Director Kiran Koshy, who’s handled in the U.S. by Culver City, Calif.-based production house Slash Dynamic, found a way to be productive during the coronavirus lockdown, helming, lensing and editing this humorous yet important public service spot for pet nutrition brand ProBalance in concert with Malaysian agency Imaginary Friends and production house Directors Think Tank, also based in Malaysia.
Koshy, who had dashed back from a Malaysian production to hunker down with his family in Long Beach, Calif., received a one-line script from his Malaysian producers at Directors Think Tank for a ProBalance PSA asking people to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. As traditional production was shut down in L.A., Koshy dusted off his old Blackmagic pocket movie camera and shot a brief-inspired PSA with his daughter and their beloved dog, Nigel, in the family backyard.
In the spot, we see the girl and the canine in a staring contest. She is seated in a chair, while Nigel is sitting on the grass. The lass then gets up from her chair, prompting barked commands from Nigel which translate into “Sit! Stay! Good Girl.” A message appears on screen which reads, “Take it from the pros of sit and stay,” followed by a ProBalance dog food bag product shot and the hashtag, #StayHome.
Koshy, an alum of the 2017 SHOOT New Directors Showcase, used video conference calls in order to stay aligned with the PSA team during each step of production. “This is proof that an idea has the power to mobilize talents to think out of the box and work towards a common goal. I’m very happy with how everyone chipped in to tell this story the way it should be told,” said executive producer Pat Singh of Directors Think Tank.
“As a lifelong dog lover, I’m proud that ProBalance can tell the story of how our beloved pets can be role models in times like these. We’ve always been about bringing out the best in our furry friends. This time, they can bring out the best in us,” said Choy Peng Yew, CEO of Pet World Marketing, parent to the ProBalance brand.
