Beyond the glitzy and glamorous experiences of passengers aboard cruise ships are stories of hardworking cruise ship workers who endure long hours at sea to provide for the needs of their families back home.
While working in a cruise ship might seem like a dream job, for low-rank workers, everyday is a struggle to overcome difficult working conditions like long hours, claustrophobic spaces, and limited medical care.
In 2004, theater producer Jason Ferguson accepted a job to work in a cruise ship as a manager of musical stage shows.
During nine months at sea, he grew closer to his crew, most of which were Filipinos, and was faced with the working conditions Filipino crew members experience that passengers aren’t able to see.
Inspired by this, Ferguson wrote the film The Crew, a 360 virtual reality (VR) short film about a Filipino cruise ship worker named Benjo who uses his love for music and karaoke to cope with the difficulties of working at sea.
With the support from Google’s Jump Start program, the film’s crew were provided VR and post production equipment to produce an inspiring story told in a new form.
“VR is an “empathy machine” that makes you feel a deeper emotional bond with the subject. You can immerse yourself in a cruise ship cabin to understand the claustrophobia, and you can connect emotionally with the crew member’s story,” Ferguson explained.
The film’s lead actor, opera singer Rogelio B. Peñaverde Jr., hopes the film resonates with migrant workers, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“I know people like Benjo, not only fellow countrymen working in the cruise industry but friends who struggle everyday to overcome obstacles to realize their dreams,” Peñaverde said.
The film is set to start filming this month but the film crew is still raising money through an Indiegogo campaign to raise the film’s budget
To know how you can contribute, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-crew-a-cinematic-360-short-film-vr#/
Photo credit: indiegogo.com
