but closer than before: HELLO!
5.
WS of prison gate opening as guard 2 steps through. He carries a flashing in the dimly lit hall.
…footsteps…
6.
MS of prison barred window seen from an inmate’s view from inside of a cell. Guard two steps into view and shines his flashlight toward the camera.
Guard 2: YOU GOT A PROBLEM HERE?
7.
WS of inmate seen from the guard’s viewpoint. He grips the cell bars with both hands. The camera slowly zooms.
Inmate 1: CAN YOU COME HERE AND LOOK AT THIS THING?
8.
The inmate’s view again. (MS) The guard reaches down and the door begins to slide open.
Sound of clicking lock and the heavy metal door sliding.
9.
The guard’s perspective again. (WS) The door slides back. The inmate waits in the cell wearing a t-shirt and undershorts. The guard enters.
Sound of door sliding into place.
10.
CU of a second inmate lying in his bunk. He is evil looking. His eyes are open and he stares upwards. As the first inmate speaks he turns his head slowly to listen.
Inmate 1: THERE’S A DRAFT. AND THERE SEEMS TO BE…
11.
MS of inmate 1 going to the stainless steel sink and backstop on the wall of the cell. He kneels next to it.
Inmate 1: …NOISES COMIN’ FROM THE VENTILATION ROOM. AND…
12.
CU of the guard listening. He steps forward and out of frame.
Inmate 1: IT’S COLD IN HERE. I MEAN…
13.
Back to the shot of inmate 1, now CU. The inmate’s head is in frame and the guard’s hands enter frame to explore the sink and backdrop. Cut to…
Inmate 1: IT SHOULDN’T BE LIKE THAT, RIGHT?
14.
WS. The guard tugs the sink and the whole appliance comes from the wall, revealing a large hole hidden behind it.
Guard 2: WHAT THE HELL?!
Inmate 2:(groans softly)
15.
CU of inmate 2’s face. He is very unhappy.
Inmate 1: WHAT A HOLE! HEY…
16.
MS. From his place kneeling next to the hole inmate 1 turns to inmate 2
Inmate 1: …HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?
17.
MS of inmate 2 turning his head slowly toward inmate 1.
Inmate 1: YOU NEVER NOTICED?
18.
CU of inmate 1.
Inmate 1: WELL, YA BEEN LYIN’ HERE FER FOUR YEARS!
19.
WS. Inmate one turns to look through the hole. Inmate 2 stares at Inmate 1’s back. If looks could kill…The words: NEED LIFE INSURANCE? appear.
Inmate 1: OH, YOU POOR THING…
20.
FULL SCREEN Insurance company logo: LANSFORSAKRINGAR – INSURANCE AND BANKING
Inmate 1 – speaking into the hole, echoing: WOO HOO…
Our client is The Baptist Homes. The Baptist Homes is a retirement care facility located in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. The client wishes to reach out to potential residents and their children in an effort to change the image of nursing homes. The project is a video of approximately two minutes length. Because much of the decision-making research into nursing home placement is done online by the adult children of elderly parents this image piece will be placed online on the Baptist Homes site and on YouTube. The video will also be put on DVD and included in information packages distributed by the client. A shortened version may be placed on commercial television and cable channels as a ‘teaser’ to drive people to the longer online version.
Brand
The brand of The Baptist Homes is a nursing home. The Baptist Homes itself has a good reputation among those familiar with it. It offers a caring and nurturing environment. But nursing homes in general have a negative image as neglectful and sometimes abusive places to ‘warehouse’ the elderly. Nursing homes are also seen as unduly expensive. It is this general impression The Baptist Homes wishes to overcome.
Audience
We seek to reach two closely connected audiences:
1. We need to engage seniors. These proud and independent individuals have lived full lives and have a wealth of experience. Many think of a nursing home as a place to go to wait to die. We need to address their fear of losing independence. They need to know that life in a nursing home can be active and filled with new opportunities for social interaction, learning and fun.
2. We need to engage the children of the elderly. Adult children of the aged are afraid their parents will be lonely, sad or mistreated in a nursing home. They often feel a sense of guilt at taking parents from home and putting them into an ‘institution’. They want their parents to be happy and treated well.
There is a universal desire to care for our own and to feel security and a sense of belonging in our golden years. We need to tell a convincing story about a place that restores life to residents, offers independence with respectful care, and provides a sense of community.
Contact Points
We want to tell a story that involves the audience and makes the following points:
1. It is a privilege to live a long life. The Baptist Homes is committed to treating seniors with the respect they have earned. The Baptist Homes promotes a lifestyle of growth, creativity and independence, while respecting the dignity and right to self-determination of those living in the community.
2. A retirement center is far from lonely and sad. Life at the Baptist Homes is uplifting. A wealth of activities offers a reinvigorated social life. Instead of a senior being shut in a house alone, The Baptist Homes offers them opportunities for stimulating social interaction, enriched living and renewed vibrancy.
3. Every person who comes to the Baptist Homes joins a family, and will be treated as family. Relatives and friends are extended family. You can be certain that you (or your loved one) will be cared for and every effort will be made to ensure their happiness.
4. Moving into a nursing home need not mean loss of independence. On the contrary, life at a retirement center can offer a new sense of freedom, without the responsibilities of caring for a house and yard, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, etc. The Baptist Homes delivers the highest quality of senior living in an independent and supportive environment.
5. Seniors have a right to achieve the highest level of well-being in mind, body and spirit. The Baptist Homes is committed to maintaining an environment that encourages and supports the components of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, and community.
6. The Baptist Homes is affordable. Everyone –regardless of faith or creed- is welcome.
Creative Approach
Approach to be determined.
Hanger, Inc.
Focus
The client, Hanger, Inc., wishes to engage the public with a story that will convince them to stop government efforts to eliminate prosthetics from coverage by government medical programs. A piece of approximately two minutes length will be uploaded on the Hanger, Inc. web site, the web sites of industry and social organizations seeking to oppose government health coverage changes and on YouTube.
Brand
As a brand, Hanger is well-known for cutting edge research and extensive involvement in the amputee community. To the public at large, however, medical device companies are generally seen as profit-hungry monsters. Amputees themselves are seen as something to be pitied and/or feared, and as drains on the public welfare (an exception is military amputees who have lost limbs in action.)
