Promotional Video: Mood Board & Brief Ideas

Inspiration/Mood Board:

Music:

I chose a rock instrumental for a few reasons. From an artistic perspective, I think it represents the machinery the best without being cheesy (eg using techno music) and also has a good pace for matching shots up with; I also chose this genre because it is the company's employee's favourite genre. I thought by using a genre they liked would not only make the video more personal to them, but could also make thew video more favourable to them when watching it. The music also had to be royalty/copyright free in order to avoid causing revenue issues and/or copyright issues for the company.

However I do have some alternatives which I think would also work better for pacing the video:

Graphics:

My client discussed that he was keen to show the kind of machinery they have, so i thought i could include some graphics to show the specs of the machines. I thought I could also then include some picture examples of what the machine produces; this would also allow the client to show some of their previous work which they unfortunately only have images of.

Editing Style & Shots:

My client was keen to have a visually stimulating video, which includes having text literally in the video; however he does not want the video to be heavily informative but rather visually stimulating. This meaning more creative transitions and possible even editing the text on screen throughout the process. He also said he wants a "Letterbox ratio" video as part of the 10 second(ish) opener, which visually won't have space to fit any heavy amounts of text and/or information.

Time Lapse:

My Client has mentioned numerous times his desire for a Time Lapse, however I have mentioned numerous times that this is not plausible because I do not have a large enough budget for the correct size memory card, intervalometer or my own time to be able to complete it; I also don't know how to do a time lapse successfully. I tried to negotiate into doing numerous cut long takes instead with close ups (or more detailed shots like specs) but he insisted. This will make the process significantly harder, but considering it is one of the few pieces he mentioned, I feel it is necessary to add.

Promotional Video: About Client & Contact (Continuous Update)

One of the immediate things that is notable about my client, is that they heavily rely on social media to reach their market; but what is particularly apparent is that currently they only show their work through the Head's personal social media (Martin Cull on Facebook). However, they still get a far reach through this, despite most of their promotion through this being for their vinyl sticker & graphic store.

Examples of Media:

Posts like this shows the image the company is trying to promote, which is that of a funny, friendly and passive company. I think this openness is quite good to have to build customer rapport. I think I could entwine this somehow into my video by possibly even introducing the staff in the video somehow whilst still using the Call Out Titles; If i do this however, I will have to create a document allowing legally to include them in the video.

The client sent me a powerpoint that was sent to the lead designer of their new website to allow me to gain a better understanding of what they're seeking and what their companies demographic and image they want to portray is. It also says the types of exhibitions they do and previous employers/designs they do.

One of the most difficult things I was faced with this particular client was unfortunate timing. I myself have a part time job besides college, and him being the face of the company means he has to go to most events. This meant making a meeting or getting constant feedback/requests near impossible; fortunately because the client is related to me, I was able to see him out of working hours. This good because (as mentioned) there was little to no free time, but was also negative because I feel like I didn't really get a proper experience of working with a client; I wasn't challenged with real time constraints or availability because I was able to see the client out of work hours.

Moving forward, most discussions about the project will be made face to face for connivence sake. Either vocal recordings or notes will be taken as evidence of these conversations.

Meeting 10/05/2019:

My client was also very unhelpful in explicitly explaining what it was they wanted in their video, and I had to numerous times across the day ask for more pieces of information. Previously they had discussed they wanted the specs of just their machinery shown, but now they have dismissed this and just keep repeating that they want 'what is in the powerpoint'; my client stated this information too before abruptly ending the meeting:

- 3 mins long or less
- 2 versions: 1 10 sex sting - front page opener
  full ver - choose to watch
- video of what they're working on currently
- time lapse
- no voice over
- workers showed working
- 'visually stimulating rather than informative'
- series of very distinct services: design, fabrication, logistics & installations
  "I view these images appearing quite boldly in creative aspect of the video"
  Wants words literally on screen

I would class this meeting as unhelpful, and somewhat discouraging; I felt more lost because the client was proving difficult to work with off the get go. This meant I would have to come up with a video with little to no guidance, in an already tight time constraint. Alas, I eventually got enough answers to work with and am hopeful to go do location recees, health and safety and my release forms in the next couple days.

After Tour 03/05/2019:

After the tour of the location (as seen in recce), I sent a follow up email with a couple queries about the machinery and what would realistically be available to use within the shoot. I also wanted to know what the machines were as my initial idea was to do a spec video. However, not to my surprise, I was left without a response; I was at this point beginning to think of alternative clients to shoot for because of the lack of continuous communication. Again, I would rather see this as a positive learning experience but personally I was beginning to feel annoyed and once again, discouraged.

Day 1 & Day 2 Off-Site (Miscellaneous):

Throughout the day, both me and my client exchanged constantly about shots and appropriate times to film throughout the day. This helped me massively with my health and safety which was having to be done on the day; it also helped me plan my day out easier too as I was required to work as part of the team. 

The client was still very persistent on the idea of multiple time lapses which I slimmed down to just one each day (which unfortunately I was only able to film one), but I allowed him to choose where abouts he would prefer to have the laptop to film with. I also allowed him to decide how long he would like it to film for/how much he wanted the time lapse to cover each day; it was important to discuss this due to storage and as a general, a long time lapse could be viewed as boring and/or flat. I also think having long time lapses doesn't show as much detail that my client was looking for.

After First Video Draft:

Considering the long response times between each conversation with my client, his response times to my final edits were rather quick which was very useful; however, he was happy with the first draft/edit I made. I tried to encourage and suggest changes, but he seemed rather please with is and was very quick to share in onto his social media.

