New York/San Francisco-based content creation/production company Bodega director Adam Reid mobilizes the palpable bravery and strength of one fearless girl to urge the world to be “#StrongerThan” for The Malala Fund. The poignant PSA features 17-year old Pakistani student and education activist Malala Yousafzai, zooming in on how the brutal Taliban backlash against her has left her a remarkably resilient and poised teenager. Malala’s drive to impact positive social change has produced The Malala Fund, which works globally to empower girls through education to achieve their potential and be agents of positive change in their communities. These girl-centric approaches to education support the Fund’s goal of creating a world where every girl reaches her true potential. Bodega collaborated with sister editorial shop Northern Lights and audio shop SuperExploder to produce the PSA entirely in-house.
The PSA encourages all viewers to uncover what they are #StrongerThan in honor of Malala Day on July 14,2014.
In the midst of a bustling New York City journey from her current resident city of Birmingham, England, Malala spared her one-hour lunch break to shoot with Reid and the Bodega team between key meetings. Though limited by a brief time window, Reid was immediately comforted by Malala’s focus and conviction. He notes, “It was so great to meet Malala and see how she really takes on her role and weight of being a leader of a movement. She approaches this very seriously. It was impressive and inspiring to see how she gave every ounce of herself with such honesty.”
Following the shoot, Northern Lights editor George Carty got to work piecing together archival news and stock footage to flesh out her story. The video comes to an affecting crescendo with a clip of Malala passionately addressing the United Nations Youth Assembly in 2013, vowing that through her experiences, “Weakness, fear and hopeless died. Strength, power and courage were born.”
Notes Carty, “It was rewarding to work on a project that was much bigger than just a TV spot. We worked to simplify the script and footage to develop the most inspiring message possible.”
Sister audio shop SuperExploder provided full audio for the PSA, from sound design to final mix. Adds SuperExploder Executive Producer Beth Cummins, “Our mixers, sound designers and composers threw all of their energy into making the message of Malala Day impart maximum impact upon the world’s hearts and minds. We’re proud of the very moving final PSA for Malala Day and honored to have had the opportunity to lend our skills to the making of it.”
Credits:
Client: The Malala Fund
Title: “#StrongerThan”
Production Company: Bodega Studios
Director: Adam Reid
Head of Production: Michael Flexner
Executive Producer: Clint Goldman
Editorial: Northern Lights
Editor: George Carty
Colorist/Smoke Artist: Chris Hengeveld
Executive Producer: Robin Hall
Audio: SuperExploder
Mixers: Ted Gannon, Jody Nazzaro
Sound Design: Brady Hearn, Ted Gannon
Executive Producer: Beth Cummins
Music: Sam Retzer
About Bodega
Bodega is a content creation company based in New York and San Francisco.
We tell stories on screens of every size. We make commercials, promos and digital content.
Our integrated approach allows for collaboration through every step in the process from creative to production through post including audio, finishing, design and visual effects.
About The Malala Fund
There are 600 million adolescent girls in the developing world. They are undeniable force for social and economic impact — but only if given the opportunity.
Around the world, girls are denied a formal education because of social, economic, legal and political factors. And in being denied an education, society loses one of its greatest and most powerful resources.
The Malala Fund aims to change that.
Education empowers girls to raise their voices, to unlock their potential, and to demand change.
The Malala Fund’s solutions are grounded in inspired innovation: they are girl-centric approaches to education that support the Fund’s goal of creating a world where every girl reaches her true potential.