Audience
The audience is the general public who has the power to influence public officials. Most audience members are likely unaware of efforts to cut prosthetics coverage from Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Contact Points
Our story must make the following points:
1. Amputees are in serious danger of losing access to prosthetics.
2. With modern prosthetics amputees can be productive, contributing members of society.
3. If efforts to cut prosthetics coverage succeed, we are in danger of creating a new permanent underclass of welfare recipients.
Baptist Homes is a not-for-profit charitable nursing home. Despite its name, Baptist Homes serves “adults of all faiths who require assistance because of age, illness, or disability.” They provide skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, independent living arrangements and hospice care.
A recent study found that Senior citizens fear moving into a nursing home and losing their independence more than they fear death. The same study also found well over 80% of Baby Boomer children fear their parents will be mistreated in a nursing home or will be sad there. (Clarity).
But the Baptist Homes provides an array of educational and entertainment opportunities. Previously shut-in seniors can take advantage of a variety of social activities. Residents are treated with the respect their years and experience deserves.
Despite the negative stereotype of nursing homes as a place to sit and wait to die, the Baptist Homes is a place where the oldest among us can find life again.
Hanger, Inc.
Hanger manufactures custom prosthetics for amputees. Hanger is the nation’s largest supplier of artificial limbs. The company sponsors cutting edge research into computerized realistic prosthetics.
Founder James Hanger lost his leg to a cannonball during the first land battle of the Civil War at Philippi, West Virginia. At the 150th anniversary reenactment of the battle on June 4th of this year amputee Bill Dunham showcased Hanger’s new Genium Bionic Prosthetic System, a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee.
But because of the current economic crisis many states are cutting medical assistance funding for prosthetics. At a time when technology makes it possible for amputees to live normal lives and be productive members of society, many amputees are finding prosthetics will soon be out of reach.
Before they speak, we can see the difference. Mac is a cool, urban hipster of the new generation. He is comfortably dressed, with a modern haircut. PC is a stiff. He wears a suit, geeky glasses and his haircut is outdated. He’s the guy in the corner cubicle who uses his computer for word processing and crunching numbers forty-plus hours a week.
This impression is reinforced as they introduce themselves in the very first commercial (“Better”). Mac admits PC is good at ‘business stuff’ like spreadsheets, while he’s better at ‘life’ stuff like photos, music and movies. This is continually reinforced in later commercials. Mac says he likes using his computer for ‘fun stuff, like “movies, music, podcasts, stuff like that.” PC, on the other hand, uses his computer for ‘fun’ things like “time sheets and spreadsheets and pie charts”(Work vs. Home). In the second commercial (iLife), when they compare ‘cool apps’ the different systems come with, all PC can come up with are ‘calculator’ and ‘clock.’
Throughout the series of ads, “Apple is attempting to define its brand of computer, operating system, and software package as better because it is cooler.’ PCs are what your parents use,’ is the message that Apple wants Generation Me to think when they are computer shopping or asking their parents to buy them a new computer.” (Vinciguerra).
In many ways the ads are reminiscent of the familiar: ‘This is not your father’s Oldsmobile’ campaign, casting the PC as ‘your father’s computer.’ Another analyst compares the campaign to a classic Pepsi Cola ad: “…in the 1980’s Pepsi, like Apple today, conceded that they had lost the older generation to the competition, and focused on new converts. This thinking led to Pepsi being the number one selling soft drink in the United States…” (Vinciguerra).
Apple, the writer asserts, is taking a page from Pepsi’s book: “Apple knows that it won’t be able to convert consumers who have grown up with a Windows based PC. It also knows that a large number of consumers in the market are tied to Windows because it is required for their profession. Because of these reasons…Apple is targeting the younger generations.” (Vinciguerra).
To achieve this Apple wrote a character-driven storyline that everyone can understand, shifting the debate away from a battle over specs and value and toward a something to which we can all relate from our earliest playground memories: cool kid versus nerd. Each 30 second commercial has a story arc: a problem with the PC operating system is highlighted while it is revealed Mac does not suffer from the same issues. For instance, in “Restarting,” the fourth ad in the series, Mac and PC discuss how they both have a lot in common, like running Microsoft Office, but PC keeps freezing and restarting. PC shrugs off this unfortunate trait, saying, “You know how it is” Mac replies: “No, actually I don’t.”
In the simple, most direct analysis, these ads serve to highlight the advantages of a Mac over a PC.
"Out of the Box"
At the most basic level we know Mac appeals to people who want to enjoy their computer as an everyday tool ‘right out of the box,’ as so aptly demonstrated in ad number seven, “Out of the Box.” Mac is creative, intuitive and embraces technology and appeals to people who value ease of computing over the ability to tackle complicated ‘mathematical’ computing. PC grudgingly accepts his lot in life as a numbers cruncher and, when he struggles to achieve something creative, the tool just isn’t right.
"Trust Mac"
There is classic fear appeal: in “Trust Mac” we see PC trying desperately to disguise himself in an attempt to hide from viruses, and are told Mac’s don’t catch them. In “Viruses” PC crashes while Mac stands blithely by, unaffected and unconcerned.
"Network"
There is classic sex appeal: in “Network” –ad number three in the series- Mac is able to ‘network’ (hold hands and speak with) an attractive Japanese woman, while PC cannot communicate with her.
"Better Results"
In ad number 13, “Better Results,” Mac’s home movie is represented by supermodel Gisele Bündchen, while PC’s is represented by a scruffy guy in a wig.
But on a deeper level the ads serve to underscore more basic desires of the audience Apple seeks to reach. From the very first ad (“Better”) we see the differences between Mac and PC. We know Mac is better at ‘life stuff,’ an appeal to those who have grown up in a digital age and are comfortable with modern social engagement. In fact, PC is not ‘comfortable’ at all. While he is pleasant and engaging, his attempts to rebut Mac’s claims are ineffectual and often simply misguided because he cannot fully understand or identify with Mac’s lifestyle.
For instance, in the ninth ad in the series (“Work vs. Home”) PC attempts to counter Mac’s argument, “…it would be kinda hard to capture a family vacation with a pie chart,” by using a pie chart:
"Work vs. Home"
“This light gray area could represent ‘hang out time,’ while this dark gray area could represent ‘just kicking it’.” The ‘gray’ shades of the pie chart are clearly representative of the ‘gray’ dull, lifeless, work- only oriented existence PC leads. The appeal is to people who have a life beyond work, the songbird in all of us who yearn to be free of the bonds of everyday drudgery. This harkens back to the very first Macintosh ad: the famous Super Bowl ad -now ranked as one of the greatest of all time- in which a single rogue colorful character in an all-gray Orwellian world of slavery-to-work world hurls a hammer into Big Brother’s screen.
