Samaritans Video: listen

Matt Harris was commissioned by Samaritans to produce a short promotional film about the charity itself. A film that could eventually be shown and educate young students in schools around the UK. The final product, listen, is an attempt to communicate a compassionate and sensitive look at how Samarians work and the problems and pressures young people experience in their growing up.

The idea to interview real students and allow them to discuss their thoughts and feelings came sometime into pre-production when it was obvious through our research that young people today have a far greater understanding of life's complexities than older generations give them credit for. Whether it was issues on drugs, racial prejudice, bereavement or simply their appearance, all the students articulated themselves with a high level of conscientious reflection and intelligence.

Rather than show the students talking directly to the camera I decided to remove their image during post-production and replace over their audio recording the words they spoke in title-cards. This was to create the impact that the viewer would mainly have to listen, as Samaritans must do. It was an effort to creatively explore through the use of film the possibility that audiences might somehow engage as Samaritan volunteers might during a call.

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