Road safety campaign set for the big screens

TAFE Queensland Diploma of Screen and Media students at the Coomera Creative Campus have been busy developing two road safety campaign commercials in partnership with Glass Media Group, You Choose Road Safety and Pimpama State Secondary College. The road safety campaign has been named ‘Road Safety, It’s Your Choice’ and hit local television networks and Event Cinemas last year in December and was rolled out across a number of social media platforms.

40 Diploma of Screen and Media students were invited to pitch their idea of a public service announcement for the You Choose Road Safety Program. Students presented their ideas in a creative vision format where they talked through the idea, scene structure, message, casting and location for the shoots along with props and permissions needed. Of those 40 students a total of eight Diploma of Screen and Media students worked directly with Glass Media to bring their pitch to life.

TAFE Queensland’s Work Integrated Learning Officer Karen Graham said students were given complete control to develop the messaging and the look of the public screening announcement targeting young people and road safety whilst industry partner Glass Media Group provided mentoring, technical and post production expertise.

“TAFE Queensland students were provided with a hands-on opportunity to apply their skills and creativity alongside industry professionals,” Mrs Graham said.

“Students had three weeks to come up with the concept that directly related to their assessment which was creating an awareness campaign.”

“Pimpama State Secondary College students were provided with an acting experience and an opportunity to support a message which is relevant to their age demographic.”

“Through the partnership with TAFE Queensland, Pimpama State Secondary College and Glass Media Group, You Choose Road Safety have been able to share their message to the broader community through the creation of the public screening announcements,” she said.

Glass Media Group Executive Producer and Managing Director, Christopher Boyd said Glass Media Group partnered with TAFE Queensland after the success following the last three years where together they produced the ‘Stop Bullying Now’ commercial campaigns.

“TAFE Queensland students were very keen to be involved in creating content around key important social issues and were well supported by their academic and technical staff,” Mr Boyd said.

“Karen Graham in particular is amazing at helping to create opportunities like these for TAFE Queensland students to not only connect with industry but to help create awareness and whilst changing lives in the real world”.

“Road safety is a tricky issue to highlight due the potentially high production value required including cars and accidents, therefore students were given a brief to work with no budget and develop concepts that could be easily filmed in less than a day whilst still having the desired impact,” he said.

“We found the pitches delivered by TAFE Queensland students to be right on concept, which made the decision to proceed with the campaign easy.”

This partnership between TAFE Queensland, Glass Media Group, Pimpama State Secondary College and You Choose Road Safety is an example of community-ownership and participation in social change. Demonstration that education, business and not-for-profits can cooperate to provide young people a platform to lead in shaping their world for the better.

Pimpama State Secondary College Drama Teacher Caitlin McMahon said eight drama students were involved and were inspired by the You Choose Road Safety message and were passionate about creating the public screening announcement.

“Pimpama State Secondary College Drama students could appreciate the impact making poor decisions behind the wheel can have on one’s family left behind, as experienced by You Choose Road Safety owners Melissa and Peter,” Mrs McMahon said.

“The students felt the urge to help change the culture of drink driving from the inside out rather than relying on the government or police to make the change,” she said.

Peter McGuiness Founder and CEO of You Choose Road Safety said this is what's meant by the 'youth-led' mission to change Australian driving culture. Great things in small steps can be achieved when young passengers and drivers are respected as central participants in solutions to the avoidable prevalence of road trauma in our communities.

“Event Cinemas on December 1^st launched the public service announcement that will be seen by tens of thousands of movie-goers this summer which focuses on the crucial You Choose Youth Road Safety mission principles of love, family and the empowerment of choice,” Mr McGuiness said.

“All written, directed, acted, produced and crewed by an ensemble team of 15-25-year-old students to the highest possible professional standards.”

“Thank you, Karen Graham from TAFE Queensland, Christopher Boyd from Glass Media Group, Caitlin McMahon from Pimpama State Secondary College and every passionate young You Choose mission advocate who contributed their energy and talent to this project,” he said.

“Your vision, innovation, curiosity and appetite for genuine partnership in context with fresh approaches to a decades-old social challenge is so heartening.”

 “You may never know the life you save and together - we can protect each other, our families and our community from the preventable tragedy of road trauma.”