In an effort to raise awareness for CARTA and its mission and broaden our appeal for support, Lyon & Associates Creative Services was brought in to create a short video introduction that would lead into CARTA symposia talks before they are shown online on multiple websites (CARTA, UCSD-TV, iTunes, YouTube).
Lyon, a strong partner of UC San Diego’s, is an award-winning boutique film, design, and advertising shop in San Diego. After several meetings to exchange ideas, Lyon presented CARTA with their vision: In order to capture the essence of CARTA in one minute, they suggested filming a collage of human faces representing a variety of ages and populations, with the following script unfolding in the background:
We are the paradoxical ape.
Bipedal. Naked. Large-brained.
Long the master of fire, tools, and language.
But still trying to understand ourselves.
Aware that death is inevitable.
Yet filled with optimism.
We grow up slowly.
We hand down knowledge.
We empathize and deceive.
We shape the future from our shared
understanding of the past.
CARTA brings together experts from diverse disciplines
to exchange insights
on who we are, and how we got here.
An exploration made possible by the generosity of humans
like you.
Colleagues, friends, and family were recruited and filmed in a beautiful eucalyptus grove on the UC San Diego campus. In thanks for their volunteering, each was presented with a pristine digital image of their personal portrait.
Unbeknownst to CARTA’s Associate Director, Pascal Gagneux, the Lyon team had already identified his voice as perfect for the voiceover. Pascal was lured to a studio with the excuse that a “scratch recording” was needed – a placeholder until the real voice was found. After just a few takes, the final voice recording was in the can.
While Lyon’s editing team set to work stitching together 25 filmed portraits, meticulously synchronizing the images with the spoken word, the musical score was commissioned. In keeping with the production’s homegrown spirit, Pascal recruited the help of his nephew, Manuel Gagneux, a musician who lives in Harlem, NYC (Birdmask) who composed a musical score that adds a sense of wonder and depth.
The final version of this inspirational video can now be viewed here – and shared!
