Short animated video promoting the upcoming NDP Leadership Convention.

This particular project has too different incarnations, most of which will be posted soon. Originally part of the NDP’s 50th Anniversary showcase during the 2011 convention highlighting the history, achievements and leadership of all the New Democrats federal leaders from Tommy Douglas, through to Jack. This was modified for the INSPIRE awards, to highlight Jack’s activism and leadership in LGBT communities, both as a City Councillor in Toronto and as the Leader of the NDP and MP for Toronto Danforth.

One of the most amazing and difficult videos I’ve made. Consecutive governments have neglected our first nations communities and Attawapiskat became a symbol of that neglect. In the fall and winter of 2011 this community was bullied by our government after they had declared a state of emergency due to the sub-standard housing and living conditions. Nycole Turmel and Charlie Angus visited the community first hand and spoke with the leaders and surveyed the conditions people were living in.

There continues to be a positivity, leadership and hope that grows and thrives there in spite of the systemic neglect, blame and poverty that exists in Attawapiskat (and so many other communities like it throughout Canada).

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity in this recent Provincial election to develop a lot of materials for Ontario’s New Democrats and work with leader Andrea Horwath. This particular ad, I got to shoot on the B Camera and cut this particular ad.

2 parts animation, 1 part live action… One of the most fun projects on both the the Ontario and Federal election campaigns that I have worked have been these 2 Minute ads. The extra length affords the opportunity to make a more message focused ad that can go beyond most of the tag lines and commercial politics. In Ontario we used the time talk about voter disenfranchisement and the disconnection of the public from political discourse… Most of this because the most common dialogue these days promotes cynicism and fear, as opposed to choice and collaboration. A similar message to the Federal piece, but a different tone and treatment.

Set to Kinetic type and some Ken Burns photo animatics. I co-wrote of the ad and animated it.

I was gifted with the task of working on this video for Jack’s state funeral, with the very talented Aaron Floresco. We had a very limited time to piece this together and honour the man.

Having had the experience of working, serving to progress our values and to help build the narrative of this historic time within the party and country; it’s an amazing privilege. Without Jack, I wouldn’t have known this. I am proud and honoured to have been able to work with him, speak with him and be inspired by him.

Jack’s Letter to Canadians

August 20, 2011
Toronto, Ontario

Dear Friends,

Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,
Jack Layton

Jack Layton 1950 – 2011.

This speech from Jack was one of my favourites of his… Next to the closing leaders address from the June Vancouver Convention and the speech from Montreal in the last week of the campaign in front of 2000 plus people. This one ranks up there as one of my favourite moments in working for/with him as well.

A compilation of campaign highlights that served as an introduction video to Jack’s Speech at the NDP’s Election Night in the Metro Convention Centre in Downtown Toronto. Also aired on the CBC, CTV, CPAC, Global and others across the country during they’re coverage of the event.

“For war rooms, perhaps. Voters might be less inclined to pop the champagne corks. If only they had a choice. By coincidence, on the day before the auditor-general kerfuffle, the NDP started running an ad called, “You Have A Choice.”
At two minutes long, the ad aired only at NDP rallies and in those late-night free-time ad slots nobody watches. It did not produce the shift in attitude toward the NDP. But it almost certainly can help us decode it.

The ad is all text. For the first half, the background is Tory blue or Liberal red and the music is ominous. Blocks of text spell out the message. “For too long in Ottawa, scandals and political games have gotten in the way of getting anything done,” the text said. A little later: “And now other leaders are telling you that you have no choice. That you have to vote for more of the same.” Who could this be about? The screen helpfully displays a blue door and a red door, just as Ignatieff described them in his flop-sweat scrum. “Doesn’t sound right, does it?”

The tone of the music changes—to celestial trumpets. “They’ve been telling JACK LAYTON the same thing for over EIGHT YEARS,” the text reads. “Jack Layton has proven them wrong.” The blue background switches to orange. The doom music becomes peppy acoustic guitar, Layton’s preferred instrument for serenading trapped reporters on the NDP campaign plane. “Fighting for our families. Our veterans. Our seniors.” Here the content of the pitch changes, from hope to accomplishment. “New Democrats sit first or second in 104 ridings across Canada . . . ridings where only New Democrats defeat Conservatives.”

We’ll spare you the rest, except to note that in the ad’s remaining 45 seconds, the words “You can choose” appear five times.”

- Paul Wells, Macleans (May 2011) “The untold story of the 2011 election: Chapter 3 ‘The velocity of indignation’” Page 29.

This piece started as an intro piece to the Platform launch event in Toronto and then morphed in an activist piece and our free time ad. I find it hard to watch now, only because I’ve seen it so many times now.