Cow (public service announcement)

Cow, also titled Only Stwpd Cowz Txt N Drive,[1] is a 30-minute public information film directed by Peter Watkins-Hughes with assistance from Gwent Police and Tredegar Comprehensive School in Wales.[2] The August 2009 film was a co-production by Gwent Police and Tred Films, with special effects by Zipline Creative Limited.[3] The film features original music by Stuart Fox, a composer and sound designer from Gloucester, England.[4] A previous film, "Lucky Luke," was intended to warn about the dangers of joyriding; "Cow" was intended to be a sequel of sorts.[5] The film was shown to students in the UK and was released on YouTube.

The film, using local drama students as actors, tells the story of 17-year-old Cassie "Cow" Cowan (Jenny Davies), who texts and drives and gets into a car accident; her friends Emm and Jules (Amy Ingram and Laura Quantick) are in the vehicle with her.[5] Four people die as a result of Cassie's actions.[2] The police intended for the film to be aired in British schools.[5]

The police agency said that it took a "few thousand pounds" to make the film.[6] 300 drama students auditioned for the making of the film.[7]

The full film is shown to students in the United Kingdom.[8] As of 2009 the film had not been aired on television stations in the United States.[7] In 2010, a modified 30-second version of the public service announcement was to begin airing during certain hours on 13 television stations in central and upstate South Carolina.[9]

Story

Cassie "Cow" Cowan, Emma "Emm" Williams, and Jules O'Shea, three teenage friends who work at the same hardware shop, agree to leave work early in order to cheer up Jules, who threw up on duty after discovering that she was pregnant. On the way home, Cassie texts while driving and her Ford Ka Mk. 1 drifts across the road and collides head-on with a Ford Mondeo Mk. 2 on the outskirts of Tredegar, Gwent. Subsequently, the driver of a Ford Fiesta crashes into them. Emma and Jules are killed along with a couple in the Mondeo, while a child passenger in the Mondeo sustains several injuries but survives. It is not clear what the outcome is for the Fiesta driver.

The rest of the film depicts the accident's aftermath and consequences. The police break the news to bereaved relatives, and Cassie herself almost dies in hospital, but is revived. At the hospital, Cassie's father meets the grandmother of the couple's son. When a local paper reports that she was breathalyzed shortly before the accident, her parents are ostracised by the local community (she was stopped by the police for speeding, but passed the test). Jules' boyfriend Morgan appears on television to express his grief about the death of their unborn baby, although he had previously dumped her because of the pregnancy. Eventually, despite her mother's reassurances, Cassie is sentenced to seven years imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving.

Reception

The clip of the public service announcement received worldwide attention, and the clip received over one million views on YouTube by 25 August 2009 and reuploaded on May 28, 2016.[10] The video received attention due to the graphic content.[8] The film earned honours in the Advertising Age's weekly Creativity Top 5 video.[11] and became an overnight worldwide internet hit after being shown on the US The Today Show television show.[12]

Donny Deutsch, advertising executive and American TV host, said "I will show this to every kid I know, and I salute the police department" and "I would really implore various local stations: Run this stuff, put this on the air. It will help."[7] Mick Giannasi, the then chief constable of Gwent Police, said "The messages contained in the film are as relevant to the people of Tennessee as they are to the residents of Tredegar."[13] He also said "Texting and driving can have tragic consequences, and the more this film is viewed, the better."[7]

Cast
  • Jenny Davies - Cassie "Cow" Cowan[1]
  • Amy Ingram - Emma "Emm" Williams[1]
  • Laura Quantick - Jules O'Shea[1]
  • Roger Evans - Michael Cowan[1]
  • Adrienne O'Sullivan - Laura Cowan[1]
  • Phylip Harries - Mr. Williams[1]
  • Jason May - Mr. O'Shea[1]
  • Gareth Price Stevens - Morgan Davis[1]

References
  1. "Only Stwpd Cowz Txt N Drive". BBC Three (online). Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  2. Brindley, Madeleine. "Graphic film about dangers of texting is internet hit." Western Mail. 26 August 2009. Retrieved on 18 August 2010.
  3. "Past Work Archived 23 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine." Zipline Creative. Retrieved on 19 August 2010.
  4. "'Cow' (Only Stwpd Cowz Txt n Drive)". Stuart Fox Music for Screen. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018.
  5. "COW - The film that will stop you txting and driving". Gwent Police. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  6. Morris, Steven (3 September 2009). "Made in Gwent with £10,000: the road safety video taking YouTube by storm" – via www.theguardian.com.
  7. Inbar, Michael. "Is PSA about texting while driving too graphic?" The Today Show. 25 August 2009. Retrieved on 18 August 2010.
  8. Scouten, Ted. "British Texting While Driving PSA Shocks & Sickens." CBS 4. 25 August 2009. Retrieved on 18 August 2010.
  9. Olinger, Heather. "Graphic: Texting while driving PSA to run in SC Archived 28 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine." WCBD. 14 May 2010. Retrieved on 19 August 2010.
  10. Matyszczyk, Chris. "Is PSA on texting and driving too shocking?" CNET. 25 August 2009. Retrieved on 18 August 2010.
  11. "Creativity Top 5: 24 August 2009". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  12. "Graphic film about dangers of texting is internet hit". walesonline. 25 August 2009.
  13. Morris, Steven. "Made in Gwent with £10,000: the road safety video taking YouTube by storm." The Guardian. Thursday 3 September 2009. Retrieved on 18 August 2010.
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