Promotional Video: Final Video & Analysis

First Draft & Final Video:

*No improvements were given so my first draft will be submitted*

Client Feedback:

My Analysis/Reflection:

Contrary to my client's belief, I'm a little unsatisfied with this final video; I believe for the material I had to work with I made an aesthetically and visually interesting video, but it's not what I set out to create which I think has discouraged me. The video does arguably promote what the client is selling, and even lets a customer follow the process of making (what could be) their product. Yet, I just for some reason am not happy with it.

I think the main reason is that it doesn't suit my style of film making. I prefer to do music based, sometimes metaphorical videos whereas with a promotional video I am inclined to make something for someone else's benefit. I do think the experience was important for me as I do want to work within media, but I think this has also taught me what areas I would prefer to work within which doesn't really follow promotion work.

My client, as touched upon, was also quite difficult to keep contact with; however, I had no other options to work with unless I found someone through the college. However I wanted the independence and challenge of finding and working with my own client, much like real life. I do wish I had planned a contingency video/client in advance though, as it would have probably made working a less stressful time for me (because I had something to fall back on).

I think what I gained most from this was new editing techniques and better time management techniques. These are think are always beneficial when it comes to considering future projects, especially with the editing techniques as I prefer that side of film making. I also think the techniques I learned (like using masks) was actually some base knowledge I should have previously known; It also means I can work on these and maybe even use my previous skills with them now. I think it could be particularly interesting to use masks with videos rather than text in future projects too, but at least now I know how to at least set it up.

Promotional Video: Storyboard & Shot List

Promotional Video: Filming Process

Day 1: Unit Filming

Starting at 2PM, I arrived at the unit which was still being cleaned. I took this time to run through the client my exact intentions for that day and what I planned to film, to which we discussed how plausible it was to do it. Unfortunately, he was having issues with his 3D printer which he expressed desire using in the video; he did say he would send me his own footage of the printer later like he did with two other machines. This is good for him because it showcases more of his content, however it would provide issues for me in terms of different quality to my DSLR and filming ratio. Alas, the client as a priority insisted he wanted to include it.

Shots Taken

My filming took longer than anticipated, but as an overall I achieved and filmed what I set out to. I also was able to film additional shots not in my original plan (head sketching) which I think is beneficial. As previously mentioned too, I live close to the unit and fortunately am related to the head of the business so if I decide I need more shots I can go back soon. The only things I didn't get to shoot were the 3d Printer and laser cutters, but as said this was covered by the client (sent footage).

I also today managed to get my screen recording footage from my client with some additional screenshots of his work. This still falls under poor time management as I did ask for this footage a week or so ago. Nevertheless, he provided me with different angles, speeds and final stylises of his designs.

Screen-Shots & Recordings

Day 2: Off-Site Installation

Before arriving at the site, I actually decided to film some time lapses of travelling to the location on my phone; I chose to shoot on my phone because it has a built in stabiliser and time lapse feature, whereas setting up my camera would have proved more difficult in such a small, shaky space.

Clips from phone

As planned I carried out a quick 'Health & Safety Scope' which took less time than I expected because of the precautions done by the health & safety team at the convention hall; this was helpful because it meant I could set my time lapse on the laptop quicker and in general plan my day out better. This also meant at the end of the day I had more shots to work with.

Day 1 shooting off-site (highlighted)

One thing I underestimated was how quickly the day would go by; meaning I was unable to film much without shots becoming repetitive because the actual building side was a very slow process. Its always said to film more than less which I agree with, but I didn't want to fill my camera with the same few shots. This meant the majority of my day was sat waiting to film something new or the workers doing different set up tasks, I took this time in between to review and retake shots however which benefited the storage on my camera massively. It also meant I would be bale to get "the best shot possible" when filming.

Day 3: Off-Site Installation

Day 2 of shooting off-site was pretty much the same process as Day 1 in terms of logistics and time. This day as a general was shorter so again I took the time to set up as quickly as possible; the only problem with the day was that I was unable to film a time lapse due to the power source for the laptop being covered by the finished details on the stand. This of course was not my plan, so I instead decided to turn my notion of "not filming the same shots" on its head and film shots with little time gaps in between to show the overall building process.

Day 2 shooting off-site (highlighted)

As a general I think filming went pretty well, and I gathered a variety of shots which can be manipulated to appear as numerous clips; I filmed few long short clips rather than lots of short ones. Now reflecting it probably wasn't the best decision but it was the only choice I really had because of everyone trying to finish quickly, which I think would have been more noticeable in lots of quick clips.

