SHOOT MAGAZINE

5/21/2004

Kangaroo Courts

by Robert Goldrich

The Kangaroo Project is courting concepts and directors nationally. Sponsored by the nonprofit Sean Francis Foundation to mentor promising creative and filmmaking tralent via the production of a public service TV spot that is guaranteed air time, the Kangaroo Project now enters the hird year of its annual competition, looking to extend its reach throughout the country. The 2004 Kangaroo Project is seeking concepts for a PSA that addresses the HIV/AIDS epidemic among young people.

Concepts from the PSA can come from anywhere and anyone; the deadline for submissions is June 11. The first round of judging will cull those entries down to 10 finalists. Judges will be a cross section of agency creatives and filmmaking artisans in Minneapolis, where the Sean Francis Foundation is headquartered. Then a national panel of judges - drawn in large part from those assessing the work at this year's Minneapolis Advertising Federation Awards - will scrutinize those 10 finalists and select the winning concept.

Once the concept is chosen, directorial entrants will submit treatments so that they can be considered to helm the project. Again, anyone can submit a treatment - established directors, aspiring directors, editors, ad agency artisans. Deadline for treatment submissions is July 30. Plans call for the production of the winning spot to get underway in September.

The Kangaroo Project has partnered with the Minnesota chapter of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), a national fundraising organization dedicated to combating HIV/AIDS. DIFFA has guaranteed that it will secure airtime for the PSA.

In its inaugural year of '02, the Kangaroo Project turned out a motorcycle traffic safety PSA. Last year, the PSA promoted organ donation. In year one, concept entires were primarily from the Minesota community. Year two was the submissions increase a bit from other markets. Now in '04, the Kangaroo Porject is looking for a more significant percentage of entries to come from all over the country.

The organ donation PSA, "Beautiful People," gained airtime alst year - and figures to run even more in the coming weeks to help promote the Transplant Games, which are set for July in Minneapolis. People who have undergone transplants, as well as organ donors from around the world, gather to compete in different athletic events at the Transplant Games.

"Beautiful People" puts us at the dreaded Department of Motor Vehicles were a slightly sadistic man is in charge of taking driver's license photos. He manages to capture people at their worst - during a gad hair moment, wearing a stoic expression, with their eyes closed or just plain looking stupid. We see a succession of these photos, which reinforce the seemingly universal negative feeling that people have about the pictures on their licenses.

But there's a silver lining, as we see a driver's license with a "yes" next to the organ donor line. "Next time you're at the DMV, let your license bring out your best side," relates a voice over. "Because when you're an organ donor, you license always looks great, regardless of the picture" An end tag then reads, "Donate Life. Be An Organ Donor."

"Beautiful People" was conceived by Brian Hurley, who shortly thereafter landed a staff position at Martin/Williams Advertising, Minneapolis. The PSA was directed by Josh Thacker, an editor at Fisher Edit, Minneapolis.

Continuing its tradition, Kangaroo Project organizers will line up industry talent and resources to donate time and services to the production of the upcoming HIV/AIDS PSA. Also being gathered will be apprentices, called Joeys, so that they can learn about the business and gain on-the-job training and mentoring.