David Gray’s Satirical New Short Film SURGICAL TREATMENT Takes a Scalpel to Treatment Writing
By thelaegotist / /
Watch it > HERE
Award-winning director David Gray’s new short film, Surgical Treatment delivers a funny satirical take on “treatments” (n.), those glossy pdfs directors are required to submit during the bidding process. The film observes what it might be like if another industry had to go through the process to create something that rehashes many hours’ worth of work, reads like a thesis, and looks like a graphic novel. Never mind the tight deadline.
Gray settled on emergency medicine as the other industry after being inspired by a conversation with a neurosurgeon at a dinner party. “He was asking me about the latest thing I was working on,” Gray recalled. “It’s funny, people outside of our business are very curious about it. I explained that I was working on a treatment for a project that I was pitching on and outlined the process. He was amazed by the energy and effort that goes into it, and how different it is from his world. That was the impetus. I immediately thought, ‘What if he had to go through the process that we all go through as directors, producers, creatives, and clients on every project?’ So I started writing.”
Working with long-time casting agent Stacy Gallo, Gray cast top New York comedic actors Ryan Woodle (Ryan Anderson), Molly Lloyd (Molly Anderson) and Aaron Serotsky (Dr. Ethan Gray). Ashley Macdonald (Ashley Anderson) was cast in her first role as the voice of reason.
“David humorously observes the advertising industry’s process with the ‘creative treatment’ and presents a family who seems less concerned with their son’s critical health, than they are with the post mortem ‘ad based treatment’ that proves that the doctor’s work was worthy,” said Tim Case, Executive Producer of Supply&Demand, the company that produced the short and Gray’s representation for commercials. The film hits home and pokes a little fun at our business, while not denying the value of the exercise in proving to agencies who the best director for the job is.”
Gray drew from years of experience directing acclaimed comedic campaigns for brands such as Jeep, Southwest Airlines, VW, Jeep and Verizon, to note only a few. “Comedy is a great way to engage and relate with people,” he said. “I can’t think of a better way to connect with people than telling them a story that makes them laugh or leaves them smiling. We could use a little more of that these days.”
Credits:
Written and Directed by David Gray
Supply&Demand
Executive Producer: Tim Case
Executive Producer: Charleen Manca
Staff Producer: Connor Renusch
Line Producer: Josh Rothfeld
Excuse My French
Executive Producer: Constance Guillou
Cast:
Ryan Woodle
Molly Lloyd
Aaron Serotsky
Ashley Marie MacDonald
Director of Photography: Don Davis
Production Design: Kai Lee
Editor: Bruce Ashkinos
Casting: Stacy Gallo Casting
Casting Associate: Julia Kelly
Casting Assistant: Ashley MacDonald
Production Manager: Connor Vassar
First Assistant Director: Jon Mintz
First Assistant Camera: Rodrigo Millan
Second Assistant Camera: Raleigh Capozzalo
Key Grip: Aaron Dawley
Gaffer: Martin Nowlan
Props: Jorge Arango
Wardrobe: Jill Arnold Pallad
Wardrobe Assisstant: Skye Cunningham
Hair & Makeup: Andrea Cambridge
Sound: Brion Snyder
Locations: Mitch Ganem
Production Assistants:
Elijah Rodriguez
Harry Hoffman
Victor Pena
Leandro Rodriguez
Elia Gagliardi
Matthew Little
Color: Royal Muster, LA
Colorist: Gregory Reese
Sound Design: Wave Studios, NY
Music: Pull Music & Sound, NY
Scott Brittingham
Mitch Davis
End Credits: “Bloom” by Summer Project on Apple Music and Spotify
Titles: Office of Development & Design
ECD Gary Breslin
EP Matthew Turke
Special Thanks:
Dr. Edward H. Scheid, JR. MD FAAS
Dr. David Capaccio, DO
The Wartburg Institute
Supply&Demand
Excuse My French
Gravytrain Films inc
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