CIARAN SHARP FILMAKING
ANALYSING YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM ADS
Terry Crews Old Spice Ad-
This ad is effective because it features a celebrity, which will catch peoples attention. He then performs music with his body, which is so random its funny, the old spice adverts are so different, because they are short, snappy and intense, this means that when viewers see the advert start they already know that they are in for a different experience, a break from the boring average tv ads. There is no camera movement and the shot is framed to have Terry perfectly in the centre, both of these things mean there are no distractions from him, the viewer is drawn into watching the music unfold. The ad doesn't show the product but due to Terry Crew's body fits with the old spice slogan 'smell like a man, man' which will lead viewers to believe they can be related to his masculinity. The ad uses a small aperture, so we can see all the instruments around the actor, this is also helped by having a wider focal length, as to capture all the instruments around him and not cut any out. The ad will have used a higher shutter speed, to keep Terry Crews' movement sharp, due to this the shutter speed will also be raised.
Budweiser Wassup Ad-
This ad became iconic, it appeals to the viewer showing the community surrounding the drink, and how it can lighten the mood of people. The product is well placed in most shots, to remind the viewer why they are watching the ad. The ad was so random it became funny, and because it became funny it became memorable, this is because there isn't much happening in the shots apart from the conversation, this means we are drawn to what they are saying. The background in the wider shots for this ad is slightly blurry, for this reason, I think they used a medium-large aperture and as this is set in a room and not outside, they will not have used a wide focal length. To keep the image crisp they would use a high ISO and shutter speed to try avoid capturing motion blur or noise that would make the shot grainy.
Snickers Mr Bean Ad-
This ad uses a famous character which already catches the viewers eye, having him included in the scene already makes it funny, as he is a goofy character, it also reinforces the brand's message 'you're not you when you're hungry', this makes the viewer feel like everyone has an inner Mr Bean, making feel more likely to buy a snicker. The ad is paced well, with the group moving quick, with faster shots to show their skill, compared to lingering shots, where Mr Bean slowly moves through them, to show the difference between them. The shot is well lit, as it is meant to show that the setting is at night time, it uses a strong overhead light to show moonlight, and define the figures of the group. In some shots we can clearly see they use a high shutter speed, to capture the ninjas jumping over roofs without any blur, and they would need to have a higher ISO. The background is in focus this means they would be using a smaller aperture and wide focal length to capture the background mountain.
Practice photoshoot
With these photos I wanted to use excessive use of colour, to do this I relied on using a two-point lighting setup, using a key light and fill light, both with coloured sheets over them to get a pink and blue glow. To take the photos I wanted to use a low aperture, so I had an f-stop of 4 and a shutter speed of 1/100, as the camera was handheld and I didn't want any blur. I used a low ISO to make sure my images do not come out grainy, this is especially important as I had a high aperture. I also used a more zoomed-in focal length, to create a shallow depth of field. With these videos I was trying to perform a pull focus, meaning you shift focus from one point to the other, to do this I had to use a low aperture. Obviously, I was focused less on the use of colour during these, as I didn't edit them to be as bright.
Urban Outfitters- This add is effective at promoting its clothing with close shots of the two models not only does this show that the store is open to anyone, but it also shows that some of their clothes are unisex, a further incentive to shop there. Both shots are affective at showing how you can combine clothes to make outfits just from urban.The shot on the right uses a wall close behind the models as a background, this is smart as there is nothing to distract from the models, using colours that are culturally seen as opposites , blue and pink, the outfits are made to be seen as opposite despite the fact they are both tracksuits.This is different to the shot on the right, which uses a small aperture and long focal length to see the buildings which would take focus away from the image, if the horizon weren't being blocked by the models, the shot is forcing the viewer to focus on the models, however, to get a crisper outline around the models you could use a smaller ISO and use a darker background. The clothes are also the same colour as the clothes, which helps create a more urban feel to the shoot.
This first shot already draws the viewer in, it only includes what it needs to, the celebrity modelling the clothes, and the product. It already establishes the model's opinion on the product, with him smiling whilst looking down at is, this is already encouraging people to buy it, as fans of Anthony Joshua are more likely to buy clothes endorsed by him. The white background is used to define his outline, they could've achieved the blurred background by using a lower f-stop, however, this means more light is being let Inso they have had to adjust the ISO as to not overexpose the image. Also, due to the fact this is a still shot of a moving model, they would have to use a higher shutter speed, to get a clearer image. A large focal length was used to help draw attraction to the logo. I like the idea of using close shots of the model, as it feels more intimate with the viewer.
This ad uses an eye-catching shot , starting with darker colours around the model , and using a bright light to focus on them, highlighting the top and giving a cool retro look as well as defining his figure by giving a dark shadow around him, this already appeals to certain aesthetics. The setting of the shoot gives some more drama to the photo, providing more of contrast between the black of the night time and white of the top, helping it stand out more.We can tell from this image the background is quite commonplace, which draws less attention to it and helps the viewer focus on the model. The fact the model is wearing a mask helps show it is quite a current ad and could imply that this is part of a trend. The ad uses a wide depth of field, they could do this by having a higher f-stop, and as this shot is at night I think they are using a slower shutter speed, to help capture more detail, as the image isn't noisey they managed to keep the ISO low. This shot uses a small focal length to help draw attention to the background ,which is almost suggesting you the buy the top for the lifestyle and atmosphere surrounding it, this will help more consumers buy it. This ad has inspired me to use eye catching colours to help give a shot a strong aesthetic.
