Pain Awareness Month

OPERATION: operation?! is a documentary study of Pain Management solutions across a landscape of prescription medicines and dangerous surgeries that cannot guarantee relief.  Through a shared community, we hope to raise awareness to the issues facing those struggling with acute and chronic pain, and their loved ones, in order to provide support, compassion, and genuine solutions for increased quality of living.

Documentary Study on Pain Management

The multimedia project was started in 2006, as a collaboration by filmmakers who were themselves struggling with acute and chronic pain, including screenwriter Rogan Russell Marshall, filmmaker Melissa Balin and world renowned cinematographer, Laszlo Kovacs, ASC.

On July 28, 2006, the Hollywood community gathered at Mole Richardson to film a Public Service Announcement to bring attention to Pain Awareness Month (every September) that would also serve as the trailer for the documetary study.  Marines Veteran and actor, Scott Levy donated his time to star in the artistic PSA to show solidarity with fellow veterans struggling with very real issues of Pain Management on a daily basis.  Rockstar Bobby Alt (formerly the drummer of S.T.U.N. and now lead singer of Street Drum Corps), composed the haunting score with a Moog theramin and sounds made by his body.  Canon loaned us what was at the time the first “24-frame” pro-sumer camcorder, and Melissa’s brother and professional editor, Brandon Balin, donated his time to edit the unprecedented workflow as a LIVE demo at Melrose Mac.  The siblings’ mother, Rochelle Balin, a professional actress and yoga instructor, provided the soothing voice-over.  The iconic logo and website was designed and maintained by Stephanie Cameron of The Paradigm Design Group.  The finished piece was shown at the International Broadcast Convention in Amsterdam, and premiered at the 5th European Congress on Pain held in Istanbul.

You can view the PSA here: http://youtu.be/aZgP1viWYwg

With Laszlo Kovacs’ untimely passing, the project was put on hold, but the PSA continued to tour virtually around the globe to help raise awareness to these important issues.  Each year, Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, is eligible for a posthumous CLIO for his work that continues to influence and inspire.  Thanks to a generous resources collaboration between Technicolor, Deluxe, and Kodak Film, his best friend and colleague, Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, was able to donate his time and energy to “time-out” a beautiful film print of the digital work to be shown in theatres and at Special Events every August and September.

You can view a fun video of the session thanks to filmmaker Sam Sabzehzar, with celebrity guest appearances by world famous cinematographers Janusz Kaminski, ASC and John Toll, ASC here: http://youtu.be/71wu5-ba1v4

Unfortunately, in the many years since the inception of this project, little advancements have been made in the medical field to provide meaningful solutions to those living with Pain on a daily basis, and their loved ones.  In fact, in May of this year, The American Pain Foundation, which described itself as the nation’s largest organization for pain patients, announced it was closing its doors permanently and immediately, as a result of a December investigation by ProPublica in The Washington Post that detailed its close ties to drugmakers.  The group received 90 percent of its $5 million in funding in 2010 from the drug and medical-device industry, ProPublica found, and its guides for patients, journalists and policymakers had played down the risks associated with opioid painkillers while exaggerating the benefits.

In light of this recent horrifying knowledge, and that the OPERATION: operation?! project was initially inspired by The American Pain Foundation’s Power Over Pain Campaign; and to address the glaring gap left by their absence; we have set up a Free OPERATION: operation?! Community Facebook FanPage at http://www.facebook.com/PainAwareness that we hope you will share and utilize.

The need for public outcry around the needs of Americans struggling with pain conditions is greater today than ever before in light of the multi-front assault occurring daily on our right to dignified care. Misguided state and federal policies are impeding access to appropriate and reasonable medical care for people struggling with pain, and deterring even the most compassionate medical providers from treating anyone with pain conditions.

We hope that this community resource project will provide relevant solutions and demand effective policies to provide increased compassion, care, and quality of life, to those suffering.