Drawn Closer for Cox Communications, Directed by Patrick Osborne

We worked closely with the agency, 180LA on Drawn Closer, for Cox Communications to bring to life a school play that had become impossible due to the Covid-19 lockdown. We brought in Oscar-winning director Patrick Osborne and Hollywood writing talent, Lloyd Taylor. Together, and with some imaginative tech on how to capture the kids’ performances at home, we created a four-minute film that had its own theatrical premiere later in the year. It was a great marriage of strong creative conceptual thinking from the agency, plussed by extraordinary talent and narrative.

Our challenge was to bring together a class of drama students during a pandemic which kept people apart in order that they could put on their school play.  Director, Patrick Osborne helped the stars of the show voice and puppeteer their own characters all from the safety of their homes in a fully remote production. Patrick brought in writer, Lloyd Taylor, who recently wrote “Spies in Disguise,” to help write the play. Together, they were able to squeeze 22 speaking parts into a 150-second film.

The idea was to demonstrate the ability of technology to bring people closer together when it is most needed.

With many extracurricular activities cancelled in 2020, kids were missing out on the experiences that offer them a strong sense of connection to their friends. Theatre kids, who rely on each other to perform, were missing out on their school play. We wanted to give them a chance to reconnect and to perform together again.  

We wanted to provide a unique experience and a safe way to connect and give us a smart, fresh use of technology, as well as a really watchable piece of work.