The approach this time is completely different; the call of the songbird is the same: freedom, a desire to be able to unleash innate creativity, every person’s need for free will.
As the ads progress, we see PC’s frustration increase. While he cannot truly understand Mac’s approach to life, he desperate wants to be like him and be better. He knows he is missing out on life. This is a brilliant part of the concept of these ads. Because the target audience can identify with PC as well as Mac. PC is bound by structure, yearning to break free of his bonds. He wants to be Mac… but is captive to the limitations of his world.
"Angel/Devil"
This is evident in “Angel/ Devil,” the 11th ad in the series, when PC is haunted by a devil who urges him to destroy Mac’s work, and an angel who wants him to praise it. In “WSJ” –ad number 6- PC pretends not to care while reading a positive review of Mac, then creates a fictitious ad to boost his own flagging image.
What we have in the “I’m a Mac ads” is a protagonist who is appealing and represents the desires of the target audience for freedom from drudgery and constraint… and an antagonist who is not unappealing, bound by constraints and is representative of the target audience’s own yearnings. As the central character, the audience can find their songbird in each.
Language specialist Shelle Rose Charvet, author of the book “Words that Change Minds,” analyzed the word patterns in the ‘I’m a Mac’ commercials. Charvet is the developer of a system of language pattern analysis known as LAB – Language and Behavior Profile. Charvet writes: “The obvious appeal to the commercials is their whack at Microsoft. Who doesn’t like seeing a giant fall off the beanstalk (unless you are underneath it!)? But there is more to their success at a deeper, below conscious level. If we examine them using psycho-linguistics, the commercials contain language and visual patterns which trigger the motivation of most viewers and this is why they are so successful.” (Charvet).
A few of the LAB patterns Charvet asserts are visible in the Mac ads are:
Away From: Language and images used to indicate a problem or situation to be avoided, fixed or solved. Anything that shows something that you do not want is “Away From.” The language and images move away from something. The PC character represents the things people detest about the PC; problems to be avoided!
Options: Any language and images promoting choice, variety, alternatives or breaking the rules. The Mac character represents a “better choice” than the problem-ridden PC and appeals to people who like alternatives.
Procedures: A step by step approach with a clear beginning, middle and end. These commercials are procedural since they have a clear story with this structure. Each one has characters and a plot. (Charvet).
In addition, Charvet’s profiling suggests language and images about people and relationships using names is influential. In this case “PC” and “Mac” – using names makes the ads more approachable right from the top.
Charvet asserts language patterns operate outside normal awareness, yet have the power to influence what people think and do in both one-on-one communication and in mass communication. Charvet’s behavior pattern model is very similar to the ‘songbird’ approach:
“In the Mac versus PC commercials the use…of Patterns motivate very distinct groups of people who use computers. Mac users tend to be attracted to the idea that they are different from ordinary mortals. These are the people who like to color outside the lines, and believe they are creative. They want variety and options, alternatives to the plain Jane mainstream technology.” (Charvet). In comparison, “PC users prefer to have a Procedural approach when using their computers. They want a standard step by step procedure when using technology. They want to continue using the procedure they are accustomed to using.” (Charvet).
Did Apple’s storytelling work? Did the audience hear a songbird siren-call to buy a Mac? According to ResearchCast.com’s report of sales through October of 2008, (15 months into the campaign):
§ 50% of Macs sold at Apple retail stores were to those who were first time Mac purchasers
§ Apple to achieved 2007 revenue levels in Q1 08- Q3 08
§ Apple increased its U.S. PC share from single digits to 18 percent of unit sales. Revenue share was 31 percent
§ One out of every 3 dollars spent in US retail computer sales was spent on a Mac
§ Mac achieved a 39 percent notebook share in U.S. higher education (higher than Dell)
§400,000 people a day visited Apple retail stores, up significantly(ResearchCast).
The chart at right (from ResearchCast) shows how Apple soared -on the wings of a songbird- above its PC-based competition.
Language specialist Shelle Ross Charvet summarizes: “The secret is partially in the story! Commercials with characters and a plot appeal to the Procedural PC user.”
She also notes other elements In the success formula:
“The commercials put a finger on all the issues that drive PC users crazy! Error messages, having to reboot, viruses, unwieldy software….. Yuck!
Whether you feel empathy for people or just want the facts; these advertisements are for you.
The commercials use the “universal close” that makes sales people drool. No one overtly tells you what to do, you draw your own conclusion that appeals to Internals, and yet it is clear from the commercials that droves of people are converting to Mac.” (Charvet).
The ads have the quality of appealing to the songbirds in procedural PC buyers while supporting the belief structure of the current ‘free spirited’ Mac users.Thus they successfully reach two distinctly different types of characters: people who want to make up their own mind and are difficult to influence (Mac users, who in this case already embrace the brand with extreme loyalty); and those who are influenced by outside factors and people’s opinions… who care about what others think of them and may follow the crowd. (PC, with his demonstrated desire to be like Mac.)
“All this happens in about 30 seconds,” says Charvet. “When you add in these other elements that make it universal you have the irresistible appeal to action for just about anybody. Most people are only aware that they just like the ads. And then the sales go up.” (Charvet).
When we think of a ‘brand,’ most people think only of the name associated with a product. They go to the store and select the ‘brand’ they like, choosing Heinz ketchup over Hunts, for instance. Or they buy Levi jeans instead of Guess.
But why?
In reality, the brand is not just the name – it is connotations the name evokes in a person’s mind, the ‘cluster of ideas.’ “This cluster of ideas is based on the fact that we have a general tendency, other things being equal, to choose things that we are more familiar with or recognize.” (Clifton).
Brands become brands by “creating awareness, fame, familiarity or ‘salience’… It is important to think of brand communications not just as one-to-one messages from the brand to the individual, but also as public rituals creating shared meanings.” (Clifton).
Let’s look again at the classic films from our last post: Seven Samurai, North By Northwest, and Casablanca. Each of these films, rated among the greatest of all time, has entered the public consciousness. It’s not surprising. According to a study released earlier this spring by the UK Film Council, film is a shared experience: “The great majority recognise the awesome power of film to tell stories, to influence, to educate and to inspire…these findings point towards an extraordinary power that film has to shape and mould public opinion.” (Farley).
