US Navy veteran, Dan Kirchner, tells a disturbing story – a first-hand account of what is assumed to be his experience of war and the trauma that remains within him. His body language underlines the story’s horror. When he finishes, the audience finds out he has been reading. He is asked to turn the page over. The author of the story is not Dan. It’s Josh, who was six years old when he was shot alongside his friends in a mass shooting.
The 110 minute film was created by agency, BCW New York, and produced by Burn Studio for Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence. Its aim is to highlight the impact of assault weapon violence within US communities. Brady is one of America’s oldest gun violence prevention organisations.
The campaign was directed by Greg Hardes and Aaron Chapman, whose creative challenge was to get through to as many people as possible, without turning them off with preachy or political language. A war veteran who has served his country stood out as someone everyone can empathise with – regardless of political leanings.
Hardes commented, “We needed to avoid cheap shock tactics, but we also knew this couldn’t just be another interview with a survivor. Unfortunately, we are numb to these stories – I think we have to be to maintain our sanity. The agency wanted to make sure this spot was grounded in reality, so the challenge was to come up with a misdirect that packed an emotional punch, while still maintaining truthfulness.”
The campaign film is supported by a series of photos produced by Brady with the same message, Assault weapons were designed for war zones, not our communities. These images show coffins draped with an American flag – an honour typically given to veterans and prominent Americans who die in service of our country or to defend its way of life – in everyday places where mass shootings involving assault weapons have become far too frequent, including a grocery store, a gym and a nightclub.
The campaign hopes to inspire culture change around guns in America and increase support for banning weapons that were designed for war zones. Due to their unique deadliness, they are all too often the weapon of choice for mass shooters in the US.
Kris Brown, president of Brady, stated “Just this weekend five people were gunned down in their home by an AR-15 in a matter of seconds – that is exactly why assault weapons have no place in civilian life. Tragedies like this are becoming increasingly regular in the U.S., and this campaign reminds people that these weapons of war are tearing apart our communities.”
The campaign follows a deadly spate of preventable shootings across the US committed with assault weapons and recent Biden administration efforts to curb gun violence, including his call to reinstate the assault weapons ban along with expanding Brady Background Checks and increasing gun industry accountability.
In shootings where assault weapons or large-capacity magazines are used, 155% more people are shot, and 47% more people are killed. For the decade that the federal assault weapons ban was in effect from 1994 to 2004, 89 people died in 12 massacres. But in the decade after the ban expired, from 2004 to 2014, over 300 people were shot and killed in 34 separate mass shootings. That is a 183% increase in massacres and a 239% increase in fatalities.
Credits
Client: Brady Center To Prevent Gun Violence
Creative Agency: BCW New York
Executive Creative Director: Diego Bertagni
Group Creative Director: David Holman
Associate Creative Director: Kelsey Webster
Production Company: Burn Studio
Managing Director: Brad Johns
Directors: Greg Hardes & Aaron Chapman
Director of Photography: Josh McKie
Executive Producer: Chris Hughlett
Coordinator: Lydia Hyslop
Production Supervisor: Myriah Johnson
Gaffer: Jason Summers
Grip: Colin Todd
Set Designer: Mollie Earls
1st Ac: Gray Mcclamrock
Digital Imaging Technician: Walker Anderson
Cast: Dan Kirchner
Creative: Jacob Proud
Post Production & VFX: Royal Muster
Colour Grading: Roslyn Disisto
Editor: Justin Beckenheimer
Music & Sound: Lafayette American
