Help! Creative People Needed! Ideas For PSA Project Topic-Weight Loss

Hey Fellow CC'ers!

I am in desperate need of ideas for my basic video production class and was hoping you guys could help!

The project is suppose to be public service announcement and my professor has asked us to do it on something we are passionate about; something we wake up every morning thinking about; something of almost an obsession. When he said obsession the first thing that came to mind was my weight. I constantly think about my weight, whether it's image wise or health wise, weight is on the front burner in my mind. I have always been overweight and am still struggling with it, so this topic is very sensitive and personal to me but I'm willing to tackle it.

My initial idea was to focus on fad diets and how we should avoid taking shortcuts. My focus was not meant to be on the superficial/image aspect of weight issues, it was meant to drive people to lose weight for health reasons. However, my professor shot down that idea and wants me to dig deeper, deeper into the the psychological of this obsession. I guess the psychology is a more profound/controversial story to tell,lol.

These are the questions he asked me:

Why is weight an obsession? Why are we not happy in my own skin? What if we were meant to be the way we are? What are the pressures of being thin? He wants me to focus on the idea of losing control.

The project has to be 30 seconds long, with no dialog, and it has to be edited as a continuous movement. I have no clue where to start!!!

Any Ideas are welcomed!!!!

Thanks in advance!

Evie

I don't know what edit platform you are using, so I am imagining this being done on Avid. I'm a video editor, so I haven't touched a camera in years. Brainstorms:

Here's my idea, videotape or get pictures of 30 people who are unhappy with their bodies. Then, just do one second shots with either a 20 frame dissolve over each one or have them melt into each other. Just one after another of unhappy body image people.

Or you could take shots of individuals and focus on the part of the body they are least happy with... Pan across the body part and then do a dissolve into the next body part.

Or you could get a group of people starting at very obese all the way down to super skinny and do a very slow 30 second pan across them, each in a different insecure pose, one covering their belly another covering their face. One in ultra baggy clothes to cover the weight, one holding a laxative, one screaming. This would really require no editing, unless you wanted to do a title over them saying something like "We're all different, but we share insecurities," or something like that.

You could also do a time lapse of someone sitting on a couch or something with 30 healthy foods or something and as they are sitting there, you take out a health food and replace it with an unhealthy food. YOu would put a camera on a tripod and every two or three seconds exchange a food until it's all junk food surrounding this person, then in the end they can knock it over and overcome their obsession. You would edit out the times when you walked into frame and you would want each shot to last 10 full frames with 20 frame dissolves.

I hope this helps.

Oops double post, sorry :(

I don't have an idea off hand but I'll be thinking about it.  Have you seen the anorexia "suicide notes" PSAs?  Here's one -Dinner Plans.  They have two others.  It's a great campaign.  Maybe it'll give you some ideas.

Original Post by terricontrary:

Or you could get a group of people starting at very obese all the way down to super skinny and do a very slow 30 second pan across them, each in a different insecure pose, one covering their belly another covering their face. 

I really like this idea for you - because that's just it - no matter what size they are, almost everyone is uncomfortable in their own skin. they each have something that they hate or at least want to change. and it's not just overweight people who see the need to lose weight - if it was, we wouldn't have so many people with eating disorders.

a little piece advice - remember to include both females and males, black, white, young (well, hopefully no one too young - we don't want them worrying yet!!), old, etc. Having a good mix will help show that the problem with body image is not focused on one type of person, but all persons. and i think that will help you reach more people.

before you think about your content, i think you have to decide on your message.  it is a PSA after all, so it should inform, not just illustrate.  what do you want your audience to take away?

in terms of the "obsession" though, i would say the most ubiquitous thing we see around here is the what-to-order-in-a-restaurant thing.  suppose you panned across a table full of people in a restaurant, laughing, joking, eating, drinking, and then settled on one person--healthy weight--fretting over a menu.  a face can convey a lot.  and i've heard this from people with EDs as well as overweight and normal-weight people: ordering off a menu can be very anxiety-laden.

Thank you guys for all your imput!

Terricontrary: The editing platform we are using is Final Cut Pro4, we are using a crappy Mini dv camera and are only allowed to make the movement continous, so we are not going to be able to apply animation, morphing, still images or anything of that sort.  It's as simple as you can get, he just wants us to incorporate our wide, medium and close up shots, lighting techniques, and the message.  I love your idea about the morphing people but we can't us morphing but i think i might be able to cut the some shots to have that same affect. Your second idea is great too, i think i can incorporate it better with the tools i have THanks!

Jewels: That psa gave me chills!Oh man,  great idea too, man if i only thought about it first!lol I can really draw some ideas from this, such as food as an addiction or something.

flowergirl: Good point, i need to include a variety of people so that I can reach as many as i can. I just hope have the volunteers to do so!:)

pgeorigan: I do need to refine my message because my professor wants us to show what the reward is at the end. That restaurant idea is great too, im definitely going to take that into consideration.

I also had the concept of weight as an addiction caused by the media. Like I can take a shot of a diet pill and smash into crystals and make it look like cocaine or something.  The idea is to show how weight loss is an obsession and can become an addiction just like any other drug. not sure if i'm going to go with that because now you all gave me some other great ideas. I'm off to

brainstorm!!! THANKS AGAIN ALL

ANY OTHER IDEAS ARE WELCOMED. My resources are limited so the more ideas the better I can decided what i can do or not. :)!

