Comments

[r]Evolution wrote on 5/12/2012, 4:13 PM
Are you slipping some of your Ads into the mix?
I'm sure seeing your name up on the Big Screen would carry some weight.

The preshow ads look good but not as good as the feature. I've been to a number of theaters checking out preshows and they all look about the same. I would love to figure out a way to one up my competition, but so far, we are all doing about the same Blu-ray level production.

You CAN make your productions look as good as the Feature if you'd like.
Just get all the same top-notch equipment and hire the same top-notch crew with all the same top-notch experience as they do.

You may be at the limit of what your equipment, budget, and experience can produce.
At least you feel you're in the top percentile of local producers though.

- In order to get the same quality as others... sometimes we must first FIRE OURSELVES.

--------

Be sure to update the video with what you actually ship.
Laurence wrote on 5/13/2012, 2:03 AM
You know, the feature is shipped on a hard drive which is then loaded into some sort of mainframe looking computer. I don't think I can get a whole lot better using HDMI, but maybe if I could duplicate the hard drive format....
Laurence wrote on 5/14/2012, 3:16 PM
I just put up a new less hectic version. Yes, you guys were right. Less is more. I don't know why I thought I could stick so many clips into such a small amount of time. The link is the same:

http://vimeo.com/41126653
farss wrote on 5/14/2012, 4:29 PM
That's better.
If possible have people in the interior shots of the shop.
The biggest difference between "video" and "film" is lighting and your low key lighting screams video.
Shoot the exteriors of the pools at dusk with the underwater lights on. You need the obligatory scantily clad females in the shot.
The opening shot is just barren, the interiors are all just visual clutter and the map achieves nothing.
You want to stand out from the crowd, do something different, something the viewer will remember.
Time is tight but there's enough to stage a drama. "A+ Pool Design...pools to die for"......
Or
"A+ Pool Design...natural landscaping that even nature feels at home in". Add gator or big lizard on the rocks.

Bob.
Grazie wrote on 5/14/2012, 6:26 PM
Much better Laurence.

Now, carefully go through your VO and SEE if it relates to the images being flashed-up/shown.

The waving owners look too cheesy and staged and a wee bit "late". I'd like to have had a tighter close up of the engineer twisting the gizmo.

Your lighting can be made subtler with some judicious grading and some masking to bring in some WHITE space - White Space Sells. I've often used White Masked space to "sloganise" a message. Of course you have rippling water. You could try that old displacement effect with Text.

If I was to be dreadfully critical, you shot for the owners content demands ('we do this, this and this'), you didn't shoot for the edit to drive home a single message. Often the former "owners demands" kills the creativity for the latter. If you balance towards the latter, often the former will take care of itself. But if you aren't aware of the effect of the edit then the outcome can be, and sometimes ALWAYS will be dull and stilted.

If Bob had seen more engaging shots, he wouldn't be underlining the lighting - there would have been just too much of interest to make him comment! - Engage the emotions and the technique will be secondary.

Kontent is King!!

Much better.

Grazie

farss wrote on 5/14/2012, 9:45 PM
Not so certain about "white" on the big silver screen.
Most of my comments came from the "I want to stand out and make it look like the movie" vein of the thread. Viewing angle has an impact on the viewer experince I've found. White for the small screen, black for the big.

Bob.

Grazie wrote on 5/15/2012, 12:07 AM
And "Black Space Sells"....

G

Byron K wrote on 5/15/2012, 1:15 AM
Nice job! I like the 2nd version much better.
farss wrote on 5/15/2012, 1:21 AM
Black is a dark mistress.
I shot a music video in black limbo over the weekend, That was a lot of work with a lot of lights but I'll save that story for another thread. Suffice for now to say I at least feel it's my best work yet and I am still getting a buzz from looking at the video.

Bob.
ushere wrote on 5/15/2012, 2:05 AM
more bob, more.....

have been thinking to do some interviews in limbo (that's actually where they are till i know more about black limbo).
apit34356 wrote on 5/16/2012, 2:00 AM
Nice work. If the client is happy, and pays, then its a great job! :-)
DGates wrote on 5/16/2012, 9:38 PM
I think it looks good! As for the audio, the music tends to overwhelm the voice-over. Not by much, but a little.

I'm seeing these local commercials made for theaters as a bit of a trend in the theaters here in town. Much better idea that those stupid slides. Yours looks good, but oh my goodness, I'm seeing some really bad ones. I'm guessing they're letting some concession stand worker do the videos too. = P

Laurence wrote on 5/16/2012, 9:44 PM
It is just a temp voice over. I always do a temp with my own voice until they are happy with the script. Sometimes I'll use somebody from the client's company. Most of the time I use an online vo service. Adding the real VO adds a surprising amount of polish. This one was just approved today, so I'll be getting the real vo as the next step.