Thomas Thomas's Kim Albright Shoots 'Tom, Dick And Harry'

The crossover of experiential activity and filmic content for campaigns is an exciting yet natural development in advertising. Part of the joy of seeing an outdoor activity (be it flashmob, installation, performance, etc) seeded online is the ‘I wish I were there’ factor, ensuring the spread of the ‘making of’ vid or whatever filmic content it may generate and building a lasting source of brand recognition.

In order to generate chatter about their devastating Blank Canvas project  ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’, highlighting the horrifying statistic that three young men take their own lives every day, UK charity C.A.L.M. took on three blank billboards on a London junction, enlisting the skills of graffiti artists Koze, 45RPM and Richt to decorate each in an eye-catching manner. Capturing the moment was Thomas Thomas filmmaker Kim Albright, utilising the visual confidence she’s picked up through her commercial and narrative works alongside a documentarian’s eye.

The result is a powerful and emotive wordless doc, contrasting intricate images of the artists at work with up-close shots of everyday men. Backing the piece is Joy Divison’s ‘Atmopshere’ – a track that suits both musically and thematically. We caught a moment with Kim to chat about the construction of such a powerful piece.



How did you get involved with the Blank Canvas project?

I met Jade Trott (creative) working on a job together earlier in the year. We kept in touch and she kept me up to speed with the Blank Canvas project that was slowly evolving and taking shape. I loved the idea and we thought it would be a great idea to film the event and turn it into a visual documentary.

How familiar were you with the work of C.A.L.M. and the graffiti artists beforehand? Did you have the opportunity to shape what was going up?

To be honest, I had no idea who C.A.L.M. were! I learnt about the work they’re doing to help suicidal men. I couldn’t believe the statistic that 3 young men a day take their lives. When you think about how many lives that ads up to in a year, it’s pretty scary.

It was great meeting Koze, Richt and 45RPM before the shoot. I wasn’t sure what to expect but they were super professional and really took the job to hand very seriously. Jade discussed the poster design with them – so I had little involvement with that, apart from making sure it would look good on camera.



Can you talk us through the shoot? Did you run in to any hiccups?

It was SO cold on the day. It was snowing the night before and the morning on the day of the shoot. The crew were wearing thick layers, warm gloves etc and here were the graffiti guys spraying with their bare hands and thin jackets (any layers would make it hard for them to do their thing!). Their hands were pink and I could tell that they were freezing. They had to take it in turns to run inside and warm up.

Did we spot a GoPro camera on the artists head? Did they mind being impromptu tripods?

Those guys were so co-operative. They were cool with us putting GoPros on their heads. They didn’t mind the camera being right in their face. We were basically glued to them the whole time and they didn’t mind one bit. They did ask that they keep their masks on when we shot their portraits, which I thought was a nice touch – all part of their persona. Actually, it was pretty interesting to watch their spraying technique up close. How they spray almost like brushstrokes and how they’re always changing the nozzles of the spray cans. There’s a lot more technique to it than you’d think!

What were the elements you were keen to highlight in the shoot and edit? Did anything take you by surprise?

On the day, we just wanted to shoot as much as we possibly could and document things from morning to night as it gradually got dark. In the edit, we didn’t want to reveal the finished billboards until the very end, when you can piece together the Tom, Dick and Harry and understand the bigger picture. But in addition to it being this document of the day, we also wanted the film to have a more personal element to it, which is why we included some portraits of young guys. It was our way of acknowledging that suicide is something that can affect anyone, strangers and friends alike.  



The soundtrack choice – ‘Atmosphere’ by Joy Divison – not only matches the feel of the film but also the subject matter itself. Did you have an influence in that? Do you have a soundtrack in your head as you’re shooting?

To be honest, initially, I wasn’t that keen on using a Joy Division track. I thought it might feel a little obvious choice with Ian Curtis being a victim of suicide. But Jade thought it would be a really strong marriage not only in terms of message but also as a musical compliment to the visuals. BMB managed to get some enthusiastic support from his old band and his wife to use the track, which I thought was pretty amazing.  You can’t really ignore that kind of backing. And now that a bit of time has passed, I think the track works really well. I’m glad we went with it in the end.

The final reveal, including the terrifying statistics, is the crux of the piece. Did you feel like you needed an epic master shot for the moment?

It was really important to end on what wide, definitely. But the trick was finding that wide! We managed to sneak into the tower block across the road and kindly asked some residents if they’d mind us pitching up a camera and tripod on their balcony for half a day. I think they thought we were a bit crazy but thankfully they obliged and didn’t steal our camera.  

Have you been pleased with the reaction to the film?

I’ve been really thrilled with the reaction. It was a different project for me to tackle, personally, and it seems to have gone down really well. What was most special was having people stop and chat to us when the posters were being done on the day. For people to stop and take notice – that’s really the point. Not only is C.A.L.M. a new charity to most, but suicide is something that’s never really talked about.

What’s up next for you?

I’m focusing a lot of film projects at the moment. Currently in script development on a sci-fi feature with Warp Films and the BFI. Also editing a flashmob shot on London Bridge.