I initially e-mailed a local animal and retail park, however in their reply e-mail they expressed that they already had a promotional video and did not want to partake in another one. Therefore, I will e-mail another establishment that I have already researched.
E-mail from Hoar Park:
E-mailing another business:
Mr Bennett did not get back to my initial e-mail, so I sent him the same message on Facebook, as I noticed that he was active on Facebook.
A guest speaker has been arranged to come into the college (Tuesday 27th January, 2pm). Timothy Pratt is an ex-student of the college and now runs his own production company.
Below are some questions to ask Pratt, to gain inspiration techniques for the current promotional video unit and to find out information for possible degrees and careers:
Has it always been your ambition to run your own production company?
How long did it take to start the company?
How many clients do you see on average?
What kind of promotional videos do you make?
What are the most effective techniques to make a promotional video for retail?
Do you have any advice for creating promotional videos?
E-mail sent to my auntie, who works with small independent businesses (Find a Biz): Hi Elaine,
I'm creating a short promotional video for my current project at college. I was wondering if you knew of a small independent business from Find a Biz that would be interested in working with me, and attain a promotional video of their terms and desire for no cost.
Thanks :) xx
...below is a screen shot of the further conversation between myself and my auntie.
Permission e-mail for my promotional video:
Dear Sir/Madam, I am currently studying a HNC (higher national certificate) in media production at King Edward VI College, Nuneaton. I have just began the process of planning a video production module, and was enquiring whether you would be interested in working with me, and would be happy for me to produce a promotional video for your company. The end result would be available to you and your company free of charge to use at your own disposal (e.g. a website or social networking page). If we were to work together in this project, I would work closely with yourself and colleagues to ensure that the video is of your desire and meets your expectations. If you would be interested in aiding me with this project and obtaining a promotional video, please e-mail me back at davissarah1996@gmail.com, where we can hopefully discuss further. Kind regards, Sarah Davis
Different companies/products I could create a promotional video for:
Retail.
Catering.
Music bands, events, attractions.
Services.
Information, public service, charity.
Useful techniques to use in a promotional video:
Talking heads interviews - people who work at the business/sell the product and people who have had a good experience at the business/used the product.
Product photography and brand identity - an audience can immediately identify a brand if they are accustomed to certain features e.g. the logo.
Copyright free - to ensure my client will be able to use the promotional video for their own use afterwards e.g. to post on their website or social networking sites, promoting their business.
Music score/motif - a music score would enable the sound to match the visuals perfectly, and create whatever mood and feeling that I or my client desires.
Instructional and demonstrations - showing an audience how to use the service/product will encourage them to use/buy, as some people feel more comfortable using/buying when they know how to use a service or product.
Graphics - the use of onscreen graphics will help the audience remember key facts and information. Eye catching techniques like this draw the audience in, and encourage them to use the service/buy the product.
Customer testimonials and endorsements - this will influence the viewer to use the service/buy the product from recommendations and word of mouth.
Cutaways - cutaways will allow the promotional video to contain numerous different technical and visually pleasing shots, showing more of the business/product.
Presenter - the use of a presenter, similarly to using talking heads interviews, will inform the audience and encourage them to use/buy.
Length - making a short and snappy promotional video will encourage people to use the service/buy the product. If the video is too long the audience will get disinterested and loose attention whilst watching the video.
Mode of address - the mode of address is important, as whether the tone is formal or informal depends on the business, product and target audience.
Narrative - a thoroughly planned narrative will give entice the audience and give the promotional video structure and meaning.
Targeting an audience - planning, filming and editing a promotional video to suit an audiences needs is important e.g. if the audience is for infant children, the mood needs to be young, happy and fun.
Different companies to possibly contact for the production of a promotional video:
Galley Farm stables.
http://www.galleyfarmstables.com/
Local to my house, therefore I would be able to go back to film numerous times, or to correct shots.
The release of the video could possibly bring business to a local business in my village, which would help the economy of the stables, as I am aware that they have had financial issues in previous years.
Fairly close to my house, so I would be able to visit numerous times or re-shoot any shots I am unhappy with.
