Visual Rewrite-belladonna98

0:00-0:03

Nicely framed pictures are panned in what seems to be a family home. Three pictures of a smiling little boy are shown. In one, surrounded by a thin, brown frame, he is wearing a yellow casual shirt that has a U on it surrounded by some sort of banner with words that cannot be read. It seems like a candid that the family treasures. Another, encased in a slim silver frame, is more posed, he is wearing something formal in front of a blue background with a lighter blue surrounding him; the family most likely got it done professionally. It could be a school picture, but he does not look to be old enough for school. Behind this, the audience sees a gold ring that they soon learn belongs to a candle stick that houses a white candle. A small picture of the boy is half-shown; the audience sees the top of the silver and white frame with a flower on top, and the boys smiling face is seen wearing the same yellow shirt as the casual picture.A fourth picture is a wedding photo, most likely belonging to the parents of the little boy. It has the nicest frame, it is gold with a dash pattern surrounded by two solid black lines. The bride and groom are mid-dance, embracing and smiling. They seem to be a very happy family. The pictures appear to be on a nice wooden table, indicating comfortable financial standing.

0:04-0:07

The camera moves to the wall beside stairs in the home, and a shadow is seen against a white wall below a staircase. The stairs are dark wood, with many white posts supporting a wooden banister. The only parts of the shadow that are seen are the head and one shoulder. The head seems large and a bit square, it is most likely male and possibly the father of the boy seen in the pictures. No long hair is distinguishable, reinforcing this idea. Because only one shoulder is seen, the breadth cannot be determined, but judging by the head size, they are most likely broad. The shadow moves as the camera does, seeming to walk forward. A flash of motion is seen, possibly a hand gesturing with emotion.

0:08-0:11

A little boy, the one from the pictures, is seen sitting on the aforementioned steps. He is maybe three or four years old. He sits with his yellow toy truck, possibly as a security measure. Some kids have blankets, maybe he has a truck. He is wearing a white patterned onesie as pajamas, indicating his young age. He is initially looking down at his truck, but then looks up at about second 10. His legs move apart as he looks up, changing his stature completely from relaxed to alert. He seems a bit startled, and is watching what is transpiring in the room below the stairs. He is not smiling; he seems concerned for what is happening.

0:12-0:13

The shadow is seen a second time. The boy’s brown head of hair is seen from behind, and the wall next to him shows the shadow of what is most likely his father. The shadow is seen through that of the banister posts, giving it an eerie feeling. The shadow of a hand is shown, it looks as if it is pointing in authority to its counterpart, or possibly threatening to strike. The head moves with the hand, indicating an emotion so strong it takes over the body.

0:14-0:23

The boy’s face is shown in close-up; we see his face and the top of his pajamas, which we can now see have cartoon hockey players on them. His dark eyes shine with emotion against his pale skin. Shadows dance against his profile, but they cannot be depicted. Light from the room shines against his face and his hair. He is trying to ignore what is happening, and begins to play with his toy truck, indicated by him looking down and his arms moving back and forth. Then he is startled out of his play, he jumps as he looks at the room below, frightened. His shoulders rise and fall with heavy breathing as his eyebrows rise in surprise. His nose crinkles, flinching away from whatever is happening. He looks forlornly at what has happened, he does not want it to be this way, but it is.

0:24-0:26

White, all capital text against a black background reads “Children have to sit by and watch. What’s your excuse?” What was he watching? It is an ad for domestic violence prevention, so the odds point to the fact that his father has hit his mother. Maybe for the first time, due to his surprise, or maybe it happens all the time and this is just the first time he has seen it.

0:27-0:30

A multitude of logos appear. A blue and black logo outlined by white has text inside it that reads “There’s NO excuse.” Text below it in italics reads “for Domestic Violence.” Under that, a phone number for victims and bystanders to call reads “1-800-END-ABUSE.” An Ad Council logo is seen in the bottom left corner, and text in the bottom right reads “Family Violence Prevention Fund.” These are probably the producers of the PSA. The logos fade, and one is left with a sense that they have to do something to help this little boy and those like him. The ad has hopefully done its job to inspire action.