Canines, Cameras and Cigarettes
When this powerful script arrived in our inbox from the team at YoungShand we knew this was something we wanted to sink our teeth into.
What if you lived your whole life in a foreign language movie. Without subtitles. Only a handful of words are familiar. You spend your life observing and deciphering clues. You rely on your owner to lead you. To care for you and guide you. But when your leader is a smoker, the story may not end so well.
A good title is a guiding light through many creative decisions. And Follow You till I die certainly drove director Perry Bradley's approach. Unfolding this story from the dog's point of view. Following his owner through the good and the mundane. The fun times. The work days. And ultimately into illness.
One of the challenges was developing a camera rig that would allow us to use a cinematic package to tell this story with the depth and expressiveness it required. DOP Aaron Morton (Black Mirror, Mulan, Orphan Black) found the solution with the Sony Venice 6K Motion Picture Camera. In tethered sensor mode, the camera body detaches from the lens and sensor. The broken down unit is not much larger than a DSLR - the camera body can trail behind attached via a cable. Small and agile enough to sit behind the dogs head. We connected the camera to a body harness on the dog so we could drive the dog, and not allow him to be in control of our shot making. With the mechianics working brillianlty we could concentrate on crafting this gentle but heartbreaking story.
There was an incredible feeling of purpose during the making of this. And many talented hands were involved in delivering such a powerful piece of film.
And the big take out: pets who live with smokers are twice as likely to develop cancer.
Your best mate will follow you anywhere. So lead them well.
Follow You Till I Die - Film Construction/Youngshand/Quitline
Credits:
YoungShand: Creative Director - Anne Boothroyd, Creative Director - Scott Maddox, Copywriter - Erin Mattingly, Art Director - Jack Wadham, Group Account Director - Ben Hopkinson, Agency Film Producer - Esther Watkins.
Film Construction: Director - Perry Bradley, Producer - Joszef Fityus, Executive Producer - Belinda Bradley, DP - Aaron Morton, Art Director - Nicky Verdon, Casting - Mike Dwyer, Editor - Nathan Pickles, Post Production - Toybox, Sound Studio - Liquid Studios, Composer - Peter Van der Fluit, Photographer - Belinda Bradley, Animal Wrangler - Karen Sadler.
Client: Homecare Medical New Zealand.
BTS Stills - Belinda Bradley