Sound like a brand?
The Seven Samurai
As Lesson 2 notes, “Example: the seven samurai in the famous Kurosawa film. The seven are a brand. And the brand changes as they change—as these ragtag out-of-work swordsmen find a purpose and become men of honor who save civilization. The brand goes from pretty shabby to world-class. In the film it’s not the peasants and certainly not the bandits who see this. It’s we, the audience.” (WVU).
The seven enter a world where they are feared, because Samurai have become as rogue as the bandits they’ve been hired to fight. The villagers have killed Samurai with impunity. But these seven come to find the nobility of purpose and selflessness, and we see it too. It speaks to a deep-seated desire to believe that such heroes do exist, willing defend the helpless when called upon.
Long after the film is over, the brand remains, and has a legacy far beyond the Kurosawa film. In fact, it has become familiar Hollywood stock.
The brand reappears, most notably, as “The Magnificent Seven” on both film and television. But the brand has also appeared in “Battle Beyond the Stars” (seven ragtag heroes), “Armageddon” (seven ragtag heroes), “King Arthur” (the 2004 version… seven ragtag heroes), “Galaxy Quest” (okay, there are only six, but it is a reasonable argument that Quellek, who idolizes Allan Tickman’s character, is Kikuchiyo)… and innumerable other films.
“So you’re a group of farmers whose village is under attack by a gang of remorseless bandits. None of you know how to fight, so you leave to hire a group of warriors who are willing to defend you for the pittance you can pay, plus meals. So you come back with seven guys and… hey, wait a minute, haven’t we seen this somewhere before?” (TVTropes).
Yes, we have. It’s Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life.”
The TV Tropes web site has an entire section devoted to The Seven Samurai and projects borrowing the “rogue to benevolent hero” cluster of ideas in the Magnificent Seven brand, including film, television, literature, comic books, anime, games and more. The site defines a “’Tropes’ as “devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations.” In other words: brands.
Another brand in the film is the music score, particularly the “March of the Samurai.” The DVD extras in the Criterion collection edition speak to the music as having become synonymous in the minds of those familiar with the film with the Seven, much as the theme from the Magnificent Seven has become a brand in its own right in the western world.
(To download the entire UK Fiml Council study, follow this link: http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/audiences)
North By Northwest:
The ‘zero to hero’ brand features prominently in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest as well, as Roger Thornhill changes from philandering, self-centered playboy to reluctant hero to selfless agent against evil.
In addition, several elements in the film have also taken on a life of their own as familiar brand in the mind of the public. Most notable is the scene in which Thornhill is attacked by a cropduster.
The scene has become such a part of the public consciousness that it has been homaged by cartoons such as The Simpsons and Family Guy, television shows like Hammer, and even on the Academy Awards. The British film magazine Empire ranked the cropduster sequence as the greatest movie moment of all time, topping their list of the “1001 Greatest Movie Moments” of all time.
Another brand in the film is the Mount Rushmore chase sequence. As in the cropduster scene, this scene manages to take familiar, seemingly mundane location well-known to everyone and turn it into a frighteningly deadly place. The familiar is transformed by this action, and as such, this brand has been used repeatedly in thrillers and horror films.
The film succeeds on numerous levels, and was been called “the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures” by screenwriter Ernest Lehman. The TVTropes web site identifies no fewer than 49 ‘tropes’ in the movie.
But the most widely recognized and popular brand in North By Northwest is in the film for less than five seconds: Alfred Hitchcock himself. His appearance as the man missing the bus in the opening sequence is one of 39 such appearances he made in his films, a device other directors have followed, including Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi, Quentin Tarentino, and M. Knight Shyamalan.
Hitchcock himself was such a powerful brand, evoking images of suspense and thrills, that the movie trailer for North By Northwest consisted almost entirely of Hitchcock simply addressing the audience:
Even before North By Northwest Hitchcock was becoming one of the most successful brands in entertainment history. He already had his own television series, and “…In 1957, publishers Simon and Schuster approached Alfred Hitchcock, an avid reader of horror and suspense tales, about compiling a book of short stories to be “branded” with the title of his popular television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Their proposal was accepted and the book was a resounding success. Various additional publishers entered the fray, including Random House, Dell, Davis Publications, and H.S.D. More than 100 Alfred Hitchcock mystery books followed during the next forty plus years.” (Alfredsplace).
Hitchcock became such a familiar brand that his shadow or mere outline was enough to evoke a cluster of ideas in the collective mind of the public. Look up “Hitchcock” on Google. The tenth image is simply a shadow…
Casablanca
Once again, the ‘zero to hero’ brand resonates. Rick Baine is cold, detached from the world, and determined to remain neutral. But circumstances dictate otherwise. Like the Seven Samurai he is the rogue who transcends is own reluctance, and becomes hero. Like Roger Thornhill he rises above self-centeredness, and becomes the agent of good against evil.
The branded elements in Casablanca and surrounding Rick Blaine are innumerable, and each is evocative in its own way. To name just a few:
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
“Of all the gin joints in all the world…>
“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
“Play it again, Sam.” Even though those exact words are never uttered in the film, an example of the enormous power of the brand that even an inexact paraphrase has become a part of the world lexicon.
“Round up the usual suspects.” A phrase that went to become its own film.
“We’ll always have Paris.” A phrase so evocative and now universal that it has seven different Wikipedia pages and eight automated recommended searches on Google. It is the name of a book by Ray Bradbury and the title of an episode in the Star Trek franchise. The cluster of ideas resounding from the utterance of this phrase calls to mind the universal knowledge that memories are precious and have power. A phrase studied and analyzed: “Popular memory is the site of lipstick traces and spectral connections. To study memory is not an investigation of the past, broadly defined. Instead, it is an analysis of the material traces of past cultures and experiences that survive in the present.” (Brabazon).
Memory, and the evocation of the universality of shared experience is the core of cluster of ideas surrounding what is perhaps the film’s most powerful brand: the song ‘As Time Goes By:’
The best of brands really do stand the test of time ‘as time goes by.’ They evoke specific reactions and develop a cachet.
Take, for instance, the Rolls Royce of brands. That would be…
Rolls Royce:
The very name itself has come to evoke the ideas of superior quality, luxury and status above all others. In the mid-seventies 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer did and entire piece on Rolls Royce as the ultimate in luxury, butchering the English language, but making a point by saying, “…when you Rolls, you rolls alone.”