With 1,279 'likes' on Facebook, the business has already proven popular, and could benefit from an additional promotional video, which there are no signs of online.
3. Hoar Park childrens farm.
http://www.hoar-park.co.uk/
Situated a short drive away from where I live, again, I would be able to visit numerous times and re-shoot if I feel neccessary.
Consisting of a children's farm, playground, restaurant, antique centre, garden centre, barn available for hire and a fishing pool, Hoar Park boasts a wide range of activites to show and promote. The businesses recieve a lot of custom and have their own website, which I feel could be helped with the aid of a promotional video, as it is based in a rural location, and more people could know of its existance.
4. The Bee's Knees Face - Painting Co.
https://www.facebook.com/BeesKneesFaces
Following this business would project an element of enjoyment and fun, as the video should have a happy theme of people enjoying themselves. However, this business is based around planned events and may not be running every day, which would make arranging filming times/places difficult.
Design brief
My aim for this project is to research, plan and create a promotional video for a client, which meets their criteria. I plan to create a promotional video for a small independent business, to hopefully increase popularity and therefore increase the business of the establishment. The video will be aimed at the general public. After researching other retail promotional videos, the duration will last from around 2 minutes to 4 minutes. The video will include different shots of the establishment and I will communicate with the business owner/manager to meet their needs and expectations. I will create an in-depth plan of the promotional video, but will meet with the client before filming commences, to make any changes necessary to meet the clients expectations, when the final promotional video will be finished in March. I will be considering release forms and health and safety whilst planning and filming.
Here I will be analysing 4 different promotional videos (featured below) concentrating on the target audience, mode of address, technical conventions, conveyance of brand identity and narrative.
Product launch/marketing
Promote key messages and values
Internet coverage
Event coverage
Product launch/marketing - Apple iPad Air
Target audience - The target audience for most Apple products is aimed at a younger active audience, however the product can be used by almost any age. This particular advert promoting the iPad Air features numerous different scenarios including extreme locations (e.g. tornados, mountains and waterfalls), strategic purposes (e.g. sport, engineering and air rescue), educational (e.g. geography, wildlife and culture) and entertainment (e.g. music, art and dancing). People of different ages are shown using the product, showing that even young children can use the product and not just for fun, but for educational purposes.
Mode of address - The mode of address is fairly formal. The only dialogue is an extract from a film, and shows people using the product in an educational and useful way. The speech is formally spoken and quotes literature.
Technical conventions - Handheld camera and point of view shots are used to give a personal sense and put the viewer in the advert/place. The brand Apple sells a lifestyle and this advert allows the audience to believe that they can too buy into that lifestyle and do the things shown in the advert. The numerous locations and uses of the iPad are shown throughout the advert, showing it's multiple uses and therefore helping to sell the product.
Conveyance of brand identity - The Apple brand is well known all over the world and has the simple distinctive logo of an Apple. The brand is identified as being clean, fresh, new and innovative through the high usage of the colour white, high key lighting and upbeat tone. The advert is also promoting the other Apple products as most of the apps shown are available on the AppStore, and therefore most apple devices, making all of the functions shown on the advert useable on numerous platforms.
Narrative - The voice-over for the advert is a segment from the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, featuring a speech given by Robin Williams' character, John Keating. The help of a celebrity endorsement influences people to buy the product, and the voice of a well known comedian/actor quoting a speech from a popular film gives the audience comfort, trusting that the product is worthy and of use to purchase. The narrative also ends with the question "what will your verse be?", asking the audience a question and allowing them to think about the function and uses of buying the product.
Promote key messages and values - St John Ambulance
Target audience - The target audience of this advert is general, but with particular focus on anybody caring for an infant child. The playful theme but formal tone, again gives the impression that the information is useful to anybody. The advert was broadcast on television which shows that the target audience is broad, but not general as adults mainly watch television.
Mode of address - The mode of address features an informal tone covering a formal subject. A playful tone does not give too much of a serious feel although the serious message is very clear. Using objects associated with children makes the message obvious and also reminds the audience of small objects that children could choke on. The information is formal and gives clear instruction for anybody who were to watch the advert, as the information is useful to anybody.
