Acura Spot - HVX Shot

A

AbstracTheory

Well-known member
Hey everyone.. Hot off the grill.. Our new up and coming production company has finished our first rough cut of a "mock" Acura commercial spot for our reel. Each of our crew members have various levels of experience, but we're new to working with each other. Just wondering what everyone thinks of this little diddy.. Feedback strongly encouraged.. We could use the criticism..

http://www.abstractheory.com/acura.htm

This is just a first cut.. Different versions are on the way...
 
Cmon guys.. 67 views.. no comments? please just leave any comment.. i'm dying for some feedback... Just finished cutting rough cut #2.. no 3d graphics, CC, or composite work yet. we're done for the day..

http://www.abstractheory.com/acura1.htm





Here's our crazy ass shake tree for the video from the 1st post..
shakegrab.jpg


*****PLEASE LEAVE US SOME FEEDBACK... WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT Y'ALL THINK*****


---ALL COMMENTS WELCOME!!!-----
 
I thought it was pretty cool. But I think even a spec commercial should have a purpose. I would like the commercial to make me interested in the car in some way. It just felt like the car disappearing didn't fit into a car commercial. I felt like I needed an explanation as to why it disappeared. Just my 2 cents.

The picture looked sharp and I liked the composition. I wasn't a big fan of the effect where the car vanishes. It looked a bit too CG for me. Maybe if it was a bit more organic looking...and it ventured outside the lines of the original car.

It still looks great, I'm just nit picking on what I might change if it were me.
-Kevin
 
these are both rough cuts... we haven't finished the graphics or the plot line of either spot.. just threw various shots together for the moment.. keep the feedback comin..

thanks kevin.. i said the same think to my compositor to make it more natural and go outside the lines of the car.... more to come... thanks kevin
 
What was the score please ?

-

This did not feel like a car commercial but more an amatuer informercial maybe. I'd suggest re-shooting early inthe morning 6:00 am call time to get some nice, soft, warm light. Also, the locations chosen did not seem unique or special; just random, on the street shots.

Id suggest finding a location that gives us eye candy.

I'd grade it.
 
While I applaud the effort I think it needs to go back to the conceptual drawing board.

The first issue is that you have a car commercial that isn't at all dynamic. The camera is totally locked off. Take a look at any car commercial and you will see a variety of shots with interesting angles and the camera is constantly moving. You can't suggest speed with a locked off camera...the least you can do is pan with a car as it approaches and speeds by.

I know you are try to get a motion graphics feel to the logo and the way it follows the car but the just don't work well together on a conceptual level. The logo as it stands is not terribly interesting to look at at the way it tracks the car just does't relate very well to a visual concept.

The worst offence is the disappearing car with what looks like a particle illusion CG graphic. Conceptually it doesn't relate to the idea of the car at all. And the shadow wipe of the logo doesn't work work well with it either.

You really need a strong visual concept that is cohesive if you are going to attempt to grab the viewer visually. Otherwise, leave out the effects and try to do something that stands strong on compositional style and movement.

Go look on the web and take a look at many car commercials to get a better feel. I would take the work you done so far as a excercise and try to come up with something that would grab an audience, especially a car manufacturer.
 
thanks everyone.. i really appreciate the feedback
Perhaps i was a bit over-zealous to post a rough cut here... I was just eager to get feedback... I agree with much of what you said, John... and thanks for the feedback... im going to take everything in consideration while i finish editing.. from now on, i'll wait until i entirely finish the project... I agree that we should re-shoot the project, its my car and my camera and I cant do both.. so i decided to drive and let my compositor, who has no camera experience, shoot... i'll be behind the camera on the next one.. i also shouldn't have called this a commercial... thats not really what I was trying to accomplish.. This project was geared more towards giving my 3d and composite guys shots to work with and to make a cool little video about my car and learn more about my HVX... i hate the dissappearing thing too.. i told him that.. we'll fix it up... ; ) thanks again!
 
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John - I believe that score was Curtis May ( superfly soundtrack )

Apart from the motorcross footage on another post - I just don't see much grading going on lately - whats the deal ?
Im sorry guy's but in todays climate its just a bit too bland & tedious ( for me at least ) needs plenty more imagination. I think the critics should force you to try harder otherwise don't give up the day job's.
Shake + Acura & an HVX with a billion shutter speeds - c'mon guy's - u certainly have the all the ingredients for a tasty hot spot !