The entwined RR logo and the famous Rolls hood ornament are instant identifiers of the brand affilitiation with the highest of status and prestige.The hood ornamt even has a name: ‘The Spirit of Ecstasy.’ Which is the feeling a person get, one supposes, when they become wealthy enough to afford a Rolls.
The phrase “Rolls Royce of (insert reference of your choice here)…) is so ubiquitous that it is even used in academia. A recent academic paper on the endurance of the printed encyclopedia, which “…reviews the development of the subject encyclopedia as an information resource and evaluates its present role, with particular focus on the academic library,” was entitled: “The Rolls Royce of the Library Reference Collection”: The Subject Encyclopedia in the Age of Wikipedia, (East).
The Rolls brands have creation myths common to the most enduring brands. The famous intertwined double-R logo represents the company founders: Sir Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls. Originally the brand was red. Brand myth say the color was changed to black in respect following the death of Sir Henry Royce in 1933. This is certainly the kind of thing nobility would do… adding to the brand’s already significant affiliation with noblesse oblige. In reality, however, “black lettering was simply considered more becoming of a prestigious luxury car. The timing of the color change was pure chance.” (Kurczewski).
The Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament was designed by Charles Sykes in 1911. “The model for the emblem was Eleanor Thornton, the personal secretary of John Scott Montagu, the 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu and friend of company co-founder Charles Stewart Rolls. In 1915, Miss Thornton died at sea while traveling to India. Yet for almost 100 years her likeness has graced every Spirit of Ecstasy.” (Kurczewski).
While we’re on the subject of car like none other, let’s look at the iconic brand of…
Ferrari:
The very word “Ferrari” evokes images of speed and power. It’s not a car… it’s art on wheels, a thoroughbred born to race unbridled. In fact… its emblem is a horse. And the Ferrari is the scion of racing heritage. The creation myth evokes all this, and more, bonding the elements with an aura of testosterone-inducing heroism possibly only a true Italian could appreciate: “One of the best known emblems of all time, Ferrari’s Prancing Horse first appeared on warplanes flown by Francesco Baracca, an aviator and hero of World War I.
In 1923, Enzo Ferrari met Francesco’s parents after a race, where they suggested Ferrari use their son’s prancing horse badge on his race cars—both for good luck, and as an homage to Francesco.” Baracca was a legend in Italy. The nation’s top fighter ace –and one of the Allies best- credited with 34 aerial kills. He was shot down before the end of the war. Legend has it he managed to land safely, but took his own life to avoid the dishonor of being captured by the Austro-Hungarians. (Kurczewski).
A yellow background, the official color of Enzo Ferrari’s hometown of Modena, Italy, was added to the badge, and the horse’s tail was redesigned to point upward.
Some cars are luxurious. Some are fast. Others are a safe as a…
Volvo:
That’s what the Swedish car is known for: safety. It is an image carefully cultivated over the decades. Never stylish, often just plain boxy, the Volvo brand evokes the image of sturdiness and the ability to withstand incident without serious injury. How common is that cluster of ideas? Just read this review of a rock band written earlier this spring: “My main gripe is that the fabled ‘gang against the world’ spirit of rock is largely absent today, where the majority of big rock bands are as safe as a Volvo…where’s the risk? The derring-do?” (Sparrow).
The Volvo brand even has sturdy roots. “The Volvo logo is the Roman symbol for iron—symbolizing a warrior’s shield and spear. The diagonal streak across the grille was originally only a mounting point for the badge, but is now ‘almost as much a brand ID as our iron symbol,’ says Daniel Johnston, Product Communications Manager at Volvo Cars North America.” (Kurczewski).
The source of the name ‘Volvo’ is simple and sturdy as well. It’s Latin, meaning “I roll.”
And the creation myth is as plain and practical as the cars. The name was originally to be used for a brand of ball bearings before the company started making automobiles. (Kurczewski).
Volvo. “I roll…”
That’s branding. Simple, but evocative of a cluster of ideas that bring to mind a familiar connotation in the minds of many and propels the brand to success.
Unlike that other automobile, the Chevy Nova. Which, when released in Latin America Chevrolet neglected to consider the fact that Nova in Spanish means “it doesn’t go…”
But that’s a whole ‘nother blog.
References:
1001 Greatest Movie Moments”. Empire (London, England): 89–113
Nothing less is at stake in the film Casablanca than the very course of the war. Victor Laszlo arrives in Casablanca, as man on the run from the Nazis and a crucial voice in the war effort. We are never really told why Victor Laszlo’s role against the Axis is so critical. We know that he was an intellectual and Resistance leader who escaped from a concentration camp and is held in such high stature abroad that the Nazi’s are afraid to kill him outright. In this sense he is much like Nelson Mandela, 2010 Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo and other leaders imprisoned by totalitarian regimes to afraid to kill them, but also too afraid to let them speak freely. We are given to believe the Laszlo’s leadership is essential to the struggle against Fascism, and there must escape to America.
The central character in the film is Rick Blaine. Blaine is a cynical, self-centered loner. Embittered and disillusioned, any purpose he once had in life was snuffed out when the love of his life abandoned him. He has retreated to Casablanca, the ultimate neutral in a place famous for neutrality. But early on in the film we are given clues that deep inside Rick Blaine there still beats a hero’s heart. The question is can he find a reason to cast aside his comfortable, isolationist existence and once again take up the fight against Fascism. Rick is the one person who has the power to help Laszlo, for he has come into possession of letters of transit which would allow Laszlo to leave Casablanca for Portugal and the Americas.
From early on in the film we are given clues that Rick Blaine’s isolationist attitude is a carefully constructed self-defense mechanism. He refuses to drink with customers. He repeatedly refuses to help people. “I’m the only ’cause’ I’m interested in,” says Rick. The character of Captain Renault tells the German officers that Rick is decidedly neutral, and when Major Strasser probes, Blaine displays a devil-may-care attitude that seemingly confirms it: “What is your nationality?” asks Strasser. “I’m a drunkard,” replies Rick.
Major Strasser: Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Germans in their beloved Paris? Rick: It’s not particularly my beloved Paris. Heinz: Can you imagine us in London? Rick: When you get there, ask me! Captain Renault: Hmmh! Diplomatist! Major Strasser: How about New York? Rick: Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn’t advise you to try to invade.
