So, the video did not get the response that I was trying for. Not only was it not uplifting, it was received as a depressing thing. Let’s evaluate what went wrong.

First, the final video was pretty much what I had in my head when I was planning. The look of the shots, the editing, the effects, the sound and even having a quote to start it off. I’ve been doing video production for a while so I am pretty good at turning what I have in my head into the finished product. So the problem can’t be blamed on any technical problems of not getting what I wanted, but instead it was the concept itself that was the problem.

Although I have produced many videos, they have all been story based (either documentary or narrative fiction). For this I was trying something that I had never done before; using non-story to just convey an emotion. Seemed like a simple goal. My instinct was to make things as simple as possible. Eliminate everything extraneous, simplify the shot, and eliminate extra variables. I thought that the change of playback speed, quicker cutting and the rising applause would have brought about an uplifting feeling. I was looking at it like a logarithmic curve, growing as the video moved on.

The beginning quote was supposed to set up the idea of preparation. It probably wasn’t as precise a quote as I needed. The fact that it was by someone who no one had heard of probably didn’t help. The fact that is wasn’t mentioned at all in the critique means that it was not memorable.

I intended that the repetition of the trying of the shoes be representative of the preparation that someone does everyday as they prepare for the great possibilities that can happen that day. Instead comments were made that it seemed life it was defeating. It was a task that could never be completed. Whenever he finished, it just started over again. Instead of being an uplifting sequence it was sad. The quickening speed just made it seem like it was a little crazy. Becoming more chaotic as it goes on. More luny bin than triumphant.

The shot of the foot rising at the end was meant to be like the end freeze frame from The Breakfast Club with Bender raising his fist, implying that things were going to be good. Instead the shot seemed to cage the action in. Instead of allowing the action to flow to the next part of the day it was suspended before completion. Still not free from the repetitive cycle that was seen in the previous sequence.

 

The applause also didn’t work very well. Instead of being the start of a triumphant day, it seemed that it was heard as cheer for just making it through the hard beginnings of getting up in the mourning.

So, what could I have done to bring about the emotion that I wanted. Since this is a new form that I am unfamiliar with, I need to do more research into what works. I am thinking that commercials are close to the form that I am looking for. The are short, simple and the best of them bring about an emotion in the viewer.

RESEARCH

Looked through a lot of ads. Love the simplicity of Apple Ads. The old ones on simple white seamless are my favorites.

 

I also found some good Nike Ads. This one is probably closest to what I was trying to achieve. Simple shot, voice over, nat sound.

Love this one because of the use of music and changes of speed.

And this old classic Michael Jordan ad works with no words, cuts or music. Just uses a single push, sound of a basketball dribble and a heart beat. Amazing how simple it is.

WHAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY

If I were to do the video over again, how could I make it work?

First, I would get rid of the repetition. Single shot of the shoe tying would be sufficient. The shot was pretty simple, but I think I could go even further. While there wasn’t much distraction from the floor and background, I would probably want to shoot it on a white seamless background. A taller chair with the same chrome legs.

Maybe go black and white, or maybe just change the shoes out to a pair of nice black dress shoes. This would simplify the colors and also bring in the idea of success. That would be a nice to get away from the idea that the person was having difficulties. Nice shoes would be better to signify someone who is going places. Get someone with a Jimmy Fallon feel to their feet. Nice shoes, dress suit or tux, nice hands and nice walk.

Instead of freezing at the end, I’d want to let the person walk past the camera out of frame. He is now definitely on his way. For this, I’d have to switch out cameras and shoot with a longer lens to allow for the person to take a couple of steps before going out of the frame. (200mm on my 5DmkII.) I’d want to keep them in focus. It would be pretty hard to pull focus without a cinema lens, so I’d probably just want as much depth of field as possible and see if I could get the full walk in focus. Have to have a ton of light to get down to f11 or f22, but that would give me the depth that I would need for the entire walk without pulling the focus. Might also try a camera with a smaller chip to in order to shoot with a wider lens to give me a little more focus room. The setup is simple enough that there might even be a stock shot that of what I am looking for. That would save the hassle of casting, costuming, setup, lighting, and shooting the shot.

Instead of a quote, I’d instead use voice over. Not sure if I could find a recognizable famous voice saying something, or if I would have to write and record something. If not someone famous, I’d want a deep male voice. Might be able to get a radio announcer or actor that I know do it.

I addition to the voice over, it would help to have a strong slogan. Maybe “Get Ready”, “Get Up”, “Ready, Set, Go.” Something like that. I’d probably close with that (wipe in) after the character had walked off out of frame. Change the font to something sans serif (Helvetica or Impact). I’d have to look at it to see how it looked.

Not sure if the building applause would be enough. Might change it out for music. Something that sounds like “Blurred Line,” but without the rape-y lyrics. If not music then the I’d probably stick with the applause, but have it build a little better. Slower and then hit its peak at the end.

That video would stray pretty far from the original assignment, but might be fun to do sometime. Whatever happens, it has been a useful experience making this type of abstract video. I’m interesting in experimenting more of these type of projects. It is so different from what I have done, that there is still a lot to learn.