Technical conventions - The playful theme of the advert is mainly due to the nature of the cartoon/animation layout. The toys and objects associated with children also give the advert a fun and playful theme. The camera angles are not varied and stay fairly static, but the purpose of the advert is not to show a product and make something look appealing and desireable, it is to give instructions and demonstrate an important message, therefore technical aspects are not as important.
Conveyance of brand identity - The St John Ambulance have used toys and objects associated with young children. The purpose of the advert is to inform and give instructions on what to do if an infant chokes on a small object. The branding is well known as it is a name associated with the NHS, and is exposed to the public on a regular basis.
Narrative - By using celebrity endorsements the advert captures the publics attention. Featuring the voices of David Walliams, David Mitchell, Johnny Vegas and Sir John Hurt the audience is given familiar voices to help them remember key facts. The narrative is spoken informally but still retains a formal tone as it is promoting a serious cause and key message. The purpose is to inform and gives instructions in a clear, concise and memorable way.
Internet coverage - Sky Movies advert
Target audience - The main target audience of the advert would be movie lovers who would pay into a subscription channel purely to watch films. By using a celebrity endorsement the target audience would be influenced into buying into the brand, by an audience who is a fan of Harrison Ford/his films. Due to the cost of the channel, use of an older actor and nature of the channel the main target audience would be middle-aged adults with a fairly paid job.
Mode of address - With a fairly formal tone the advert uses repetition and is portrayed in an adult serious tone, which relates with the target audience.
Technical conventions - By using numerous locations the advert appeals to a wide variety of people who find escapism in film. By using locations that relate to the dialogue, binary opposition and shallow depth of field, the advert has a sense of loneliness and reflection so the audience asks themselves the questions that are already being asked to them.
Conveyance of brand identity - Sky is a popular cable network which has numerous different channels. This particular advert is promoting Sky Movies which charges a monthly fee. The niche channel uses world famous actor Harrison Ford to sell the channel, as he is a familiar face with most moviegoers and could easily influence the right target audience.
Narrative - Again, by using a celebrity that an audience is familiar with, the audience can be influenced in buying the product. The narrative is fairly repetitive, so the common phrase is permanent in the audiences head. By asking the audience questions and allowing them to think about cinema, Ford entices the audience into buying the channel.
Event coverage - Le Tour de France (Yorkshire)
Target audience - The advert mainly targets fans of cycling and sports as they would be the people mainly watching Le Tour de France. The many ariel shots feature rural locations which would be encouraging to cyclists, as the vast hills and tricky landscapes make it a great place to cycle, also showing the vast cities and cultural landmarks. The promotion at the end features a tourist website for Yorkshire, encouraging people to visit. Cycling varies from any age, therefore the advert is not aimed at a specific age range, but probably more towards middle-aged men as most of the cyclists are of that category.
Mode of address - This advert features an informal mode of address as there are little formal narrative and qualities. However the music and numerous shots of cultured locations give the advert a slight formal tone.
Technical conventions - Featuring many ariel shots of the location, the camera angles pan across the landscapes showing vast areas of land and hills, making the location appealing to cyclists.
Conveyance of brand identity - Being one of the biggest sporting events of the year, Le Tour de France is watched by approximately 4 billion viewers worldwide. The opportunity in this promotional video to promote Yorkshire as a place is the main theme, as the video is more of the location instead of the cycling. This is further supported by the end title to a tourist website for Yorkshire, encouraging the audience to visit.
Narrative - Containing no speech, the sound in the advert is purely non-diegetic, in the form of an instrumental composition, escalating in tone and tension.
To begin this unit I researched Laura Mulvey's gaze theory, Sigmund Freud's theory of personality, and Jacques Lacan's lack theory. I found this research very interesting as I had not studied these theorists much beforehand (except Mulvey). I found that the theories of Mulvey and Lacan fascinated me the most, as I had perviously studied Mulvey and understood her theory to a great degree, and Lacan's theories of desire and self reflection interested me. I then began to develop my ideas and plan for my own short film, in addition to my visual ideas to represent these theories.
