Adam McKay and Ian O'Roarty Knock Out New PSA for Surfrider Foundation
August 12, 2009
PRESS RELEASE
Free-wheeling and ocean-loving filmmakers, Adam McKay and Ian O'Roarty, are set to launch a new collaboration: It's a Surfrider Foundation Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled "Smoking Fish - Hold onto Your Butt". In the live action and animated spot, humans and sea creatures alike choke lungs and gills on cigarettes. The PSA proves that the dangers of smoking don't just stop at the water's edge. In this regard, because of the myriad chemicals in every cigarette butt, there's also an environmental risk that cigarettes pose when they're washed down the local storm-drain - and into our oceans.
For Mckay (a writer/director of "Saturday Night Live," "Talladega Nights," "Step Brothers" and "Anchorman" fame), the Surfrider piece comes at a busy time. He's currently trumpeting the release of his latest film titled, "The Goods: Live Hard. Sell Hard." His newest opus stars Jeremy Piven of HBO's Entourage. In it, Piven plays Don Ready, a razor wit, mercenary car salesman who gets the job done by any means necessary. Don Ready's attitude is apropos, especially given the passion that both McKay and O'Roarty have for their environmentally inspired work with Surfrider.
To O'Roarty (Matuse Director of Photography and San Diego surfer), the Surfrider piece is a creative way of addressing the current state of environmental affairs. "I've been involved with Surfrider since 1984 but I was somewhat dormant after the Clinton years," O'Roarty explains. "However, when the Bush administration started rolling back 30 years of laws that protect our environment and basically declared a war on our natural world, I realized my greatest impact to affect environmental change lies in the media." O'Roarty has worked on dozens of feature films, commercials and music videos. Among his recent credits is the Sundance festival award winner "Stoked - The Rise and Fall of Mark Gator Rogowski", and the just completed "Fully Loaded" - which was directed by Shira Piven and executive produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.
McKay shares O'Roarty's sentiments: "I was looking for any excuse to do something with Ian and the fact that the excuse blended doing something to educate people to stop f'ing up our coastlines," says McKay, who also wrote the script for the PSA.
Count on this spirited bunch to make a difference for Surfrider.
The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of the world's oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers, the Surfrider Foundation maintains over 40,000 members and 60 chapters across the United States and Puerto Rico, with international affiliates in Australia, Europe, Japan and Brazil, and has nationally circulated advertisements in leading surfing magazines and websites as well as broadcast networks that include ESPN and FOX Sports.
The PSA spot features live action mixed with advanced computer graphics and visual effects created by Omens Studios (there's a special cameo appearance by environmental activist and professional surfer, Chris Del Moro). Omens Studios provides Hollywood quality 3D computer graphics animation and special effects services for video games, feature films and made-for-TV productions. The studio is staffed by veterans from renowned companies like Sony, Dreamworks and Disney, and has offices in USA, Singapore and Malaysia. The original score was created by the legendary Todd Hannigan (Thicker Than Water ,September Sessions) of Brotheryn Studios.
The thirty second spot was produced on a "grass-roots", ultra-low budget with the generous support of all of the above artists, producers, and made possible by a small grant from Marco Gonzalez of Coast Law Group in Encinitas Ca.
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