Promotional Video: Editing Process

Nesting for Warp Stabiliser and Speed:

One of the initial problems I ran into whilst editing was stabilisation. My client would often mentioning speeding up clips which I did not film with a gimbal or tripod (a mistake on my behalf), and so I ran into errors as mentioned below.

This method worked successfully and I ended up nesting a few clips, then speeding, then cutting; whilst this is great to learn for future editing, I do wish I would be more prepared when it comes to filming and would rather practically have a still video than have to edit afterwards.

This method was also quite time consuming to do, and I would have to rename every nested sequence to its according clip. For the majority however, I only need to either speed up the clip or stabilise it which I am thankful for.

Text Animation:

For the majority of the text transitions and effects in my video, I mainly used premade/downloaded transitions that come with premier. I would then alter the speed using keyframes to suit the pace of the video. One technique I did learn was to mask the text to create a timed reveal.

This was a very easy technique to use and I think was visually stimulating. I also think it was important to add text transitions to make the pace of the video more fluid than having flat 2D text laying on the film; It made the text part of the moving image rather than it just appear. 

The text in my video also was used to section/chapter different elements of the video so it was important to have something that made it stand out for the 'second' it would appear for.

Promotional Video: Equipment List

Day 1:

- DSLR Camera
- Stabiliser
- Battery Charger
- 2 SD cards
- Phone (Notes for Shoot)

Day 2 & 3 (Overnight):

- DSLR Camera
- Samsung Camera
- Tripod
- Stabiliser
- Battery Chargers
- 4 SD cards
- Phone (& Charger)
- Laptop (& Charger & Adjacent cables)
- Filming Sign

Promotional Video: Release Forms

Documents were signed via email and a tablet, as client & other worker were unavailable to sign in person prior to shooting

Personal Release Form:

Talent Release Form:

Promotional Video: Location Recce & Health and Safety

Address:

Location is only a 10 minute walk from my house fortunately, which means when it comes to filming I will be able to do multiple trips for equipment (if required) and will be able to come/go with full flexibility. Besides the obvious, this is also beneficial incase I don't film enough shots because I can come/go when I need to.

Unit 1:

My client made a vivid expression that they hoped their work space looked neater, but I insisted I need to tour the work space to get a better understanding of what I have to film in. This spiraled however into that they wanted to clean the space that requires filming in, to which I asked 'how long' with no definitive reply; this was discouraging as I am already working on a tight deadline, but also because my client again was being very vague with their answers. I told them that I needed to film by the end of the following week which they agreed to.

Back to the recce however, I learned that getting the shots I envisioned would be harder than expected. Not only was the space between work surfaces quite narrow, but the machinery (for the majority) has something to cover it when it was active; this meant I would have to put more consideration into my shots like reflections and/or light glares. On the positive side, the space has a large work service, which would allow me to get some very high angle shots which would look interesting in the pre-discussed time lapses.

Unit 2:

The second unit across the road houses the larger machines which fortunately means a larger space to work in; it also means it is more hazardous however and more time will be taken into preparation than the first unit. I may even have to come after the unit is operationally closed (after work hours) to prioritise safety. I may also have to arrange certain workers to come activate the machines/use the machines to provide b-roll.

Unlike the other unit, this one is also significantly more 'sectioned' and most of the space is separated with storage; this is also good because it means my filming will be less likely to be in the way of workers on other sides of the unit. It also means if I need to bring external lighting (unlikely) I will be able to focus it on a smaller section each time. Working in a smaller space also means there will be slightly less hazards to focus on at one time, which as a general will provide a more comfortable filming surrounding.

On Location (Convention Hall):

This area I will have to recce on the day because I have no floor-plan nor rough idea of spacing between installations. Instead I think I will decide my methods of filming with the worker's health and safety in priority; I also want to be able to film them without getting in their way/distracting them from their work due to the possible hazardous materials (metal, machinery, heights etc).

I think the best case scenario of this is to film the location when they are on break so nobody is either infront of the structure (which I am filming to promote) nor distracted when working. I should also when filming use a more zoomed-in lens rather than being physically close to again not be in the way of anyone or anything, nor put myself in a hazardous situation either. This could be problematic in terms of focusing and even stability when not using a gimbal and/or tripod (though I shall try to avoid this situation entirely).

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.