After deciding to base my film around Lacan's lack theory, I began the planning for my film by researching its theorist, French phychoanalyst Jacques Lacan. He theorised that people who are missing something significant within their lives become increasingly obsessed with a particular thing until it becomes all that they desire. I also looked at Lacan's theory of the mirror stage, where he believed that infants between 6-18 months see a reflection of themselves and recognise their themselves, typically becoming very interested and devoted in exploring the connection between their bodies and images. I may use aspects of this theory in my film, and use more features associated with Lacan e.g. a reflection in a mirror. To aid my research I studied a doccumentary (Grizzly Man, 2005, Herzog) following the life and death of Timothy Treadwell, a nature enthusiast who became infatuated by grizzly bears. I also noted another doccumentary (Married to the Eiffel Tower, 2008, Piotrowska), which interacts with objectum sexuality women, who have an emotional and romantic desire towards inanimate objects. I found a common theme in both documentaries where all participants revealed a disturbing past. After my research period and understanding of the theory, I began to make note of the techniques used in these documentaries and how they were used effectively, such as shallow depth of field, long takes, slow narrative and non-diegetic instrumental sound. I found this planning helpful and very effective, as I feel that in the past unit my planning was not as thorough.
I thought a lot about different technical aspects including shot types, camera angles, lighting, sound and locations. I also considered how I would edit my film together to relate to my chosen theorist and convey the theory in such a way that was effective to its audience, constructing meaning and atmosphere. I wanted to cleverly construct my shots to give significant subliminal meaning, whether that be through shadow, reflection or hidden meaning. I wanted to link specific shot types to The Machinist (2004, Anderson), as I studied the film and became very familiar with the hidden meaning. The main character within the narrative is constantly looking in mirrors, often through split images suggesting that his personality is split. His infatuation with looking in a mirror relates to Lacan's mirror stage theory, which I aimed to adapt and re-create. I deciced that I wanted to shoot in a busy environment, and then in rural/studio locations to oppose each other. I also wanted my film to be based around loneliness and a lack of human interaction/companionship.
I planned the places where I wanted to shoot and the techniques that I wanted to use, and then shot in each location, including a busy city environment, a rural scene and a studio location. I reviewed my clips and in post-production (Premiere Pro) and began to edit. I realised I had effective shot types showing Lacan's theory and had kept to my brief, which I found very useful as this gave me guidance whilst filming. I re-shot parts of my film as I felt that some parts needed improving and re-shooting. I used a mixture of slow motion and a fast motion via time-lapse, close-ups, shallow depth of field, framing and lonely locations.
I used a song composed by Thomas Newman titled Any Other Name. The song is instrumental and slow paced, giving a sense of loneliness and isolation. I feel that using a song instead of diegetic sound works effectively, as the lack of diegetic sound allows the audience to see/hear that the main character is alone, and has a lack. I originally planned to use diegetic sound, but whilst editing discovered that an already existing song works more effectively.
If I were to conduct/improve the unit again, I would have filmed a greater amount in less time, as I re-filmed a few days prior to the deadline. I feel that I planned more thoroughly than my recent films, which helped me in using techniques relating better to the theory/my brief. Although I am pleased with the final result of my film and this unit, and feel that I have improved since my previous units and will continue to do so.
I feel that an audience would take a preferred reading to my short film, as the techniques that I have used, portray a strong sense of isolation and loneliness, which is commonly used in other media texts with the same or a similar narrative. Originally I wanted to include subliminal messages, similar to The Machinist, but I felt that this would complicate my narrative slightly, as I then decided to create a blatant message showing a lack of social interaction.
During this unit, I have developed my unserstanding of psychoanalytical film and how theories can influence film and give them meaning. An example of this would be The Machinist, which I watched passively until researching, understanding and then applying Freud/Lacan's theory to. Personally, once understanding the theories, the films and doccumentaries that I analysed became more enjoyable to watch, as I was able to understand subliminal clues and meanings within. The unit has furthered my interest in psychoanalytical film theory, and I would now be interested in extending my knowledge of the topic.
