NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AGENCY "FAMILY FIEND" DIRECTOR'S CUT

We crouched around the table for hours, breaths held, cameras poised for action as one of nature’s deadliest creatures moulted her way into the world, unfurled her wings, and stared us right in the face. Yes, NEA’s latest PSA for Dengue Awareness put us up close and personal with the live subjects of their campaigns.
The brief from the creative agency was to tell two parallel stories – mosquito pupa and larvae maturing before our eyes, as the camera rotates panoramically through domestic scenes within a cosy home, seamlessly connecting different events to each other.
The idea was to create a sense of uneasiness and a feeling that the mosquitoes were ‘too close for comfort’. This is depicted through the eyes of a young mosquito as she watches the family while maturing alongside her other siblings within a flower vase.
To achieve the desired effect, two separate layers, the live mosquitoes in water, and the family scenes were shot, then composited in post-production.
The version which went to air featured the mosquito’s ‘voice’ as she matures. The director’s cut went through a more experimental route, using a single eerie version of popular children’s song ‘Eensy Weensy Spider’ to see the visuals through. The taunting tone of the song take on a sinister significance as it sounds as though the mosquito is singing it herself, leisurely watching the family as they are totally oblivious to her presence.
Client: National Environment Agency
Agency: ADK
Director: Shaun Yeo
DOP: Leang