Santa Maria was approached by Ad Council, through DDB New York, to participate in an important PSA campaign for teen suicide prevention. Santa Maria felt strongly about the project both professionally and socially. One of the ideas that the foundation embraces is that “what you go through, we’ve been through.” For Santa Maria’s PSA entitled Please Understand they address the seriousness and gravity of teen suicide, using items from their everyday lives that helped them convey sadness and feeling alone.

The PSA was shot on a Canon 5D and stars Josh, one half of the Santa Maria directing team. Santa Maria was able to create a spot that has an immediacy and connection to the problem of teen suicide, using text in combination with their live action shoot.

Expressing the mood, remaining accessible to the viewer and creating dynamic visuals were key points for Santa Maria. This labor of love culminated in a moving and beautiful journey through the emotions of a struggling teen, reminding us that the darkness of night will always break through to a new day, if you take the first step and reach out.

To read more about the campaign visit reachout.com.