SHOOT MAGAZINE

April 25, 2003

Kangaroo Courts Concepts, New Talent

By Robert Goldrich

Minneapolis–Sponsored by the nonprofit Sean Francis Foundation, and established to mentor promising creative and filmmaking talent via the production of worthwhile public service ad work that is guaranteed airtime, the Kangaroo Project now enters the second year of its annual competitions, this time looking to expand nationally. The 2003 Kangaroo Project is seeking concepts for a PSA that promotes organ donation. Once a group of industry judges selects the winning concept, directorial entrants will submit treatments so that they can be considered to helm the project.

In its inaugural year of '02, the Kangaroo Project yielded the creation of a motorcycle traffic safety PSA, "Oblivious Guy," for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The concept for the :30 was selected from a field of high-caliber storyboards submitted by up-and-coming creatives. Judges deemed the strongest concept to be the one conceived by the creative team of Mike Fetrow and Brian Tierney of Carmichael Lynch, Minneapolis. A separate set of judges then assessed prospective helmers who submitted their visions for that concept. The winner was Marco Baca of Wilson Griak, Minneapolis.

Baca directed "Oblivious Guy," which was shot over two days in September '02, and then debuted in October at the Minneapolis Advertising Federation Awards show. The spot aired in Minnesota markets last year and is running again in Minnesota and other states as part of a spring season initiative. The Minnesota Department of Safety pledged $150,000 worth of airtime to the PSA, which has been placed in a transportation safety pool of commercials that other states can access.

Members of the Minneapolis community donated their talent, time, services and resources to the project, which was produced on a modest budget. Additionally, industry professionals mentored career aspirants on different disciplines during the production and postproduction of the job.

"Oblivious Guy" depicts just that- a man coming out of a convenience store who mindlessly bumps into people on the sidewalk. He throws his beverage bottle in the general direction of a trashcan only to have it hit a bystander. The preoccupied man then knocks a person standing next to a motorcycle to the ground. The oblivious guy hops on the bike, and a supered message asks, "What if motorcyclists didn't see you?" The Minnesota Department of Public Safety then offers a supered retort, which simply advises motorists to "Start seeing motorcycles."

While the spot was done with an undercurrent of humor, the serious subject is near and dear to the heart of Julie Hartley, a veteran producer and production manager. Hartley teamed with several members of the Minnesota production community-including Kirk Hokanson, owner/president of Voodoo Films, Minneapolis-to form the Sean Francis Foundation, named after her 20-year-old son, who died in a motorcycle accident in '00. From the Sean Francis Foundation sprang the Kangaroo Project.

Hokanson, who is also president of the Minnesota chapter of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), described Francis as "the best P.A. on the planet" and an aspiring producer who was on the path to making his mark in filmmaking. But with Francis' life cut short, the Kangaroo Project was initiated to make an ongoing filmmaking mark in his memory through nurturing and opening up new opportunities for deserving creatives, directors and crew members-in some cases, helping them to start their careers.

Hokanson said that last year's Kangaroo Project drew a slew of top-drawer creative concepts, primarily from Minneapolis artisans. "Perhaps the hardest part for judges was that there were so many great storyboards to choose from," he related. "This year, we want to expand upon that, drawing concepts from throughout the country." Hokanson noted that entries can come from anyone-not just agency staffers. "Our notion is that great ideas come from everywhere, and we want to encourage people to flex their creative muscle, maybe open up new career opportunities in the process."

Similarly, once the concept is selected, directors can come from all walks of life and business-an editor who has a directorial vision, an agency creative, a crewmember. And as Kangaroo Project organizers line up industry talent and resources, so too are apprentices, called Joeys, being assembled so that they can learn about the business and gain on-the-job training and mentoring. Some 60 crew members and 45 Joeys participated in the making of last year's "Oblivious Guy."

This time, the PSA topic is organ donation, and the Kangaroo Project has set up a Web site www.kangarooproject.com to attract concepts-and directors-from throughout the country. Prospective Joeys can also apply to work on this year's PSA. On the directorial front, last year's competition garnered some entries from helmers outside Minnesota, but now Hokanson wants to expand upon that dramatically, and draw more entries from throughout the country.

A kickoff party for the '03 Kangaroo Project took place on April 23 in Minneapolis. Scheduled for May 15 is a how-to-apply workshop, also in Minneapolis, for the concept competition, which has a deadline of June 6. The winning concept will be announced at the AICP Show tour stop in Minneapolis on June 26, and then posted on the Kangaroo Project Web site. The director competition's how-to-apply workshop in Minneapolis is slated for July 10, and the director competition deadline is July 28. The winning director's treatment will be posted on the Kangaroo Web site in early August. Production and post on the PSA will take place in August and September, with the completed spot premiering at the Minneapolis Advertising Federation's Awards show in October.

Hartley said that the Fairview University Transplant Center, Minneapolis, has committed to securing airtime for the organ donation PSA. With that spot slated for completion in October, the Transplant Center sees it as a cornerstone of a campaign that promotes its Transplant Games, in which organ donors and people who have undergone transplants from around the world gather to compete in different athletic events. Held every two years in different global venues, the upcoming Transplant Games are set for July '04 in Minneapolis. "Having the Transplant Center involved is key in that getting actual airtime is a priority of the Kangaroo Project," related Hartley. "That's how our work can help do good in the community at large."

Bob Barrie, a creative group head at Fallon Minneapolis, served as a concept competition judge last year. He said the experience was gratifying, and that it's "important to stress the range of ideas we saw. Out of some fifty entries on the same subject matter [of motorcycle safety], we saw only two that overlapped conceptually." Barrie observed that the Kangaroo Project resulted in "a powerful commercial for a great cause-making it even more worthwhile."

A sponsorship drive for the '03 Kangaroo Project is also underway. Already lined up as charter sponsors are two carryovers from last year: the AICP and Kodak.

The Kangaroo moniker grew out of the fact that the animal nurtures its baby in her pouch. The apprenticeships parallel this in that experienced crewmembers help Joeys take a hop forward in their careers. Additionally, the project is an opportunity for creative individuals to gain recognition for ideas and get their leap ahead. Similarly directors-both established and new-can showcase their filmmaking prowess. The Kangaroo designation was also chosen because Sean Francis was born in Australia.