C E L I A C D I S E A S E C E N T E R C O L U M B I A U N I V E R S I T Y
HELLO! The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center is a leader its field, and the upcoming Gala to be held at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City is the Center’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Tellling the stories of the Center through film provides an exciting opportunity to engage with the donors in attendance, reaching them in creative and impactful ways. The following pages describe in detail the concepts we’ve developed for these important films. Ramon J. Goni Swoon New York, September 2015
DELIVERABLES OPENING FILM 2-3 minute film highlighting the Center’s 2015 achievements.
HONOREES Three 2-3 minute films celebrating 2015 honorees and their contributions to the Center.
CLOSIN G FILM 3-4 minute film elaborates on the vital role of the Center and staff as the premiere Center in the world for the diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease.
ANIMATION
CONCEPT We can create very streamlined, minimalist line drawing animations that appear on top of certain live action shots throughout all the videos from time to time. The animations / motion graphics would be modern and sophisticated, and not cutesy or trite.
EXAMPLES Examples of “what” could be drawn: – opening sequences – facts and achievements – for example, on an empty counter space, a microscope could be drawn as the narrator describes that this is the microscope that the ___ was discovered – graphics could populate the screen to highlight certain parts of the narration, like arrows that point and hover on the person, object, space, or accomplishment being described Reference video: https://vimeo.com/93420559
OPENING FILM
CONCEPT The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center is in a class of its own. The high standard of excellence set by the CDC sets an even higher bar of quality when it comes to the films that will be played at this years Gala, the Center’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Telling the stories of the Center through film provides an exciting opportunity to engage with the donors in a more creative, impactful and therefore personal way.
OPENING FILM
SAMPLE SCRIPT We open in a dark laboratory in the CDC. Music begins to play as the camera dollies forward through a row of lab tables. The lights turn on one by one, illuminating every corner of the space. Cut to a montage sequence of lights turning on throughout the Center. Hallways, laboratories, offices etc. We cut to show the work that’s being done. Busy white boards, lab equipment, books, charts, diagrams, all sitting hopefully idle. VO: This is the story of a few bright rooms, A bunch of science equipment, Some office space, And a whole lot of breakthroughs. VO of the Center’s Staff come in over the footage of the empty rooms. Now lit up. The subjects answer the question: “If these walls could talk, what would they say?” Cut to sit down interviews with the staff intercut with b-roll footage of them contributing to the center. Mostly well lit, slow motion shots that glorify each action. Cut back to b-roll footage of the empty facilities: VO: It’s the story of the desk where dr.-------------- discovered the ------------It’s the story of the cafeteria where dr---------- and dr----------- had an idea that would lead to-----------------It’s the story of a brand new (piece of equipment) that dr--------- was able to use to find the --------------- that ------------. It is the story of where every big breakthrough in Celiac begins. Where those with equal amounts of vision and work ethic believe that they have the power to change people’s lives. Cut back to sit down interviews with staff talking about the achievements of the last twelve months. We cut away to relevant b-roll to accompany each accomplishment. VO: At the CDC, Our walls don’t just talk. They act.
THE HONOREES
CONCEPT We are going to introduce the honorees and their back stories to the audience with beautiful, engaging cinematography and story telling. Sit down interviews will take place in front of interesting backdrops within the CDC. We will intercut sit down interviews with footage of the honorees in their everyday lives. What are their lives like outside of the CDC? We will then transition from “who they are� into how they got involved with the CDC and what it means for them to be honored. The cutaways of our honorees personal lives will utilize natural light sources and be shot with graceful camera movements, at 60 fps, which will glorify the actions happening on screen.
THE HONOREES
CONTENT A large chunk of this content will depend on who the honorees are, what they do in their personal lives, and what inspires them to be a part of the CDC.
ST YLE Dynamic, grandiose establishing shots coupled with tight shots at varying frame rates will add drama and intimacy to each story being told. Think cinematic. We will be using two Red cameras, which will allow for excellent quality and an efficient workflow on shooting days. B-roll will be a mix of slider, steady cam, and handheld shots that vary between 24fps and 60fps. One camera will capture a wide shot of the environment. The second camera will stay medium/tight. One interview camera will be locked off while the second will be a tighter handheld shot in order to add a more realistic and authentic feel to the cinematic angles.
CLOSING FILM
CONCEPT
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The closing film is all about the call to action, and more importantly, the people whose lives are being directly impacted by the work the CDC is doing. We will do this with cinematic sit down interviews with the leaders of the CDC accompanied by sit down interviews and documentary coverage of the patients lives who have been affected by the research being done. We will also carry the theme of “If these walls could talk� through to the final film by marrying cinematic shots of the empty laboratories, offices within the cdc from the opening film, with cinematic shots of the locations where the discoveries had real life impacts. For instance the kitchen where Susie Q had her first cinnabun, at age 66. Or the nursery where James Woodham had his first bottle, tear free.
CLOSING FILM
SAMPLE SCRIPT We open on cinematic dolly shots through the offices, hallways, and laboratories of the CDC. They are exact replica shots from the opening film, only this time, the rooms are filled with people working, bustling, making things happen. We show a series of cinematic shots of scientists/doctors working with equipment, meetings being held, and consultations with patients at 60 fps. Patient VOs begin to play over the b-roll shots. Through sit down interviews, CDC patients talk about the effects that the center has had on their life. How appreciative they are that they have the CDC. We cut away to shots of the patients empty rooms where they were able to enjoy their first tear free bottle, or have their first cooking party. Cut to sit down interviews with the leading doctors at the center. They talk about how progress is being made in leaps and bounds, but they need donations if they want to keep things running. “Without donations from the amazing people who want to help fight this disease, we wouldn’t be able to do any of the work that we are doing.” VO: These aren’t just hallways, or offices, or laboratories They are launch pads for change They are the battle grounds in the fight against celiac But the fight doesn’t start here It starts with you… All you have to do is start the fight. We will finish it. We cut back to the shots of the bustling facilities and see the doctors, business people, and patients all disappearing from the shot. We dolly backwards, out of the rooms as one by one, the lights shut off.
THANK YOU Thank you for considering Swoon New York for the CDC at Columbia Medical Center’s Gala Film. We believe in this project and the potential it has to be something really great. Looking forward to hearing your feedback. Ramon J. Goni Swoon New York, September 2015
WWW.SWOONNYC.COM