Whilst I am grateful my first edit was good enough for him which was the priority of this, I was hopeful there could be some changes I could have made; I think in long term, say in an editorial environment, I would be asked to make a few changes and have more updates. I don't think this really satisfied my idea of being challenged in this aspect.

Promotional Video: Preparation for client brief

Client: SFEx Ltd (Martin Cull - Head of Company)

Define your Business Objective:

The intent of this video is meant to compliment the new website that will be built and live around the same time of this videos completion; there is no set date (but I will keep track just incase there is). The video will be at the top of the page to showcase the machinery used and some example past exhibits built by the company. As a general, the video will be made to exemplify the types of stands available and even a little into how they are done/how high the quality of machinery is. It also will show how varied the skills and capabilities of the business are.

Define your Audience:
The predominant audience of this video/company is contractors and/or companies looking to showcase their products either at events or permanently in fixed locations. Since the video is showcasing their machinery and capabilities, it could also be directed at designers hired by companies and/or contractors. The age demographic will be older because of the usual development in career to be at the level to be a contractor and/or lead designer; I would guess around 30+. This is also based on experience from me meeting clients before, and Martin's experience meeting with clients.

Define your Message:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B18tq9cA3jDbRlRFZGtEc1k0dHVmOE5HMlU5NG53RC1FSzdV {Powerpoint sent by head of company for proposed new website}

Distribution Method:

As previously mentioned, the video will be used as a way to promote the company via their new website. It will work as a greeting to the company, and their technical capabilities. It is possible the Head will also share it on his social media as he already has a large following on there; so it is important to include additional contact information just incase.

Promotional Video: Video Analysis

Production Launch/Marketing

Morphe x Jeffree Star collaboration launch/teaser

This video is a difficult one to analyse when discussing the actual promotion material within the video. The video is more of an 'announcement' and teaser than your typical product launch. We are repeatedly shown the names of the two brands collaborating together in neon pink lighting, suiting the rest of the video which is shot int he same pink colour scheme; this is purposefully chosen to match the colours of the production scene very briefly throughout and in the final shot. Pink also gives stronger connotations of femininity, which is often associated with make-up and other beauty products.

What's actually interesting about the video itself is that theres actually little to no product shown, and instead relies on the artistic branding and the fame of the two companies/brands; in fact besides the last shot and a couple filler shots, they only way we learn what the products are is with the bold titles flashing on screen. If this was to be done for a kickstarter brand, I think reception would be quite poor because it wouldn't show how useful or good the product is. However, because the brands have a well established name in the makeup industry, it allows them to be less direct with the visualisation of the product. I suppose you could say the way it 'shows it works' is with Jeffree's makeup seen throughout the video.

Promote Key Messages & Values

Disneyland Tokyo commercial

This advertisement for Disneyland Tokyo is very different to most theme park's (and Disney's) advertisements because it is entirely animated. The Disney company itself prides on 'family oriented fun and entertainment', and for the most part is known as a family friendly (more so child friendly) company. Disneyland was built in order to create more happy family memories as visioned by Walt Disney himself, which this video focuses around.

First and foremost, the style of animation is very appropriate to the country it is marketed to because it is an 'anime style' (a Japanese style of animation seen in many famous shows such as Attack on Titan, JoJo's bizarre Adventure and Sailor Moon); this means most children who would see it would immediately recognise it or at least the art style, bringing a wider audience immediately. It also makes it more personal to the Japanese audience because it is done in a style they helped originate.
It shows the family values with the storyline of a growing woman with her family, and the introducing her family to the Disney parks. It follows the idea of create memories with your family, and even suggests the idea of different generations enjoying the parks for different reasons.

Show-reels

Episode promo for 'scoobynatural' (supernatural season 13x16)

Scoobynatural was a crossover between two fantasy shows  Scooby Doo and Supernatural.  I find this show reel particularly unique because again, it relies on prior knowledge of wither property; it also puts a twist on both properties which I think it relies on more than a plot synopsis, which it only briefly mentions (line: "we're in Scooby Doo"). It's difficult for me to gage whether or not you would be able to create an opinion without prior knowledge, but the show reel follows a few conventions of a typical trailer; a low voice explaining, a catchy theme, a cliff hanger and a generalisation of characters & plot.

I again think it is the uniqueness of the product which helps with the show reel more than anything else; however because it is an exclusive, singular episode, it is limited to the amount of clips it can show, without giving too much away. From an editing standpoint, this can make making a sequence much harder because of the limitations and it is something we see in trailers which can either damage or help a film/tv show/game/etcs story development.

Event Coverage 

Promotional video for BTS' next world tour (continuation of their Love Yourself Tour)

This short video was used as promotion for BTS' World Tour. It is short in both time and the clip duration; the video is intended to show/hint at what to expect from the show, based off the previous instalment. From my own knowledge it was posted directly onto major social platforms including youtube and twitter, and used as an advertisement on the platforms too; this is why it needed to be short, it had to include a lot of information in a quick amount of time whilst remaining engaging. 

The song choice is also fast and upbeat, to match the excitement seen by the performers and large audience. It is also meant to excite the customer and to propose an enjoyable experience. Having the bright colours also adds to this to bring more positive connotations.

I think by also having previous concert footage rather than music videos or other miscellaneous videos, it is more direct in what it is trying to advertise to you. It shows you the experience you will have, and the others that will be having it with you; it is live, rather than predetermined and tailored.