To reflect the unpredictable nature of movements and vocal tics associated with Tourette Syndrome, Saatchi & Saatchi Canada has produced a random and unpredictable documentary experience about the disorder that changes with each viewing.
Launched Wednesday after two years of work by the Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada (TSFC) and Saatchi & Saatchi’s Toronto office the @Random online documentary project features a website that houses more than two dozen short films that document families affected by Tourette Syndrome.
The short films are arranged randomly on the site to form a new documentary each time anyone visits the site. “Each experience and film is different each time [someone visits the site], just like TS,” said Helen Pak, co-executive creative director at Saatchi.
When Pak and Brian Sheppard, co-ECD, started working on the project, they considered a print campaign or 30-second spot, “thinking it was the ‘Swearing Disease,’” said Pak. “How wrong we were.”
“Since Tourette Syndrome is different [in every person], we decided to show as many real stories about it [as possible] and arrange them randomly in order to mimic the disorder, therefore showing the randomness of TS,” said Pak.
In addition to professional filmmakers shooting the families affected by TA, Cisco Systems donated Flipcams that were mailed to families to film their own experiences. More than 35 industry partners, including Relish Editing, Sparks Productions and The Juggernaut, were involved in the project. And Matt Shipp, Saatchi’s “producer of stuff” (yup, that’s really his title), produced all of the project’s “moving parts,” said Pak.
DOPs, editors, sound designers and web developers also helped create @Random. “All of them generously contributed their time to this project over the course of two years,” she added. “We can’t think of any project in the past that has had such good will.”
The gala launch for @Random took place last night in Toronto. More than 200 guests, families, filmmakers and other project partners attended, said Pak.
