The Stephen Hawking Effect

Doing something for a cause that people believe in or a person people admire will always motivate them. We’ve heard this before of course, Internet culture is the biggest proof of this.

Well here’s my experience of it: I initially asked one of the world’s best ad agencies to do a creative session with us pro-bono. 

The aim was to brainstorm on a video I want to create to persuade people to sign up to a small blind charity- Royal London Society for Blind People's - Everybody Technology movement. This is a movement aimed at persuading tech companies to make products with disabled people in mind as well as for able-bodied people.

We ended up having an amazing creative session with 7 creatives, a strategist and a client services person. The result: 2 ideas for a short film. One featured Professor Stephen Hawking’s voice. I was tasked with asking him if he’d do it. I was determined that if he does the film, his voice will win over the hearts and minds of tech companies.

Kim and Mareka- whose creativity was behind the script

So I go on the ask to Professor Hawking. Somehow I manage to do it, via his amazing assistant Judith,   who believes in our cause and says it’s important. And he says yes! Of course he is the person who embodies technology and disability. Without technology he wouldn’t have been able to communicate his ideas. He uses an infra-red sensor that tracks the movement in his cheek, to choose words (with predicitive text) and then speaks them out. More on this here.

But at the same time it turns out he’s someone who can mobilise people to do a lot of things. On the production front: since I got him to be the voice of the film, we’ve had a lot going right. First the agency wanted to be more involved and managed to get a great director, production company and post production team to work on it. All for love.

Roz, our Producer

Then we sought the cast- and we got wonderful people, and couldn't pay them. So what motivates them to do it? Well it’s great for their portfolio, they love the script, it’s for a good cause, the Paralympic Effect perhaps…?

The Day of the Shoot

We arrive at a studio in West London on a rainy Monday morning. It’s a really nice studio with a highly impressive and huge camera that moves on a track. A brilliant crew- patient, professional, perfectionist and warm.

Setting up

The set up takes almost 4 hours to perfect the shot and meanwhile we’re all waiting around, including the cast.

Some of the cast: very patiently waiting

Jo learning her lines

The Team at work!

Making up -  Rolf

The Cast

21 people show up to be cast. So lovely and inspiring.

We had a mix of able-bodied and different disabilities. Some actors and  amateurs.

Part of what Stephen Hawking is saying is that although he’s been lucky, having specialised technology, he dreams of a time when people with disabilities are seen for who they are not the machines they use. Often today what happens is that specialist technology for disability is very obvious and people do feel stigmatised. And of course when you see Professor Hawking you do see his chair and hear his synthesised voice before you see him.

Matt and Lynn came along to be cast. Lyn performs in the Para Orchestra and was playing at the Paralympic closing ceremony. She has a set-up a bit similar to Stephen Hawking. She has cerebral palsy and the iPad has been incredible for her- she taps it with her nose and either gets it to speak out what she wants to say or simply shows it to you.

As soon as she got there she guessed a reference music video for what we were trying to do with the visual treatment- Godley and Creme - which was spot on! When it came to her shoot she suggested we ‘lose the iPad’ and so we detached it from her chair. Matt was amazed as he said the iPad is really part of her and she never takes it off. This is exactly what Stephen Hawking was talking about!

Lyn- without her iPad

Matt is a film-maker and writer and compared the shoot straight away to a famous scene in Vertigo.

He has a great blog that covers film and politics- ironically called The Ill-Informed Ramblings of a Cripple.

Dan Lowe, the Director, checking how Matt looks on screen

Dan and Matt

Conor, our youngest cast member

David, an amputee following a motorbike accident

Kayla a young teenage girl also came along. She’s had a spinal fusion – she’s got rods in her spine and can’t sit long. But is oh so sweet and patient. She also is a great singer too.

Amin, a RLSB beneficiary

What’s been so humbling about this is the good will and nature of all these people. Working together with a powerful end goal in mind. Someone on set said you can’t pay people for this, as it would distort it. It is a beautiful thing as it is.

Look out for the short film to promote Everybody Technology. (Soon to be released, watch this space!) By the Royal London Society for Blind People and produced by BBH and Ivory Films.