There is a pretty cool Ford KA spot in the dvx forum - take a look for inspiration.
 
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yep curtis mayfield.. and we have our 3d guys working on modeling the car in maya.. so, we're going to do some re-shooting to fit a concept and i'll re-post the final videos when they're done...
 
I agree with Sack snack in that the commercial needs to have purpose. I am not drawn to purchasing the car and to be honest I thought the FX used to make the car disappear just didn't jive and was cheesy. I have been doing photography for several import auto magazines for the past 8 years and feel I have a good understanding of the demographic that the TSX appeals to. It's a younger generation of purchasers with energy and excitement in mind.. maybe if you did this chase scene where the car ducked behind hidden alley ways and when it got to its final destination the kid gets out hitting the button on the keychain which then makes the car disappear. And just then the cop goes driving by giving the kid a dirty look. I doubt Acura wants to portray an image of eluding the cops, but it would make for an interesting scene. Too bad we can't expand on reality without fear of getting sued!

jp
 
Carrington Benz said:
John - I believe that score was Curtis May ( superfly soundtrack )

Apart from the motorcross footage on another post - I just don't see much grading going on lately - whats the deal ?
Im sorry guy's but in todays climate its just a bit too bland & tedious ( for me at least ) needs plenty more imagination. I think the critics should force you to try harder otherwise don't give up the day job's.
Shake + Acura & an HVX with a billion shutter speeds - c'mon guy's - u certainly have the all the ingredients for a tasty hot spot !

There is a pretty cool Ford KA spot in the dvx forum - take a look for inspiration.
Click to expand...

Thanks Carrington!

And I do agree; no one does timing anymore? Come on! Beautify it.
 
If you're going to go ahead and 'cloak' the car ala Star Trek, then you should have had the shorts guy wearing a star trek uniform... Hmm, maybe a whole Trekkie/dentist family gets out and then they 'cloak' the car to make it invisible, while they visit the star trek convention. But then, what would the tag-line be? "Peace with Klingon is attainable?"
I don't know...
back to the DB
 
spratrbo said:
maybe if you did this chase scene where the car ducked behind hidden alley ways and when it got to its final destination the kid gets out hitting the button on the keychain which then makes the car disappear. And just then the cop goes driving by giving the kid a dirty look. I doubt Acura wants to portray an image of eluding the cops, but it would make for an interesting scene. Too bad we can't expand on reality without fear of getting sued!

jp
Click to expand...


thats a good idea.. and i know just the place to get a cop car... thanks for that one! do people put HVXs on sticky pods? are there better or more reliable car mounts? i know is an issue of how much you'd like to spend.. but price aside, which car mounts do people feel 100% about putting HVX on with no problems?
 
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You have to study car commercials for a bit before you shoot one. Just one tripod shot aint gonna win you any clients. Check out some toyota spots, see how energetic?
 
I didn't like the star trek effect at the end, that was a turn off for me, but the photography and the text effect are good.

my two cents
g.
 
I have to agree with the majority of folks here...go back to the drawing board.

The location is bland. You've got all those nice mountains in the background, but 80% of the frame is taken up with this boring and unattractive bridge. Why is the guy getting out of the car in the middle of a bridge and making his car dissappear? It makes no sense.

You indicate it is a rough cut.....all of the graphics are very underwhelming.

Sorry to come out swinging with negativity, but you did ask for feedback. Good luck on your next attempt.
 
I actually didnt mind it...
This would work if you said something like "best anti-theft in it's class..." or something like that. And maybe loose the star trek beams.
I think the one shot can work for a car commercial, look at how implied and dry VW commercials used to be, and those were hugely successful in my opinion. I guess whatever you decide to do, you should be able to explain it, and not have the audience wanting more, or less :P
 
the shot coming in was set up good, but i was expecting something else.
think about the market position of ACURA and the personality behind this car.

having a guy come out the car, with a not so cool walk, wearing not so cool camo' shorts, pulling out a phaser could be thought of as a parody spot on an actual ACURA spot...

it's acura we want excitement!!!! gives us angles , blurs, music, etc. a beatiful girl
a hard rock guy driving this thing.
 
DId aliens steal the car? hehe.. nice effects, but as said above, it doesn't make me want to go out and buy a $40,000 car.. and.. well.. thats what commercials are supposed to do.. Also, why does it look so washed out?

- - Justin
 
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