I think staring into mirrors is a really strong visual.  Maybe have a line of women (and men too if you wanted) in their undies staring into full length mirrors with disappointed looks and pinching and prodding the areas of their bodies they dislike.  Instead of just a straight on shot, or straight on and panning across, you could walk the camera to each woman smoothly; steady-cam style.  That way it would be a continuous movement yet more visually interesting than just a pan.  If you had enough people you could start slowly and get faster and faster therefore showing more people and illustrating the point that nearly everyone has parts of their bodies they dislike (sped up during editing).  I picture the lighting as gray and somber but I'm not sure how that would translate on a Mini DV cam.

That's a lot harder to describe than I thought it would be.  I see it in my head perfectly.

Not sure what message you're going for, but...yeah.

Dove's Onslaught commerical is a good 'en too.  Focuses on the beauty industry.

Yeah, I agree , mirrors make a strong visual! ok so this is my rough draft so far:

(This is according to my content and the resources or the lack there of,lol)

shot opens with girl looking in the mirror .

pinches certain spots on her body.

close up to facial expression

walks toward a table

I get a shot of a diet pill bottle(Xedrine, Stacker, etc)

have her take out some pills,( one or two not sure)

cut to her crushing diet pills into powder follow her movement to

rolling paper and her  simulate a coke addict "sniffing" the powder

then have her go on a mini trip, (i dont have enough time to exagerate the effects)

then fall or lay on the floor with a whole bunch of cut out pictures of skinny models, fashion magazines, etc.

My message would be that the media portrays an unhealthy unattainable image of women  and the lengths some people would endure to reach this non existent goal.  The idea of weight loss as an  obsession due to the influence of the media and how it leads to an addiction similar to hardcore drugs.

What do you guys think?

honestly, i don't think the world needs even one more image of the stereotypical eating-disordered girl.  if you're set on the media-image take, i think it's much more interesting to show how it affects everyone (or at least a range of people) rather than oh-look-at-the-pathetic-anorexic-girl again.

anyway, i've heard way too many stories from girls who've been "inspired" by the cautionary tales.  i think a new take is in order.

but that's just me; it's your project.

Original Post by evie19:

Yeah, I agree , mirrors make a strong visual! ok so this is my rough draft so far:

(This is according to my content and the resources or the lack there of,lol)

 

shot opens with girl looking in the mirror .

pinches certain spots on her body.

close up to facial expression

walks toward a table

I get a shot of a diet pill bottle(Xedrine, Stacker, etc)

have her take out some pills,( one or two not sure)

cut to her crushing diet pills into powder follow her movement to

rolling paper and her  simulate a coke addict "sniffing" the powder

 

then have her go on a mini trip, (i dont have enough time to exagerate the effects)

then fall or lay on the floor with a whole bunch of cut out pictures of skinny models, fashion magazines, etc.

 

My message would be that the media portrays an unhealthy unattainable image of women  and the lengths some people would endure to reach this non existent goal.  The idea of weight loss as an  obsession due to the influence of the media and how it leads to an addiction similar to hardcore drugs.

What do you guys think?

Are you going to use someone who is healthy to barely overweight? Because many people assume people at a healthy weight should be happy to be where they are, but a lot aren't.

Plus, the perception of seeing someone who is already too skinny, people are going to assume that's how they got there anyway and you aren't going to move them emotionally. People who are too overweight some ignorant people are just going to snicker and say, "Well, that's what they deserve," and you have the same issue of not emotionally moving someone.

Terri-Well to be honest I don't know many people that are a size 0, so im using a friend thats is at a healthy weight. I know exactly what you mean about using a bigger person, thats why I don't want to use myself for this project. I just feel people are going to look at me and say, yeah she probably needs to double her dosage.

Pgeorgian!!! I totally understand were you are coming from, I can't even relate to someone with anorexia or bulimia because I have never push myself to that point. But when you think about it anorexia and bulimia are not the only types of eating disorders. What about people the people who are so overweight that living a normal life is no longer possible. When they are bed ridden, and can even get up to take a shower but continue to get 25, 000 calories a day. No one shows these types of psa's , they show the not eating instead of the overeating even though both lead to tragic deaths.

I don't know what I'm doing anymore, I just feel like I'm not creative enough. I hate cliches but it seems as though that is what the professor is asking for.

PSAs are created by advertising agencies not TV production students.  I'm sure your plenty creative enough to do a good job on this assignment.  It doesn't have to be groundbreaking.

I have so many ideas but the continuous movement thing is throwing me off.  Are you working in a group or are you alone?

Keep in mind that PSAs extend past an observation like your message.  They ultimately encourage or discourage behavior or opinion.

What youve described as your message is an observation - media portrays unrealistic body sizes.  It a good angle to come in in on but what as a result is your message to the public?  What do you want to compel viewers to believe or how do you want them to behave because of it?   

You can but dont necessarily have to come out and say it.  There are two famous anti-drug PSAs. One says it, ending with, "Parents who do drugs have children who do drugs".  One shows it by destroying an egg without saying, "Dont do drugs" but "This is your brain on drugs - any questions?".

Dove addressed media and womens body perception/ expectation with a commerical that ends up like a PSA, with the message "Talk to you daughter before the beauty industry does."  PSAs are targeted at the public. Think what it is you want them to believe or do and video should express that.  You may be able to use your current video idea as it is if it will support that message.

BTW I hope you dont take this as any type of criticism and if I were as creative as you (with you video idea already), Id be posting suggestions about it.

Use first person point of view (POV) of someone walking on the street.

As you pass each person you come across on the street, look into the person's face (with the camera since it's first person) and let them depict with with their bodies only the seven deadly sins. At the end of the video, look into a reflective glass at yourself to expose that your only sin is being overweight.

Your BIG message is " Is being overweight a sin?" You don't literally mean sin of course, you mean something that people are punished or sanctioned for because it does not fall into the norm.

That needs some tweaking due to ambiguity, but it is money.

LOL I know, it's stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!