SUB CATEGORY :

SOUND DESIGN

COMPANY ENTERING :

CHE PROXIMITY, MELBOURNE

TITLE :

THE HEARING TEST IN DISGUISE

BRAND :

COCHLEAR

ADVERTISER :

COCHLEAR

AGENCY :

CHE PROXIMITY, MELBOURNE

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER :

ANT WHITE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

BRIAN JEFFERSON

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :

MARIANA RICE

ACCOUNT MANAGER :

ALICE JAMIESON

STRATEGIC PLANNER :

LILY TIDY

AGENCY PRODUCER :

JEN LIVINGSTON

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

REVOLVER/WILL O'ROURKE, SYDNEY

DIRECTOR :

PETE BAKER

FILM PRODUCER :

JASMIN HELLIAR

POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY :

REVOLVER/WILL O'ROURKE, SYDNEY

EDITOR :

PHILIP HORN

POST PRODUCER :

JASMIN HELLIAR

SPECIAL EFFECTS COMPANY :

REVOLVER/WILL O'ROURKE, SYDNEY

SOUND PRODUCTION COMPANY :

NOISE INTERNATIONAL, SYDNEY

SOUND DESIGNER :

KATHLEEN BURROWS

MUSIC COMPOSER :

BRUCE HEALD

ENGLISH SYNOPSIS :

‘DOES LOVE LAST FOREVER?’ IS A SHORT FILM WITH TWO DIFFERENT ENDINGS, DEPENDING ON THE VIEWER’S HEARING ABILITY. IT’S A HEARING TEST IN DISGUISE. THE FILM FOLLOWS A COUPLE’S RELATIONSHIP OVER FOUR DECADES, AND POSES THE QUESTION “DID LOVE LAST?” FOR THOSE WHO CAN HEAR WELL, THEIR RELATIONSHIP REMAINS LOVING. BUT THE FILM WAS CAREFULLY PRODUCED AND SCRIPTED SO THAT PEOPLE WITH A HEARING PROBLEM WOULD PERCEIVE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME TO THE STORY. SHAPING A FILM WITH TWO ENDINGS WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH COMPLEX ORCHESTRATION OF THE SOUND DESIGN, SCRIPT AND DIRECTION. WORKING WITH LEADING AUDIOLOGISTS WE ANALYSED PATIENT AUDIOGRAMS, WHICH INFORMED ALL ASPECTS OF THE FILM. WE INCORPORATED SOUNDS, WORDS AND ENVIRONMENTS INTO THE SCRIPT WHICH PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH. PERFORMANCES WERE CHOREOGRAPHED TO BE INTERPRETED NEGATIVELY AND THE ABILITY TO LIP-READ WAS REMOVED, MAKING IT HARD TO FOLLOW FOR PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS.

ENGLISH CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

AUSTRALIA IS IN THE MIDST OF A SILENT EPIDEMIC. 3.5 MILLION PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH SOME FORM OF HEARING LOSS, HOWEVER 85% DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. AS THE GLOBAL LEADER IN IMPLANTABLE HEARING SOLUTIONS, COCHLEAR’S BIGGEST COMPETITOR IS NOT A RIVAL BRAND – IT IS THE INACTION OF THEIR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS. THIS CAMPAIGN SET OUT TO GET PEOPLE WHO ARE IN DENIAL ABOUT THEIR HEARING LOSS TO RECOGNISE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. CONSIDERING THIS BEHAVIOURAL BARRIER, WE COULDN’T JUST TELL PEOPLE THEY HAD A PROBLEM, WE HAD TO DEMONSTRATE IT. WE NEEDED TO DELIVER A HEARING TEST, WITHOUT THE AUDIENCE KNOWING SO WE SELECTED UNBIASED ENVIRONMENTS WHERE WE COULD DELIVER A TRUE DISGUISED TEST WHEN OUR AUDIENCE’S GUARD WAS LOW.