PRODUCTS TO ADVERTISE
DisjointedCo - This is my top choice for products to advertise, I can use one of their boards and create an ad focused on motion, relying on on-camera work and shot framing using shutter speed to get quick, crisp videos. I feel like this band has a bit of a punk vibe, which I can lean in to have aggressive music, matching the quick cuts and showing off the lifestyle that comes with skating.
Nature Jewellery- This is my second choice as with this product I would want to create an ad set in nature, focusing on the sound and colour surrounding the model, showing how we feel connected ted to it and feel happier being out in it. In this ad the colour correction and grading would be important to me, making sure it was filled with warm shots.
Scarlett Elizabeth Designs- With these products, I would want to focus on the current fashion trends , and try lay it out to fit in with them. as most the clothes are patterned I think doing a black and white ad might help them stand out, or with the coloured clothes I could have them being the only things still in colour, to help draw the viewers attention.
PRODUCT MOODBOARD- NATURE JEWELRY
With this mood board, I was heavily inspired by Gucci ads, where they use strong colours to reflect a theme, they are also helped by elegant poses and striking backgrounds, I may try use this idea in my ad, by having some colourful nature surround my model. I think it's clear Gucci's inspiration came from renaissance paintings, as they tend to look dramatic and staged. You can see across the moodboard there are consistent blues/greens and reds/oranges, these reflect quite an autumnal feel and I may try colour correct my footage to look quite warm and reflect the theme of a season.
Story Boards-Nature jewellery
Production schedule
Risk Asssesment
Legal and ethical
In the Uk non-broadcast adverts are regulated by 'CAP' and 'ASA'. Both of these bodies are independent regulators. CAP offers authoritative advice and guidance on how to create campaigns that comply with the rules. ASA responds to complaints about ads as well as monitoring them.
Location recce
RAW footage
I think my raw footage is affective as it emphasises the beauty of nature, and shows emotion well. The shots are framed to either show the models surrounded by nature, grass and sky surrounding them, showing beauty is everywhere. Or, to be intimate with the model, close up shots showing intimate emotions. I'm glad my footage has a clean focus, my focus pull was used affectively to show the beauty of nature, and the beauty of the product. I need to improve on my exposure, as the sky is too bright white. However, in the closeup shots I like this, as it gives a halo around the hair of the model. I am glad most of my shots are stable, as I didn't use a gamble to use them, there is a slight wobble to some of them, but this almost makes the shots look less professional and more modest.
I chose to categorise, my footage into types of shots so I can easily know where to find the shots I want. I also colour coded them , green being the best, most usable and red being unusable, with amber being I could use them for b-roll. Overall this helped make my editing experience a lot quicker and easier.
I added the logo at the start of the sequence before my footage, I then added a dip to black so it will fade out as my footage fades in. I did this so there is always something on the screen for my viewers attention to be drawn to
I added two crossfades at the same time, one for my footage and one for my audio, this is because at this point in the sequence the footage changes from sad to happy, to show this transition in the footage I colour graded it differently, having it fade from a cooler sad tint to a warm, bright happier colour grade to show the change in emotions. To show this change in audio, I had the first half of the audio quieter, for it to fade into a louder version, showing her feelings are stronger.
I chose to add the logo in the beginning of the sequence to introduce the brand before I lose the viewers attention, this means they are already told that the ad is about jewellery, so their attention can be drawn to the products as they are shown.
Photos of our group
My final edit
30 second advert
10 second advert
Product Ad Breakdown:
WWW- With this ad, I wanted to focus on the use of colour and cuts/transitions. Our product is quite natural, so to emphasise this I thought we could have a calming ad, not dramatic with fast cuts and loud music, so to do this I used slow transitions. I wanted to use as few as possible, only using them to show a change of location. I chose to colour grade my footage to give it a warm happy feeling, especially the final product shot, making it seem like natural sunlight shining on the image, giving it connotations of summer. I wanted to tell a story with my ad, showing how thinking of the fun times our model had while wearing her earrings can cheer her up, to show the difference between the memories and the current time. I chose to use a cooler colour grade at the start which will contrast with warm shots after it to show the model is sad. I also applied an affect to my audio to make it quieter, almost like the her happiness has faded since. However having the music ramp up in the memories helps show the contrast in her mood.
Our shoot also went well, we managed to get both models to the location whilst shooting clips along the way. We quickly set up lighting and tripods as a group, all contributing our own ideas for extra shots and all sharing the cameras equally, no one person was in charge, I think as a group we used lighting especially well, making the shots look natural, brighter and warmer than the weather actually was.
EBI-During editing I struggled choosing and using audio to my advantage, I think the song I chose doesn't match my cuts and makes the ad look cheesier than they are meant to be, to improve this next time , I can give myself more time to look through songs and add some more nature sounds in the background. As a whole group I think we struggled to communicate as a whole, we struggled with scheduling and had to split up to do two separate shoots, this does mean we got twice as much footage
This is my edit after I changed the audio, I think it adds more of an emotional punch as it goes from silence, to blasting music showing a drastic change in emotions