Case: Driving Lt. Stonecold

Särmänä liikenteessä is a traffic educational program for army conscripts by the Finnish Road Safety Council, The Finnish Defence Forces, the Finnish Border Guard and Sotilaskotiliitto. The program ensures every conscript understands the basics of traffic safety. There is a need for this education as young people are overrepresented in traffic accidents.

Lean in, conscripts!

Conscripts incoming in early 2021 got to see something new. Smak Film created a new video introducing the basics of traffic safety. Our task was to incorporate a safety presentation into a fictional story that would cause the conscripts to lean in with interest and soak up both the story and the safety information. In other words, we were dealing with a target group that wakes up at six at the barracks, watches our content in a stuffy auditorium and in terms of media has seen it all already. Mission: impossible, but doable.

Army legends put to use

How to cater for a very heterogenous target group? We focused on the lowest common denominator, the army experience. The army is a microcosm with its own rules, language and myths that stay with the servicemen and women long after they´ve re-entered civilian life. Our creative choice was to write in the comedy genre and to tap into one of the most persistent of army myths: the super soldier, stern but fair drill sergeant!

A sweaty drive home

In our story three conscripts are starting their drive home for the weekend. The friends´ banter includes bits of the traffic safety lecture they attended earlier during the day. The officer responsible for delivering that safety lecture was none other than the legendary lt. Stonecold, a local legend. Rumor has it he has superhuman strength. Suddenly the drive home is interrupted by an ambush! The dreaded Lt. Stonecold himself jumps in front of the conscripts´vehicle and squeezes in. “We move into the practical phase of the traffic lecture. I will join you for your journey home”, states Stonecold. The three friends realize that they now need to remember every last detail of the traffic safety content they heard earlier and put it to use.

In-studio traffic

The majority of the 15 minute-runtime of the video was set in a moving car. All of these sequences were shot in a studio. We built our own studio in an old train hangar. Gaffer Santeri Siirtonen, DOP Matti Immonen and producer Markus Mutanen created an illusion of a moving car through practical effects. We used a rear projection screen and mounted astera lights to the sides of the car to simulate road lights sweeping by. Reflections of oncoming car headlights on the actors´ faces were achieved using mirrors, timed with the planned cuts of the shots.

As always, our wonderful cast made the story come alive. Young actors Oskari Jäättelä, Joona Lehtonen and Milana Novokmet – we´ll hear of them in the future! A salute also to first lieutenant Marko Törnqvist from the Guard Jaeger Regiment: he truly channeled his inner Lt. Stonecold in the titular role!

*The film can be seen by enlisting at mil.fi! :)*

Credits:

Project: Särmänä liikenteessä - Driving Lt. Stonecold!

Client: the Finnish Road Safety Council/Laura Loikkanen, The Finnish Defence Forces, the Finnish Border Guard and Sotilaskotiliitto

Cast:

Lt. Stonecold - Ylil. Marko Törnqvist

Leo, private – Oskari Jäättelä

Elias, private – Joona Lehtonen

Mira, private – Milana Novokmet

Producer: Markus Mutanen

Script: Markus Palmén

Road safety content: the Finnish Road Safety Council

DP: Matti Immonen

Gaffer: Santeri Siirtonen

Production design: Markus Mutanen

Editor: Jari Innanen F.C.E.

Sound design and music: Viljami Mehto

Director: Markus Palmén

Thank you: Toyota Finland/Mikko Kekäläinen, Pakilan Teboil, Pauli Salminen