You probably saw Stop The Horror first on Facebook. The film by Justin Kurzel has been receiving crying emojis and shares at a rate of knots.
Andrew Denton, Go Gentle Australia, Revolver / Will O’Rourke and Kurzel launched the campaign initially through PR and social, to urge politicians and voters to let the new Voluntary Assisted Dying law pass through Victorian parliament this year.
If you haven’t seen the film, be warned, it’s extremely hard to watch – a true documentation of the grim last days of terminally ill patient, Greg Sims.
News.com.au commented, “Stop the Horror: The movie so terrifying it’s unwatchable.” Junkee warned, “You probably can’t make it all the way through this horrific short film”.
As viewers watch the intense moments of pain, emotional turmoil, despair and, at times, the endless waiting on the website, they are offered the opportunity to “stop the horror” at any time, due to its special digital video player. Whenever a user presses the Stop button and leaves the film, he/she is taken instantly to a page that asks them to really stop the horror, by supporting the law that will be voted on in Victoria.
Avish Gordhan, creative director, Cummins&Partners, commented, “This issue is constantly discussed among activist circles on both sides, but it needs to be exposed to a wider audience. Almost everyone knows someone who has experienced this kind of suffering. Stop The Horror gets people, who are not the typical audience, to really consider what’s at stake.”
Mandie van der Merwe, creative director, Cummins&Partners, added, “We wanted to cut through the noise that often surrounds this debate, by exposing people to a true story that is, unfortunately, similar to that of so many other terminally ill patients. We wanted to tell the story in a way that would help people understand that the truth is actually more horrific than anything they’ve ever seen filmed before. It is somehow both completely compelling, while at the same time utterly unwatchable.”
Credits:
Agency: Cummins & Partners
Executive Creative Directors: Tom Martin & Julian Schreiber
Creative Director (Art Director): Mandie van der Merwe
Creative Director (Copywriter): Avish Gordhan
Integration Manager: Olivia Etzine
Group Account Director: Joe Godsell
Executive Digital Producer: Celia Karl
Digital Producer: James Tammesild
Digital Media Manager: Georgia Pedersen
Director: Justin Kurzel
Production Company: Revolver / Will O’Rourke
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Michael Ritchie
Executive Producer: Pip Smart
Producers: Serena Paull & Alex Kember
Post Production: Fin Design + Effects
VFX Compositer: Richard Betts
VFX Producer: Emily Newbould
Editing: Arc Edit
Editor: Peter Sciberras
Colour Grade: Be Colour
Colourist: Ben Eagleton
Sound Design & Mix: Sam Petty
PR: History Will Be Kind
Senior Account Director: Edwina Brook
Senior Account Manager: Niall Hughes
