Daily Planet has produced the first of several videos to help Imerman Angels, the nonprofit one-on-one cancer support group, raise money and support during the Oct. 9 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The more than 200 members of Team Imerman participating in the race, will use the 2-minute dramatic video, “How Do You Find An Angel?’ to help each runner raise a minimum $1,250 by embedding the video link in their solicitation emails.
Imerman Angels connects those fighting cancer, survivors and caregivers with a “Mentor Angel,” “so no one has to face cancer alone,” says the Planet’s president Scott Marvel. “If you have support, it’s been proven that positive reinforcement can affect the outcome of this disease.”
Inspired by personal experiences of his family and friends battling cancer, Marvel collaborated with the Planet’s director/editor Michael Gabriele on the story of a woman whose mind moves to visions as she is running through the woods.
This was Marvel’s personal experience when he recently walked 130 miles across Ireland with his sister. “You do get visited in spirit when you push your body past its limits,” he says.
Shot by Gabriele in August in Caldwell Woods, the runner (Nicole Laurenzi) has visions as she runs. In one, she’s a hospital patient, in another she’s bald, laying in bed. Then she tops running, overwhelmed by her thoughts and doubles over.
When she straightens up, she’s a different person, her resolve strengthened and she resumes her run. With a team of Imerman Angels running behind her, she realizes she is not alone.
Laurenzi was chosen from a casting session of 20 actresses who were also runners. Daily Planet’s Brad Moore produced and Jon Adler, Dan Moore, James Lee, Alyssa Barrett created the graphics. Jeff Altman of Filmmakers Club did the color correction.
Marvel’s 10-year old daughter, Mia, voices the narration. “We used her for a scratch track but she exhibited so much emotion we decided to use it as the final track,” says Marvel.
Sonixphere provided the original music score and Nick Bozzone of Stir Audio Post did the audio mix.
Gabrielle also will be part of Team Imerman runners, his first marathon race, which will start and finish in Grant Park and travel through 29 city neighborhoods.
Click here to donate to Imerman Angels or register to run the Marathon.
To see the video, see below or click here.
FYI: The Chicago Marathon was founded by Lee Flaherty, of Flair Communications, in 1977. Bank of America acquired it in 2008.
