Up until now, Creative Director Collette Liantonio thought the most challenging animal to film was the cat. Cats don’t listen! But then our company was challenged to brainstorm an original concept for the 2023 anti-opioid campaign for Partnership for Drug Free NJ.
What is the most terrifying, venom filled creature that is the perfect metaphor for the toxins in the killer opioid Fentanyl?… A deadly Scorpion! Drug Free NJ’s mission is to educate and get everyone talking about the dangers of opioids. The NJ creative team at Concepts Video Productions developed a “killer” concept certain to attention of parents and children alike. We knew our message would get eyeballs on TV, social media, highway rest stop kiosks, mass transit signage, in classrooms and on a Times Square billboard.
“A scorpion’s sting can kill your kid. Fentanyl can kill all the kids in your neighborhood.”
Where did we find our “star”, the Scorpion? Executive VP Jon Calderaro had lived in Costa Rica where scorpions abound, but our budget limited us to the environs of NJ, so he and producer Marissa Ciancitto scouted NJ Exotic Pets in Lodi, NJ, where they found an abundance of scorpions and other venomous creatures.
Stock footage was not an option given the need for movement following the riveting storyboard created by Art Director Scott English. Thanks to the superb skills of scorpion handlers Megan Betracca and Salvador Galdamez, we were able to film a large scorpion on a white cyc and green screen in the Exotic Pet store. While the scorpion was initially shy, we like to think it warmed up with our DP David Kaptein’s jokes. Soon the scorpion was creeping our greenscreen runway just like a true movie star.
Senior Editor James Nolan and our Post-Production team started Pre-Viz. While we had some success with Blender animation renders, we determined there’s nothing like the real movement of a scorpion. Their unexpected movement leaves you on the edge of your seat. Our post-production team was able to “cut out” the scorpion and graphically superimpose it on the tombstones containing the likenesses of the young opioid victims of the deadly toxin Fentanyl.
To pick the right scorpion performance, it meant leaving a treasure trove on the cutting room floor. These predatory arachnids are fascinating and deserve a long-form show. For VFX Compositing we employed the Maxon and Adobe Suites to light wrap the scorpion in the cemetery environment. Although the topic is heavy, creating scenes from scratch is a post-production pleasure.
The percentage of overdose deaths due to fentanyl is alarming. No one should lose a loved one to this. We wanted to make sure we hammered this home. The scorpion embodies the scary public health emergency, fentanyl, and we connect it to the somber imagery of teen gravestones.
Between the detailed filming in an exotic pet store and the remote location of the Boonton cemetery, it was a most intense experience. Given the lifesaving message, it’s one of the most gratifying ones. We sincerely hope this video can prompt discussion and raise awareness about the danger of fentanyl.
www.conceptstv.com | 973-331-1500 | jonc@conceptstv.com
Concepts Video Productions | 90 East Halsey Road, Suite 105, Parsippany, NJ 07054
