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    The Best Work You May Never See: Adriano Falconi Conceptualizes, Directs Spec PSA For The Trevor Project

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments5060 Views

    Titled “Thomas,” this spec piece for The Trevor Project–directed and conceptualized by Adriano Falconi and produced by Lighthouse Films–tells the story of Thomas, a 13 year old boy, sensitive and introverted. Thomas likes to wear girls’ dresses. But the small town of Brevard, NC is no place to be different. The woods have become Thomas’ free-judgment-playground. Determined to face his fear, Thomas eventually goes back to his neighbors to parade his true self.

    Falconi recalled, “(Lighthouse founder) Brad Walker and I didn’t have a budget for this project so when I wrote the piece, we didn’t have any clue how far this film would take us. I knew I wanted to tell the story of a teenager, whose great sensitivity caused him to be an outsider. The idea of making it into a piece for a good cause came as I started working on Thomas’s character. Drew Hauge, who played Thomas, didn’t have any dance background so we rehearsed twice a week, for a month, with choreographer Alyona Amato.”

    Director Falconi is currently unaffiliated with a production company and is seeking representation in the ad market.

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    The limited access duration has come to an end. (Access was allowed until: 2021-10-02)
    Credits

    Client The Trevor Project (spec spot) Creative Adriano Falconi Production Lighthouse Films Adriano Falconi, director, producer; Brad Walker, DP/exec producer; Kristy Ray, producer, first AD, casting director; Michelle Roca, producer, location manager; Aaron Kelley, associate producer, 2nd AD, set dresser, location assistant; Alyona Amato, choreographer; Keith Taylor, costumes; Cathy Meriam, location manager. Editorial Erica O’Brien, editor; Ashley Spillane, assistant editor; Andrea Walker, postproduction supervisor. Post/VFX Brad Walker, colorist; Patrick Shea, VFX. Sound Cameron Varney, Josh Stowe, Matt Smith.

    Media Type:Commercial: Spec
    ScreenWork Categories:Short film
    Screenwork Type:Best Work
    Video Tags:Adriano FalconiBrad WalkerLightHouse Films



    Samsung, Director Ben Woolf, Agency Taylor Herring Create “A Friend for Christmas”

    Thursday, December 18, 2025

    Ben Woolf via St Marks Studios directed this 2025 U.K. Christmas ad for Samsung celebrating imagination as a superpower with the touching story of a little girl adjusting to her family’s move to a new house. Titled “A Friend for Christmas,” the spot was created by London-based agency Taylor Herring.

    The piece follows Laura, a child struggling to adjust after moving house and leaving her friends behind. She spends her days with imaginary friend Milo, watching neighborhood children play outside in the snow without her. With help from her granddad, Laura uses Samsung Galaxy AI’s Drawing Assist to realize a vivid creation, which is then brought to life on Christmas morning.

    Woolf explained, “The story was intended to show Samsung tech integrating into real family life. The film stands or falls on building a connection with the hero girl, Laura. The priority from my side was to capture a child’s performance that feels real and grounded. Casting kids, particularly for commercials, is always a challenge--you want to balance a feeling of authenticity with clear storytelling to land the beats in the right order.”

    He added, “We wanted to make a film that felt emotionally true and showcased the power of AI in a Christmassy setting, demonstrating how AI can fit into a relatable family dynamic, becoming a tool that helps a child’s imagination spill into the real world. We aimed for a warm, organic look and feel--keeping the camera language unobtrusive so performance and emotion stayed front and center. The goal was intimacy and softness, letting the world feel real so that when the AI is introduced, it lands as wonder rather than VFX.”

    Samsung backed the ad with research among 2,000 parents which showed that the age of six is... Read More

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