John Caballero
Veteran
They look and sound like a telenovela. Jikes. But they pay the bills right? The message on the second one is absolutely atrocious! The bottom line is if the client likes it everything else is ok.
Spanish commercial campaign, first national spots by my company!
- Thread starter Scott Wellington
- Start date
groveChuck
U-matic Member
Hey Scott- first, congrats on scoring your first directing/DP national spot gig!
The acting may be just a little cheesy, but considering much of Spanish TV (and I know it very well- I've shot novelas and just wrapped editing Project Runway Latin America), there's nothing to be concerned about here. I'm actually surprised our native Spanish speakers find so much to be bothered by here. Could the script be better? Sure, but what modestly budgeted commercial couldn't use a better script???
Footage looks good, though I agree with Shooter (a first? no, just kidding, Shooter) some curves would help in the grading here.
Also, it seemed some lighting might have been controlled a little better in one or two shots, flagging it off the walls in the teen spot.
And yes, looks like Papi is looking on the wrong side of the axis.
How did you get the aerial of the Rickenbacker?
But I like 'em, and wish you luck in gettting more of these projects. And yes, upping our game is something we should all strive to do!
And Happy Thanksgiving!
The acting may be just a little cheesy, but considering much of Spanish TV (and I know it very well- I've shot novelas and just wrapped editing Project Runway Latin America), there's nothing to be concerned about here. I'm actually surprised our native Spanish speakers find so much to be bothered by here. Could the script be better? Sure, but what modestly budgeted commercial couldn't use a better script???
Footage looks good, though I agree with Shooter (a first? no, just kidding, Shooter) some curves would help in the grading here.
Also, it seemed some lighting might have been controlled a little better in one or two shots, flagging it off the walls in the teen spot.
And yes, looks like Papi is looking on the wrong side of the axis.
How did you get the aerial of the Rickenbacker?
But I like 'em, and wish you luck in gettting more of these projects. And yes, upping our game is something we should all strive to do!
And Happy Thanksgiving!
heavyG
Underwater Giraffe Member
I've spent my entire career Producing, directing, & shooting advertising - and I think the thing that 'Indie' drama / narrative / doc directors and producers forget or don't understand is: the dynamic of the advertising production cycle.
As an advertising director / dp I'm presented with finished scripts and often casting, and locations in place. My role is to help guide and interpret what the client and agency wants; but in the end every - and I mean every - decision is made by a committee sitting in video village.
I can:
-suggest camera angles, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-set up lighting, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-suggest script changes, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-direct the actors a certain way, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-push for set decoration, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-try to lead any number of creative decisions, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
In post I can:
-set a colour look, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-do a rough assembly, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-suggest music, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
This week I did a two day shoot for an ad agency, and their client (a top 5 Canadian national retailer) and there were 35 people in a video village critiquing and asking for changes to just about everything I was doing. They hired me because they liked my past work, they hired me because they believed I could do the job, but when I see the finished spots I'll know that really only 2 or 3 of my ideas will make the cut.
Not all jobs are this way of course; there are a couple of agency creative teams that I work with where the relationship is more equal, and I love working on those jobs.
I guess in a long winded way, what I'm trying to say is this: SO much of what happens on a commercial set is out of the control of the director / dp I don't really know how you can lay all the criticism for the finished spots at their feet. If this was a self funded spec spot or dramatic short or calling card production sure… But we don't all work in the world where the director actually calls the shots.
(in fact when you get farther up the feature movie ladder you lose control as well)
G.
As an advertising director / dp I'm presented with finished scripts and often casting, and locations in place. My role is to help guide and interpret what the client and agency wants; but in the end every - and I mean every - decision is made by a committee sitting in video village.
I can:
-suggest camera angles, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-set up lighting, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-suggest script changes, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-direct the actors a certain way, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-push for set decoration, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-try to lead any number of creative decisions, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
In post I can:
-set a colour look, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-do a rough assembly, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
-suggest music, which they have free reign to shoot down and change
This week I did a two day shoot for an ad agency, and their client (a top 5 Canadian national retailer) and there were 35 people in a video village critiquing and asking for changes to just about everything I was doing. They hired me because they liked my past work, they hired me because they believed I could do the job, but when I see the finished spots I'll know that really only 2 or 3 of my ideas will make the cut.
Not all jobs are this way of course; there are a couple of agency creative teams that I work with where the relationship is more equal, and I love working on those jobs.
I guess in a long winded way, what I'm trying to say is this: SO much of what happens on a commercial set is out of the control of the director / dp I don't really know how you can lay all the criticism for the finished spots at their feet. If this was a self funded spec spot or dramatic short or calling card production sure… But we don't all work in the world where the director actually calls the shots.
(in fact when you get farther up the feature movie ladder you lose control as well)
G.
Scott Wellington
Active member
G, thanks for the defense buddy, but these spots were in my control, however the scripts were written by my partner and were approved by the client prior to shooting.
GroveChuck, I own about 15 minutes worth of aerials shot on the AF100 in 60fps of miami thanks to a volunteer gig I did for the protesters against Lolita's tank at seaquarium. It's one of the smallest in the country and they wanted aerials and paid for the helicopter. I have used the shots in a friends Doc, my reel, and this spot as of yet, but its definitely bankable stuff.
John, they were written to work on spanish TV, and yes during/after telenovelas. they were designed to appear as if they could be a promo/part of a telenovela.
GroveChuck, I own about 15 minutes worth of aerials shot on the AF100 in 60fps of miami thanks to a volunteer gig I did for the protesters against Lolita's tank at seaquarium. It's one of the smallest in the country and they wanted aerials and paid for the helicopter. I have used the shots in a friends Doc, my reel, and this spot as of yet, but its definitely bankable stuff.
John, they were written to work on spanish TV, and yes during/after telenovelas. they were designed to appear as if they could be a promo/part of a telenovela.