Split Second

Audience

Primary School Students.

Overview

The program was designed and produced by Readymade Productions for Transport SA in association with the South Australian Film Corporation. The video production features three stories, each with alternative outcomes. The interactive app transforms the video into a game that doubles as a comprehension test.

Synopsis

Eleven year old Nat can’t wait to get to the skate park after school, eager to join the skilled older boys in the concrete pit. Crossing the road to the park he barely pauses to consider the dangers. Ahead there’s a large truck moving slowly towards him, but no other cars are visible. As his eyes dash from the truck to the skilled skate-boarder, we freeze the frame. We hear Nat’s inner thoughts in voice over – ‘Go for it. You’ve got heaps of time’ – then release the freeze as Nat skates straight across the road…

But he doesn’t make it. No sooner has he hit the bitumen than a fast car passes the truck at speed. As it’s about to slam into Nat, we cut to black. We replay the moments before the accident in slow motion, revealing different views of what happened, expanding Nat’s limited perspective, then rapidly rewind Nat’s last moments, and again freeze the frame on the close-up of Nat. The moment of decision. He then makes another choice… has a close call… then in the third outcome safely crosses and joins his friends at the park.

Split Second uses three stories to explore the decisions children make around traffic, engaging their attention, broadening their perspective, and helping equip them with the tools for future decision-making.

In a second story 9 year old Kylie refuses to let her brother play the Gameboy. In the supermarket car park she barely takes her eyes of the game…

And in the final story 13 year old Anna is horsing around with her friends on the way to school, crossing dangerously close to a corner…

Each time they make three decisions, with three outcomes – the last of which sees them safely across the road.