Released in 1983, Koyaanisqatsi draws its title from the Hopi word meaning 'life out of balance', revealing how humanity has grown apart from nature. Featuring extensive footage of natural landscapes and elemental forces, the documentary film gives way to many scenes of modern civilisation and technology. Given its lack of narration and dialogue, the production makes its points solely through imagery and music, with many scenes either slowed down or sped up for dramatic effect. I hope to re-create similar aspects of this in my own film, to give a sense of loneliness, relating to Lacan's lack theory.
Visual inspiration for the psychoanalytical film unit, using Lens Culture (www.lensculture.com)
Scott Houston (www.scotthoustonphoto.com) is a documentary photographer and film maker, whose work is concerned with the cultural, social and political landscape of contemporary America. In the body of work shown below, 'Company Men', he scoured the streets of New York City in the culture of male corporate workers. The photographs show the bustle of business workers in a city, which I hope to emulate, using the time-lapse technique to show isolation and the speed that people move without notice for their surroundings.
Steve Meyler (www.stevemeyler.com) focuses on landscape photography, capturing shots with dramatic lighting, including dark shadows and bursts of light (as shown below). Some of his other images do not feature similar striking lighting, but does show vast expansive countryside and extreme loneliness, featuring not a single person.
Djinane Alsuwayeh's (www.djinanealsuwayeh.com) body of work, 'Histories Urbaines' contains some powerful lighting techniques, capturing subjects from the side with minimal lighting, lighting only poart of their face. I plan to use split lighting in my film to show a split personality and demonstrate my understanding of how effective different lighting techniques can be.
For my unit 11 film based around Lacan's lack theory, I plan to shoot in London/Birmingham, a rural/semi-rural location and a photography studio.
London and/or Birmingham:
As I am basing my films theme around loneliness and the lack of social interaction, I feel that London/Birmingham would be a prime location to shoot as they are both hectic cities full of energy and bustle. Yet both being major capital cities, they are still some of the loneliest places. When researching camera techniques I decided to use time-lapse to show a transition of time. I will set a camera up on a tripod and film a few minutes (3-4) of my main subject standing still in one spot facing towards the camera, I will then fasten the speed of the footage in post-production (Premiere Pro) to show how in a city multiple people pass by each other, paying minimal attention to the people surrounding them.
Rural:
A rural/semi-rural location would fit in well with my film idea, opposing the busy bustle of a city. Straightforward shots of rural isolated locations on their own would work well, in addition to one single person in these shots. Due to the time of year (December/January and winter), the weather should hopefully look dramatic on vast expansive landscapes, which would add a sense of eeriness. I will plan to shoot on a day with dramatic weather e.g. heavy frost, to add that dramatic quality that I hope to attain, however I can not control this factor. I have not yet decided where to shoot precisely, but I will figure this out closer to the time of shooting, after more meticulous planning and location research.
Studio:
Shooting in a photography studio would allow me to control certain aspects such as lighting and background. Therefore I will be able to create whatever mood I feel necessary. Shooting against a plain black or white background would give a sense of loneliness, especially if the studio lighting is set-up correctly, setting a mood/tone. The photography studio at my college has professional lighting equipment which I can use. The mise-on-scene of my main subject would also need to be appropriate to fit in with the other factors, e.g. clothing. The split lighting technique would work effectively underneath studio lighting, to cast a dark shadow on one side of the face and show a split personality/lack of something.
Health and safety for all locations:
When shooting outdoors/on the road I will be considering health and safety. With regards to equipment and location, I will ensure that I/whoever I am with are away from any danger e.g. busy roads. I have filmed on location before and did not encounter any problems due to researching health and safety beforehand. I now feel confident in doing this again when filming on location.
I will also be aware of health and safety when shooting in the studio. When making my studio lighting techniques video in the photography studio, as a group we ensured that we knew all of the fire routes/exits, in the event we were required to use them. When setting up the studio lighting we made sure that the floors/plug sockets were all clear, and the lights were in the correct positioning before turning on, as we knew the lights would be too hot to touch/move once turned on. Once again, I will follow this plan to ensure the safety of myself and anybody else in the studio.