To most, Rick seems decidedly non-committal about politics, life and love. “Where were you last night?” asks his lover Yvonne:
Rick: That’s so long ago, I don’t remember. Yvonne: Will I see you tonight? Rick: I never plan that far ahead.
But we see the chinks in Blaine’s armor. Near the beginning of the film, he refuses entry to the bar’s back room to a high-ranking German official, and it’s obvious he has no love for the Reich. We learn that before coming to Casablanca, Rick was a gun-runner and partisan in the war against Facism:
Captain Renault: In 1935, you ran guns to Ethiopia. In 1936, you fought in Spain, on the Loyalist side. Rick: I got well paid for it on both occasions. Captain Renault: The *winning* side would have paid you *much better*.
Renault goes so far as to call Rick a closet “sentimentalist.” But what could motivate him to cast off his façade and ‘return to the fight?’
Deep inside Rick Blaine still believes in the ideal of love. Annina asks him, “Oh, monsieur, you are a man. If someone loved you very much, so that your happiness was the only thing that she wanted in the world, but she did a bad thing to make certain of it, could you forgive her?” Rick replies from behind his façade: “Nobody ever loved me that much.” But he helps her, arranging for her young husband to win at roulette to gain the money for exit visas.
The return of Ilsa Lund is the critical motivator. The woman who destroyed his soul has returned. He still loves her, and he despises her. She is the reason he has cut himself off from the world and sheltered himself from the ideals he once held so dear. Drinking himself to a stupor after their first meeting, Rick asks Sam a question that foreshadows the eventual outcome of the film and is also a revelation as to what this story is really about:
Rick: If it’s December 1941 in Casablanca, what time is it in New York? Sam: What? My watch stopped. Rick: I’d bet they’re asleep in New York. I’d bet they’re asleep all over America.
December, 1941, is when America was jolted out of the ‘sleep’ self-imposed isolationism by the attack on Pearl Harbor. “Casablanca is, among other things, a fable of citizenship and idealism, the duties of the private self in the dangerous public world. It is a thoroughly escapist myth about getting politically involved.” (Time).
Rick Blaine suffers no such blatant attack. Instead he transformed by a series of reminders about the true nature of love and sacrifice. First, Annina offers to sacrifice herself for Jan, and he remembers the nature of love. Then he learns that Ilsa was married to Victor during the time they were in love in Paris, but she thought Laszlo was dead. Ilsa tells Rick that she loved him with all her heart, but that in Laszlo was a higher purpose she could not abandon… and Rick relearns the nature of sacrifice for ideals. When Laszlo attmpts to force a political confrontation Rick’s Cafe by asking the band to play La Marseillaise to counter the singing of the Nazis, Rick nods his approval. (Click the picture to go to the scene.)
Victor Laszlo has reminded Rick of the power of belief in a cause:
Rick: Don’t you sometimes wonder if it’s worth all this? I mean what you’re fighting for. Victor Laszlo: You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we’ll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die. Rick: Well, what of it? It’ll be out of its misery. Victor Laszlo: You know how you sound, Mr. Blaine? Like a man who’s trying to convince himself of something he doesn’t believe in his heart. (Click the picture to watch the scene.)
"You sound like a man who's trying to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart..."
Finally, when Laszlo pleads with Rick to take Ilsa away to America, willing to sacrifice himself for love once again discovers the nature of idealism, love and sacrifice:
Victor Laszlo: “You won’t give me the letters of transit: all right, but I want my wife to be safe. I ask you as a favor, to use the letters to take her away from Casablanca. Rick: You love her that much? Victor Laszlo: Apparently you think of me only as the leader of a cause. Well, I’m also a human being. Yes, I love her that much.”
In Laszlo, Rick sees a better version of himself; Laszlo is the man Rick might have been if Rick had not abandoned himself to self pity and isolationism. In the end it is Ilsa who is tempted to surrender her ideals, and the newly revived Rick who tells her: “You’re part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” He speaks from experience, with the voice of the man who has been hiding behind the now broken façade of indifference.
“Victor and Rick are splintered aspects, it may be, of the same man. Ultimately, the ego rises above mere selfish despair and selfish desire. It is reborn in sacrifice and community: “It doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill o’ beans in this crazy world.” (Time).
Rick Blaine is a multifaceted character. We see three different personalities during the course of the film: the heartbroken, cynical isolationist, the joyous, carefree lover, and the idealist dedicated to democracy. But because of Rick’s mysterious nature and the depths of despair to which he has fallen, we are uncertain until the very end which character will emerge victorious. Will selfishness prevail and send Laszlo (idealism) to his demise? Or will Rick choose to remain safe behind her carefully constructed façade and doom Ilsa and Laszlo to an eternity in Casablanca?
In fact, Blaine has good reason not to act at all. He respected in Casablanca. His bar is popular and by all appearances he lives quite well. In addition, by doing nothing he might very well have his heart’s (at least his cold heart’s) desire: Ilsa. The Germans discuss the fact that they cannot let Lazslo escape, nor can they allow him to remain in Caablanca. “You have already observed that in Casablanca human life is cheap,” says Major Strasser. Should Rick stand aside and refuse to help, Laszlo will meet the fate Ilsa thought he had met in the concentration camp. And Rick would have Ilsa.
But it is Major Strasser who pays the price when Rick recovers his idealism and helps Laszlo and Ilsa escape (click the image to see the final scene of Casablanca):
Rick Blaine rejoins the fight. His ideals restored, his journey is just beginning...
Kambei Shimada: “By protecting others, you save yourselves.”
Seven Samurai's Kambei Shimada
Casablanca is a rich and complex film, and Rick Blaine is among the most complex characters in film history. By comparison, Seven Samurai and its cast of warriors seem so much simpler. But not for long.
The story appears straightforward: A town ravished by bandits hires seven masterless samurai to protect them. For the peasants in the village noting less than survival is at stake. They are already reduced to eating millet. If the bandits come again, stealing their new crops, taking their women, killing their men… the village will simply cease to exist.
But there is far more beneath the surface of this film. Just as Casablanca can be seen as a parable about America’s birth from isolationism during World War II, Seven Samurai is about the strict class structure of feudal Japan and the beginning of the end of the Samurai class. For the six samurai (and one wannbe) hired to protect the village the survival of their entire way be being is at stake.
