“I should have listened”

The following copy was my submission to TAC’s “Split Second” Film Competition (2020), an annual contest aimed at creating a short and engaging advertisement to warn young drivers of the dangers of distracted driving. The brief for the same can be viewed here.

Synopsis

Through a voiceover, we hear the lead (FIRASS) mention different regrets in his life which he could have avoided if he had simply listened to the advice given to him by his(ex)-girlfriend (ELLEN)and best mate (PAUL). These regrets are somewhat trivial, tongue-in-cheek and relatable to young adults. Each of these scenarios begins with the phrase “I should have listened…” and as he says this, we see each scene play out over his voice through quick flashbacks. These scenes show a slightly younger version of Firass along with Ellen and Paul. The regrets which play out are:

I should have listened:

– to Paul when he told me that Ellen was actually into me instead of wasting a month figuring out the best way to ask her out

– to Ellen when she told me when her birthday was; I forgot and she ignored me for a whole weekto Ellen when she told me she had a nut allergy, instead of thinking she was joking. The trip to the doctor did not go so well

– when Paul told me that Ellen was cheating on me instead of continuing to date her and even gifting her that purse

As we get to the last “I should have listened”, the tone shifts from humour and becomes serious as we finally see present-day bandaged Firass lying in a hospital, looking straight into the camera and saying:

“And I definitely should have listened to the road safety ads which told me to pay attention on the road instead of my smartphone. I wouldn’t have ended up here.”

The TAC logo pops up and then the tagline which says Listen. Not, should have listened, along with a couple of road safety statistics and the ad ends.