The Works (found animated anti-drug PSA; 2002)

Only known screenshot of "The Works" PSA

Status: Lost

Tags: lost media PSA Film Roman

Background

"The Works" was a 30 second anti-drug PSA produced by Film Roman and directed by Eric Radomski for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. It began airing in January 2002 on PBS stations, targeting 6-8 year olds. One screenshot of the PSA exists online, as well as several articles reporting on its creation and airing, but the video itself has not yet been recovered.

Content

In the ad, a large, mechanical figure sits in an industrial-looking space, with his body cut away to reveal the mechanical components inside. A percussive, mechanical soundtrack is heard in the background. A conveyor belt carries food such as burgers, milk, bread, and fruit into its mouth, followed by a spike-covered ball labeled "drugs". When the drugs enter its system, it begins loudly breaking down, followed by a child's voiceover saying "Drugs can really break your body down."

Recovery Efforts

In April 2019, director Eric Radomski had been contacted via LinkedIn. He had replied stating that he remembers the project and would look for it in his archive, but nothing further has come from this so far.