Backyard’s Xander™ directs powerful new piece for non-profit Mythic Bridge

Marina del Rey, CA-based Backyard director Xander™ pivots the view of a troubled young man spiraling out of control of his emotions into a poignant moment of awareness for LGBTQ issues in the new PSA “Suicide” for NYC-based non-profit Mythic Bridge. The powerful PSA is part of a new campaign “Change the Script” from creative agencies Rabbit, Rabbit & Partners and Happy United. The piece takes a meta approach to peer into Mythic Bridge’s youth filmmaking workshops, showing what at first appears to be a young gay man preparing to jump from a city rooftop, but in actuality is a film set of teens working with mentors to enlist the power of storytelling to affect change. The powerful piece brings to light that LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers.

Mythic Bridge, with co-founders Gage Cass Woodle and Donald Klein, is a non-profit that uses the transformative power of filmmaking to enable at-risk youth to actualize their potential. The campaign will support Mythic Bridge’s LGBTQ filmmaking workshops through a Crowdrise fundraiser. This programming creates a supportive community for LGBTQ youth and their straight peers to safely express themselves, uncovering personal experiences and transforming them into narrative storytelling.

“Mythic Bridge is a safe space for kids,” says Klein. “Everyone has their version of how scary coming out was; maybe they didn’t have that safe space to lean on. I hope they see the Change the Script campaign and learn that Mythic Bridge is an open door. They should understand that we’re here, and we make no judgment.”

The campaign brings to life Mythic Bridges’ dedication to storytelling as a means to transform personal struggle into art and help kids channel issues into focused creative and practical skills. Mythic Bridge is working to spark meaningful, activating conversations stemming from the messaging in this campaign which includes additional PSAs, also helmed by Xander™, that highlight different challenges that LGBTQ youth face. An accompanying portrait campaign shows LGBTQ youth and their supporters posing with a film slate reading “Change the Script” and their name as director. Photographer Christopher Lynch shot the portraits that feature celebrities like transgender supermodel Geena Rocero, actress Alysia Reiner, director Pamela Romanowsky and actor Christian Campbell. The portrait series will be ongoing and continue to grow, broadenging the community of people who want to “Change the Script” and support LGBTQ youth and a narrative of inclusion.

Xander™ not only helmed a number of spots for the campaign, but also jumped in as a mentor, working with the Mythic Bridge students and mentors on set to give them the confidence to discover their own creativity. He notes, “The fact that I have made a film career is an enormous blessing in my life. If it weren’t for a few, very specific opportunities I had as a young man, I most likely wouldn’t have even considered production as a career path or a way to express myself. Working with Mythic Bridge gives opportunities where maybe there hasn’t been one before and to give strong voices to those who may need that foot in the door, or a hand on a camera.”

“Having previously worked with Xander™, I knew that he would have an exceptional understanding of the organization and bring his director’s eye to elevate the emotional and creative quality of the piece,” adds Happy United ECD Jane Keller. “The level of mentorship that he brought to the table was so impressive. While working with the Mythic Bridge students on set, he brought out the strengths in each of them and gave them the confidence to use their own creative voice.”

Credits:

Client: Mythic Bridge
Creative Agency: Happy United/ ECD Jane Keller
Creative Agency: Rabbit, Rabbit & Partners/ECD: Brian Lightbody
Writer: Kate Lummus
Director: Xander™
Production Company: Backyard
Producer: Josh Jupiter
Casting Director: Erica Palgon, Erica Palgon Casting & Beyond
Editorial: Happy United
Editor: Jane Keller
Post Production: Significant Others
Executive Producer: Sarah Roebuck
Producer: Alek Rost
Flame Artist: Betty Cameron
Music Company: duotone Audio Post
Creative Director: Jack Livesey
Executive Producer: Ross Hopman
Managing Director: David Leinheardt
Composer: Brad Fischer
Producer: Giovonni Lobato
Audio Post: duotone Audio Post
Sound Designer/Mixer: Andy Green
Executive Producer, Audio Post: Greg Tiefenbrun
Colorist: Alex Bickel, Color Collective
Title Design: Susan Armstrong, Great Five Lakes

Actors:
Hero: Malcolm Xavier
Director: Emerald Sullivan

Who is BACKYARD?

We are Backyard: a trusted production company, defined by genuine talent and driven by a commitment to deliver inspired creativity beyond expectations. With offices in Marina del Rey and New York, Backyard utilizes its global reach to collaborate with top international clients from around the world.

Backyard is led by President/Partner Blair Stribley, Managing Director/Partner Chris Zander, VP/Executive Producer Kris Mathur, and Head of Production Emily Malito. Backyard takes pride in its down to earth team, and a collaborative approach that encourages loyalty and long-term relationships with clients.

For more information, please visit: www.backyard.com.