shots Awards 2016: Commercial OTY Online (2 mins)

They say you should never work with animals or children in production, but Stink director Tom Green speaks highly of the two child stars that stole viewer's hearts in Save The Children's Gold-winning spot.

As the sequel to the charity's 2014 offering, The Most Shocking Second a Day, there was a lot of pressure to live up to. Green spoke to shots about his approach to working on the job, why he decided to shoot it as a condensed feature film and how he ensured that the child actors understood the gravity of the story.  

shots Awards 2016: Commercial of the Year - Online, up to two minutes

Gold winner: Save The Children: Still the Most Shocking Second a Day

What did you think when Don’t Panic initially approached you with the script? 

I thought it was a very timely film and an important film to make. It's a humanitarian story. Very telling of the world we live in today. It was all about making a relatable film really about one of the most important issues that is happening right now. 

How did you approach the project given its successful predecessor, and was there a certain amount of pressure to live up to this success? 

It was a bit intimidating as the first film had such incredible hits on YouTube, but it was a story that warranted continuing. It allowed me to further develop the idea and give more ambition to the story. I approached it with emotional truth. Showing the world changing around her, made it about the child on her own - abandoned and lost, without parents.  

Tell us about the shoot. Where did you shoot it, how long did it take and was it difficult to get the same child actor on board? 

It was a four-day shoot; there were a lot of favors from crew and talent. This was made for under £70k. We shot it in London, Essex and at Pinewood Studios. Lily Rose Aslandogdu was incredible to work with and so down to earth! We had a lot of fun and tried to keep it light behind the scenes as well as exploring some very dark emotions. The whole thing was like a feature film packed and crystallised into two minutes. 

All of the emotion is conveyed in the girl’s face. Was she told to act a certain way? 

Lily had to find so many different emotions and she did with real deftness. I really wanted Lily to understand the situation, so organised for her to spend time with real refugee children. She understood the responsibility of what we were trying to achieve and she took it on in a very mature way. 

What’s it like working with children on such an emotionally-charged job? 

All the kids were so intelligent, prepared and engaged. Lily and the little boy, Rocco, were natural at finding the right emotion. Without trying to overload them, they were able to find the truth of each moment and portray what children are really going through. 

And why do you think the campaign works so well under 2 mins?

YouTube in general doesn't have long engagement. The rhythm of the cut is effective and propels the audience through the story. As if it were a memory, each second has compelling development. It's like it’s is in fast-forward; it draws you in and tells a vast story with sudden impact. 

How pleasing is it to win a shots award? 

It's phenomenal, I couldn't be more proud, especially for all the dedicated crew and cast that invested their extraordinary energy. And it's fantastic the awards bring greater awareness to Save the Children. I am so pleased and thankful to shots for recognising our achievement and helping shine a light on the issue.