There is also the question of just who is the central character in the film. It could be argued that all seven represent one unified character, various aspects of the noble ideal of the samurai way and what it has become. Another analysis claims: “The story is not about the samurai themselves nor the attacking bandits, but the story of the peasant hero Rikichi. Rikichi is a young farmer who has first voiced out on fighting the bandits. Everyone in the village is in despair, ready to yield to the bandits when they arrive, but Rikichi vows not to surrender anymore.”
But whether it is the peasants or the samurai, the spirit of one noble man brings them together: Kambei Shimada, the masterless samurai first seen pretending to be a monk to save a child being held hostage. In this very first sequence we see Shimada’s idealism to the samurai code: Justice, Bravery, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, Loyalty. (Oriental Outpost). As we meet him he is having his topknot shaved off so he can impersonate the monk. The topknot was a significant status symbol to a samurai, as much a part of him s his sword; that Shimada would have it shaved represents his dedication to the code. (Astell).
When the villagers set out to find “hungry samurai” who might agree to protect them, they at first find class-conscious oafs who cheat them. Such is the state of the noble warrior class during the years of endless civil war. Then they find Shimada. Shimada may be a masterless, but he retains the idealism of the true samurai way, and agrees to help them. He decides seven samurai will be needed to protect the village. His recruiting is a mixture of cunning tests of skill and appeals to the sense of honor and justice of the true samurai. He admits to the recruits the farmers have nothing to offer but rice.
Kambei Shimada: As a matter of fact, I’m preparing for a tough war. It will bring us neither money nor fame. Want to join?
Shichirōji: Yes!
Kambei Shimada: Maybe we die this time.
Shichirōji: (smiles)
We learn Shimada, like Rick Blaine, has a long history of fighting on the losing side. “You’re overestimating me,” he says. “Listen, I’m not a man with any special skill, but I’ve had plenty of experience in battles; losing battles, all of them. In short, that’s all I am.” But we know he is much more. He is a symbol of the true samurai way, and he manages to find samurai who will defend the village. In fact, Kambei is such a noble example of samurai that two warriors he tries to keep away are compelled to follow him: Katshuhiro -the young man who is seeking an ideal, Kikuchiyo, the peasant who wants to be a samurai.
But Simada’s path is far more than a journey to a seemingly hopeless battle. It is a path of discovery. When the samurai arrive the villagers hide, afraid the warriors will plunder their homes and take their women.
The villagers, victims of the ruthlessness of all sides during the years of civil war, see the samurai as just another kind of bandit. Shimada sets out to build trust between the samurai and the villagers, developing a strategy for defense and overseeing the martial training of the village men who will assist in the fight against the bandits. But another event brings Shimada once again to the realization that the samurai are not held in the high regard they once were and, in fact, are threatened.
A cache of weapons is found, leading to the discovery that the villagers have killed and robbed samurai fleeing from nearby civil war battles. Kikuchiyo –who we know to be a peasant and eventually learn is the child of farmers killed by bandits- heatedly explains the farmers’ actions:
“They’re nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do?”
The day of the ideal samurai –if indeed there ever was one- are over. Kambei Shimada begins to learn the tragic lesson – he is a relic of a bygone era, cling to a code others have long abandoned.
When the climactic battle comes, Kambei leads with calm precision. He is the consummate warrior in the samurai way, skillful, wise unselfish. He leads his ragtag band of castoff swordsmen to remarkable heroism and sacrifice. Yet, even in the sacrifice, Kambei sees the foreshadowed end of his class. Four of the seven samurai are killed in the battle. Not a single one is defeated by the sword or spear, dying the death of a true samurai; all four are killed by gunshots. Kyuzo, the most skillful of them all, is shot in the back and dies an ignominious death in the mud.
At the very end, when the bandits have been defeated and the village saved, Kambei comes to the realization:
Kambei Shimada: In the end we’ve lost this battle, too. [Shichiroji looks puzzled at Kambei] Kambei Shimada: I mean, the victory belongs to those peasants, not to us.
The farmers are sowing, accompanied by music and dance. They are happy. Life will go on. They have won their victory. The remaining samurai, on the other hand, are left masterless wanderers, prisoners of their class. “Interestingly, those who beat the drums and sing are those who were recognized by the samurai as having become brave fighters during the battle scenes. Still earlier, they were the ones who ate millet and suffered hunger while they cooked and fed the samurai steamy white rice. The farmers are now organized, happy, hard-working, etc. In other words, they are behaving in such a way that you would expect them to fight without samurai, next time there is an invasion. Thus the farmers are now able to defend themselves as well as grow food.” (Singh)
Seven Samurai is a rousing epic. But, like all classic films, it is also very much a character study. Every character learns and grows and evolves. “All of them seek something and all of them find something in the time they share in the village, though not always what they expected. They learn a good deal about what farmers are and why they are why they are. Their eyes are opened.” (Astell).
Kambei Shimada’s transformation is perhaps the most subtle, and yet he is the one who, at the end, pronounces there can be no victory for the samurai. We have seen Katsuhiro comes of age, as a warrior and a man. Gorobei has found friendshi; Kikuchiyo has found action and a sense of belonging and purpose. Kyuzo has demonstrated the perfection of his art. In a sense, Kambei Shimada is all of these characters rolled into one, demonstrating the gamut of skills and attributes of the true samurai. It is his mastery of each of these elements that allows him to lead and to bring together, not just the samurai, but the villagers into a cohesive unit. Kambei continually reminds them all –and us- that all the elements must come together if a defense is to be successful. “Selfishness will not be tolerated. You’re all in one boat,” he says. And, “He who thinks only about himself will destroy himself, too.” And, “In war, it’s teamwork that counts.”
At the same time, we can see that Kambei sees Katshuhiro as a younger version of himself – young, anxious to learn and be in the thick of the fight. At one particularly compelling point in the film Kambei talks about the sacrifices a samurai makes, only to wind up alone the end. You can see in the eyes of each of the others that they have lived this journey, and know what is ahead for Katsuhiro if he remains. Indeed, the penultimate moment of the film comes after the victory over the bandits, while the farmers and celebrating and planting their crops; Katsuhiro meets his lover Shino on the road… and she casts down her eyes ignores him and moves on. Kambei Shimada sees himself, alone on the road again, his cast preventing him from ever joining the peasants in their victory.
In this way, Kambei Shimada’s journey is the opposite of Rick Blaine’s. Blaine discovers his ideals again and walks off into the night en route to rejoining a cause with renewed purpose. Kambei Shimada follows the ideals his peers have abandoned and discovers that his purpose is ultimately bereft of meaning.
