Monday, January 11, 2016

HOMEPAGE


SMASHED COMPASS PRODUCTIONS (SCP) was founded by PR, Marketing and Communications expert, Mr Bradley Rae, who has been actively involved in humanitarian causes and bettering the lives of others around the world for over a decade. Under his directorship, SCP,  through commissioned and volunteer consultancy work, specializes in (i) the documentation of social and economic programs in developing countries, as well as relief efforts and field operations during humanitarian crises; (ii) the development of high impact marketing strategies and campaigns that are supported by print (from magazines to billboards) Radio, T.V and Social Media and (iii) effective capacity building and networking, with a proven track record at the community grassroots level, in the Corporate Board Room and at the highest levels of Government. The portfolio of work shown here (scroll down) includes video productions, photo galleries, articles / stories from the field, and social media platforms that were created to educate NGO personnel, through practical demonstration, the potentiality of social media, its reach with little or no budget, and overall content management.

FACEBOOK COMMUNITY               PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE               YOUTUBE CHANNEL
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ECOTOURISM - CHANGING LIVES - SOLOMON ISLANDS (1.30)

This is a poverty reduction project dedicated to the development of ecotourism across the Solomon Islands. The project was devised by Smashed Compass Director, Mr Bradley Rae, who met with, and gained the support of, the Honorable Prime Minister Mr Zogavare. The site showcased in the video is a collaboration Mr Rae began on a volunteer basis with three remote villages on Guadalcanal Island, which included (i) designing the resort and bungalows and overseeing construction using resources from community teak /coconut plantations & jungle AND (ii) establishing the first cultural tour in the country. The project involved networking at the grassroots level, educating and collaborating with local communities, land owners and tour operators; and travel to research and document locations for promotional purposes and for the development of more sites in the future. The video was shown to the Prime Minister to demonstrate how ecotourism sites can be constructed at low cost, with limited impact on the environment and culture, as well as how they can be marketed internationally. Construction continues on the site, driven solely by the will of the people to better their lives, who are being well supported by their government through the provision of grants and training programs nationwide. This project was devised to create employment throughout local communities and to assist the government in ecotourism development. 
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PR / REBRANDING / COMMUNICATIONS - SOLOMON ISLANDS (6.15)

SIEA is the state owned corporation that is responsible for producing and distributing electricity across the Solomon Islands. The PR consultancy position, created through a collaboration between SIEA and ABV, was created to help improve public opinion, which was particularly low due to a history of poor services. SCP's role included (i) assessing corporate operations, which required extensive travel to numerous islands & remote outstations to document (photograph and video) field operations and the communities they serve  (ii) providing in-depth reports, recommendations and presentations to the Board of Directors -: recommendations included, but were not limited to, a nationwide cost reduction strategy and a complete rebranding of the corporation AND (iii) implementation of rebranding, 

The success of this project was due to the close collaboration with Executive Management and the Board. As with all assignments, extensive time was allotted for capacity building in all facets of marketing and public relations.


The unity of company with country, each dependent on the other, growing together as one, was the essence of the PR campaign created.

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ECOTOURISM & POVERTY REDUCTION PROJECT, VIETNAM
 
(6:26)


Implemented by COHED and supported by ABV, this project in Mai Chau Valley aims to create employment in impoverished villages through tourism; noting tourism at the time of the assignment was non-existent throughout the region. Working closely with COHED's senior management, SCP's role was to develop and implement a marketing campaign that targeted both local and international audiences. The assignment was executed in several phases: (i) Extensive travel with translator over one month throughout the region (on motorcycle, 4wd and boats) to gather stock images and video footage (ii) Engaging with local communities at length to gain their support and confidence in the program (iii) Mapping out tours to undiscovered locations (iv) Production of promotional video (v) design and construction of 2 E commerce websites with local IT team, who spoke no English!  Siites are MaiChauValley.VN  + Vietcomtours.com, which is soon to launched (vi) design of marketing material including posters and postcards (vii) forming affiliations with major hotels and travel agencies in Hanoi (viii) Capacity Building; that is teaching/ training local NGO staff on all facets of marketing; and (ix), advising local communities and tourism operators on hospitality and customer service. This project was a huge success.... In September, 2016, Prime Minister Nguven Xuan Phuc announced the Government's intent to promote Mai Chau Valley and Ho Binh Province as a new tourist hotspot for 2017/18!     
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HAITI EARTHQUAKE - GROUND ZERO
(12.12)


This video shows actual footage of the quake and photographs from the field. SCP's role was to travel extensively throughout the country documenting the devastation, as well as the operations of two NGOs in the aftermath. Global Grassroots and Amurtel. This PR presentation was created for a global audience to help raise awareness and to increase donor support for what was described by by the UN as 'the worst earthquake in modern history'.

