In the media, disabled people are usually only presented in one of two ways, either as objects of inspiration or as objects of pity. We saw an opportunity to create a film that conveyed the much more complex reality. For the first time, we wanted to present Paralympians as ‘human’. So we interviewed over twenty Paralympians to find out what the reality is like, and wrote the script in partnership with them.
/ Paralympics
/ Brief in a nutshell
/ Any hurdles you had to overcome?
Hurdles. Is that a Paralympics pun?
We had a fair few. From a production point of view, the whole thing was a pretty extreme undertaking. Some of our athletes were shielding, others had last minute injuries or qualifying events. Not to mention the whole thing got postponed a year and still looked uncertain right up until the moment we shot. Luckily, nobody at Channel 4 ever wavered, even when the Games looked in doubt, and extra year gave our (incredible) producers time to build a great relationship with our production partner, Somesuch.
/ Favourite moment of the film?
The end line ‘To be a Paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’ was something we arrived at quite early on. It guided the film and we used it to inform a bunch of decisions. Visually, I love the moment when we see the blister getting popped. The way the film treats visceral, confrontational imagery with a sense of humour is probably what makes it feel special. It’s honest and it’s funny. That’s what makes it human.
/ Key Credits
Agency:
4creative
Production Company:
Serial Pictures x Somesuch
Executive Creative Director:
Lynsey Atkin
Deputy Executive Creative Director:
Eoin McLaughlin
Creative team:
Scott Taylor and Andy Shrubsole
Head of Production:
James Turnham/Miketta Lane
Executive Producer:
Shananne Lane
Campaign Producer: Louise Oliver
Designer: Sarah Jones
Production Manager: Will Breeden
Exec Producer: Liz Arnott
Producer: Ella Littlewood
Production Manager: Martha Wright
Production Assistant: Sam Baker
CMO: Zaid Al-Qassab
Head of Marketing: Penny Brough, Nic Moran, Laura Ward-Smith, James Walker
Marketing Lead: Laura Woodcock
Marketing Executive: Victoria Cheng
Marketing Executive: Maya Padhya
Business Director: Jane English
Senior Planner: James Hamilton
Media Agency: OMD
Exec Producer: Matt Shannon
Producer: Rose Nicholson
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Serial Pictures x Somesuch
Director: Bradford Young, ASC
Executive Producer / Managing Director (Somesuch): Seth Wilson
Executive Producer (Serial Pictures): Violaine Etienne
Producer: Elena (Elly) Camisa
Director Of Photography: Rina Yang
Production Designer: Nathan Von Parker
Costume Designer: Jessica Fell
Hair & Make Up Artist: Natasha Lawes
Sound Recordist: Mike Palmer
Casting Director: Kharmel Cochrane
Directors Assistant: Saman Aminzadeh
1st Assistant Director: Jez Oakley
Production Manager: Fatima Zaman
Athlete Casting: Shananne Lane and Louise Oliver
Location Manager: Scout Productions
2nd Unit Director: Dan Emmerson
Camera Operator (2nd Unit): Fraser Rigg
OFFLINE EDIT: Final Cut
Editor : Amanda James @ Final Cut
Asst Editor : Leah Burton/James Stubbs
Producer: Nikki Porter
MUSIC: Leland Music
Music Supervision & Production: Leland Music
Music Supervisors: Abi Leland, Toby Williams
Music Assistant: Letizia Pacchioni
Arranger / Producer: Guy Farley
Vocalist: Jay Prince
Backing vocalists: Lawrence Johnson, Travis Cole, Wayne Hernandez, Shaun Samonini
Drums: Chris Draper
Percussion: Dan Ellis
Bass: Nick Walsh
Piano: Ben Dawson
Banjo: Adam Goldsmith
Guitar: Jamie McCredie
Trumpet: Jay Phelps
Alto Sax: Jamie Talbot
Baritone Sax: Claire McInerney
SOUND POST PRODUCTION: Factory
Sound Design/Mix: James Utting and Anthony Moore
Audio Producer: Lucy Spong
VFX and ONLINE: TIME BASED ARTS
VFX Supervisors: Sam Osborne, Bernardo Varela, Federico Vanone 2D LEAD: Leo Weston
2D TEAM: Ollie Ramsey, Bernardo Varela, Caroline Dalgato, Leandro Vazquez, Sarah Breakwell, Matt Jackson
3D TEAM: Guillaume Heussler, Jake Newton, Teodora Retegan, Zoe Sottiaux,
Sottiaux, James Mann
Colour Grading: Simone Grattarola
Producer: Sian Jenkins
EP: Tom Johnson
SIGNED AND SUBTITLING: REDBEE