Had Kambei been a different person, he could easily have ignored the peasant’s pleas. Many other samurai did. He could, like so many other samurai, have abandoned his code and taken to using his strength and skills for his own benefit alone. But such is not in his character. To the end, he exhibits the quiet nobility of a dying code of honor that will forever doom him to remain apart.
Roger O. Thornhill: “The art of survival.”
North By Northwest's Roger Thornhill
The hero of North by Northwest is reluctant, to say the least. After being mistaken for a non-existent secret agent and accused of a murder he didn’t commit, Thornhill is running for his life.
We first meet Thornhill as a successful Madison Avenue advertising executive. Self-assured in a gray flannel suit, “the classic ad-man is rushing to a business luncheon, coming down an elevator and walking briskly through a modern Manhattan office building to a taxi. Brash, smart, fast-talking, with an air of overconfidence and exuding masterful control over his environment.” (Filmsite).
Thornhill soon loses all control over his life, however, when two thugs mistake him for George Kaplan, a federal agent on the trail of a traitor smuggling government secrets out of the country. Kidnapped, he is set up for a fatal accident that he manages to escape though no real skill of his own (and only because, as we have previously learned, Thornhill is a man who can hold his liquor). Thornhill tries to regain control by tracking down the man he was mistaken for… only to reconfirm in the minds of his kidnappers that he is indeed the illusive Mr. Kaplan. Matters take a turn for the worse when, in an effort to confront the mastermind of his kidnapping he winds up the prime (and very convincing) suspect in the murder to a United Nations official. Up to this point the word ‘hapless’ describes Roget Thornhill. He escapes only through happenstance and, despite the danger he is in, is a comic figure (click the image to watch the scene):
Following the only lead he has to redeem himself, Thornhill winds up on a train to Chicago and meets Eve Kendall, a seductive woman who seems eager to help this fugitive escape. We now see Thornhill confirm what we have known from the opening scene: he has a problem with commitment. He has two ex-wives and is a playboy who has his secretary send cards and gifts to his lovers, but can’t remember what he has said to them.
In Kendall he meets his match:
Roger: Oh, you’re that type. Eve: What type? Roger: Honest. Eve: Not really. Roger: Good, because honest women frighten me. Eve: Why? Roger: I don’t know. Somehow they seem to put me at a disadvantage. Eve: Because you’re not honest with them? Roger: Exactly.
It is no coincidence that when Thornhill gives his matchbook to Eve, he notes that his initials spell ‘rot.’ He is intelligent and witty and charming; he displays the ad man’s lack of scruples and uses his skills to no higher purpose.
Roger O Thornhill - ROT
But the ad man gets played. Kendall, it turns out, is really the mistress of the evil kidnapper-mastermind, Philip Vandamm. She pretends to help him arrange a meeting with the real George Kaplan, but in reality sends him into an ambush (the cropduster attack, one of the most iconic scenes in thriller history – click on the image to see it).
Thornhill escapes once again. In this scene -confronting danger in a wide open space where a man should seemingly have nothing to fear, Thornhill begins his transformation. He returns to Chicago, and tracks Eve and Vandamm to an art auction, where he confronts them publicly:
“What possessed you,” asks Vandamm, “to come blundering in here like this? Could it be an overpowering interest in art?”
“Yes,” Thornhill replies. “The art of survival.”
(Click on the image to watch the scene.)
Thornhill would not recognize it, because he is acting as circumstances dictate he must in order to stay alive, but he is gradually becoming the clever secret agent, George Kaplan. It happens at first in the minds of his pursuers, who interpret every hairsbreadth escape and accidental discovery as the work of a highly-trained counterespionage agent. But as his peril increases and he experiences personal betrayal at the hands of Eve, Thornhill adopts the relentless intelligence of a man such as Kaplan would be… if he existed.
And then… we discover Eve Kendall really is a government agent. Thornhill, during his confrontation at the art gallery, has jeopardized her cover. When the Professor asks him to continue playing Kaplan, at first her refuses: “I’m an advertising man, not a red herring.”
But realizing the woman he has come to care for is in danger, he agrees. Later, after a charade in which Eve Kendall is allowed to “shoot” Kaplan to vindicate herself in the eyes of Vandamm, Roger and Eve meet. He asks her how she got into this situation.
Eve: “It was the first time anyone ever asked me to do anything worthwhile.”
Roger: “Has life been like that?”
She reveals that she is the result of failed relationships with men who only sought to take advantage of her, that what happened in her life is,“Men like you.”
“What’s wrong with men like me?” Thornhill asks.
“They don’t believe in marriage.”
Roger tells Eve he will set things right after Vandamm is away. She has captured his heart and he is ready to commit. Only to discover that Eve has been assigned to accompany Vandamm. The Professor says it’s something she ‘has to do.’ Thornhill is incensed.
‘Nobody has to do anything,” rails Thornhill. “I don’t like the games you play, professor.” This calls to mind the fact that we first saw the Professor and his colleagues playing fast and loose with human lives, including Thornhill’s, over a Washington conference table. “If you fellas can’t lick the Van Dammes of the world without asking girls like her to bed down with them and fly away with them and probably never come back, perhaps you ought to start learning how to lose a few cold wars.” It is at this point in the film -realizing that he has been lied to and that Eve, despite her belief she is working for good, is simply being used once again by the noncommittal- that George Thornhill literally does turns him into Kaplan. He becomes an agent on a mission of purpose to rescue the girl he has fallen in love with. What follows is a man transformed into something out of a Bond film, escaping through windows, climbing stone walls, eluding killers in a deadly chase across the top of Mount Rushmore.
Thornhill’s efforts to escape assassination, discover why he is being pursued and clear his name are the initial driving force in the film. But along the way Thornhill, like Blaine and Kambei Shimada, finds purpose and ideal. He discovers love and commitment, and also a sense of justice, outraged that the forces of right and good would stoop to using a woman as a pawn.
Initially, Thornhill has no choice but to act for self preservation. But when he is given choices, he is no longer the non-committal, truth-avoiding playboy. Like Kambei Shimada and Rick Blaine, he has become a crusader for justice, willing to risk his life, not just for a woman (although in this case a happy-ending romance is more central to the theme) but also for an ideal of justice and right.
In each of these classic films the central character takes in inner journey to discover purpose and learn the nature of idealism and sacrifice. Each is transformed in the process and will never be the same again. Each as we leave them is embarking on another journey…
Storytelling 