300 000 people died in this Earthquake, which lasted 45 serconds, and measured 7.0 on Richter scale.
Stories from the field and photo gallery of the devestation 
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FUNDRAISING PROJECT 
 
(4:03) 


 Part of a fundraising endeavor to support the humanitarian work that Smashed Compass Productions is committed to. FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHS are by SCP Director, Bradley Rae. Locations include Kenya, Tanzania, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, New York, Las Vegas. To view photo galleries and to order prints, go to 

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NAIROBI SLUMS AND GOD'S SOLDIERS (8:56)

 is a short story about the poverty, diseases and widespread violence in a Nairobi  slum, and the wonder of orphans who thrive in its midst under the guidance and protection of a small Catholic Mission. SPC's role, done a volunteer basis, was to venture deep into the heart of the slums to document the reality of the children's lives and the mission's work + Article/ Photos / Links 

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MAN FROM SUDAN - WAR DOCUMENTARY


tells the inspirational story of one man's journey through Sudan's civil war. Forced into ten years of service with the North Sudanese Army, he witnessed atrocities and genocide being committed against the South Sudanese populace. For more information and to donate to Sudanese refugees go to SORA website
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Based on a true story.

TRANSMOGRIFY - PRISONERS OF EVIL (2:05)


Transmogrify : Def : to change the appearance or nature of; particularly badly, or grotesquely: to transform. Viewer discretion is advised. The challenge - When bad publicity near completely eradicated support for this cause around the globe, SCP was faced with the job of promoting something that, at first instance, could not be referenced. The creative solution was to produce this trailer that is designed to captivate, shock, inform and incite interest through an allegorical representation of the facts.


See FULL VIDEO + Article / Photos / Links that reveal the cause, and details of SCP's journey through a country devastated by war. Our mission was to conduct a field study of NGO operations; as well as conduct interviews with the victims, whose own words and experiences are featured in the trailer and documentary. 

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RED CROSS/ AUSAID - Uganda (3:43) 

T
hrough the Avid Program, Australian professionals are placed on long term assignments in developing countries for the purpose of capacity building and training. SPC's role was to research and document the operations of local affiliate organizations, conduct interviews and provide PR material to help promote the program run jointly by Red Cross & AusAID    
+ Article / Photos / Links 
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GIANTS AND BEASTS
 
(01:15)


shows the brutal chronology of the whaling industry in a 60 seconds blitz. Viewer discretion is advised. To get involved in the fight to protect these magnificent creatures, go to Sea Shepherd Conservation Website
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ACTIVISM (2:28) 

This clip dramatically depicts the reality of a world without wisdom. Viewer discretion is advised. 

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SUICIDAL ROSE (6:03) 

This work takes on the conceptual challenge of breaking convention radically, yet responsibly. Created and produced as a short stylized original music video by SCP, this promotional piece is part of a social media campaign on suicide prevention, depression and domestic violence Targeting young adults, its message is clear and simple. For further information and support go to Beyond Blue websiteOriginal music for the video was written and performed by SCP's founder, Bradley Rae
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STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Haiti - A Layer Cake of Disaster - article / photo 
Faced with 300 000 dead, 300 000 injured and 1 million people left homeless, NGOs and the UN scrambled to managed an unprecedented situation as the hurricane season loomed on the horizon, promising more devastation
Queensland Floods, Australia  
This is how one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history played out. Armageddon was the term used by survivors. + Article / Photos
Prisoners of Evil - Child Soldiers in Uganda

A journey into the war ravaged north of Uganda to interview child soldiers who escaped from Kony's Lord Resistance Army. These child soldiers, after years of extreme violence and abuse, return to their families and communities; only to be feared and despised for the atrocities they were forced to commit.
  + Article / Photos
Medicins Sans Frontiers in Papua New Guinea

Assignments included covering MSF operations in Lae during the cholera epidemic, and documenting MSF's medical and counseling center that deals with victims of domestic violence. + Article / Photos / Link
Papua New Guinea

Projects include World Bank initiatives, Government programs and NGO field operations; as well as filming villages and communities in remote highland regions accessible only by chopper. + Article / Photos / Links
Red Cross / AUS AID - Uganda

The Avid Program places Australian professionals on long term assignments in developing countries for capacity building / training of local NGO personnel.  + Video / Article / Photos

When the US nosedived into a recession, major budget cuts for public services occurred. As police force numbers decreased, crime dramatically increased in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the USA. + Article / Photo

Short adventure travel story  

SCP's Director, Bradley Rae, hitched a ride on a dredge boat to check out the humpback whales migrating along the Queensland coast. Within hours of leaving shore, all hell broke loose on the high seas. Photos

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