Tattoo Company TV Commercial

T

tommygdawg

Well-known member
Hey all,


Recently shot this commercial for a local tattoo company for airing on local TV. Any feedback on what you like and don't like would be greatly appreciated so I can put it to use on future projects!


Shot completely on the AF100, using a Canon 50mm fd f/1.8, and primarily the kit lens. Everything was a one-man band on this project. Shooting, editing, music, motion graphics.
 
Looks good, but the artist in the very first shot doesn't have a machine cover on his tattoo gun....that's a "no-no".
 
Thanks for the feedback! I didn't know that about the machine cover, what exactly does that even look like? Prior to shooting this I'd never even been in a tattoo shop lol.
 
logo at the end is good - the music has to go! While the images are fine I personally don't think it suits the product.

Before you even put the camera on the tripod, ask youself (and the client) some questions like..

what are they selling?
who are their customers?
why should I consider them for my tattoo?

once you 'know' who the customer is and what they want you can sell them visually on the service.
 
I wanted to see more of the finished products. The one shot of a completed tattoo was kind of a small and simple design that doesn't really show off what a good artist should be capable of. Even quick cuts of finished tattoos would have been valuable -- although that would probably also dictate a higher-energy music track. I realize it's hard to fit everything you'd like to into a 30-second spot. As is, the feeling I get is that these are some nice guys to hang out with, and that may be a sufficient "hook" for some potential customers, but in the end it's the quality of what you walk out of the shop with that matters far more.

A machine cover would be like the plastic bag the second guy has wrapped around his machine -- it may be required by local or state regulations and is certainly a "best practices" thing even if not legally mandatory.

The narrow DOF look works pretty well for me on the closeups of the process, although the lighting wasn't always exactly where I wanted it to be. The AF was a good choice for that kind of work. Nice work on the logo.

- Greg (who has spent more time around tattoo artists than I'd like to admit)
 
Music really is a poor choice, other than that it was well shot, I agree with seeing more finished work would be a good idea.


Jon
 
Why not use some more amped up/rock/alternative music? Honestly the piano piece sounds like it's from a funeral home video.

I always say this, but can you add in any ambient sounds? I think you are a good shooter so I do think seeing more of the finished tats would really sell the shop. Maybe even a quick montage as Greg said above.
 
tired said:
logo at the end is good - the music has to go! While the images are fine I personally don't think it suits the product.

Before you even put the camera on the tripod, ask youself (and the client) some questions like..

what are they selling?
who are their customers?
why should I consider them for my tattoo?

once you 'know' who the customer is and what they want you can sell them visually on the service.
Click to expand...

+1 and immediately what I thought. ( and I have a couple of tats)
 
Thank you so much for the feedback everyone! You've all summed up some points that were sadly out of my control.

tired said:
logo at the end is good - the music has to go! While the images are fine I personally don't think it suits the product.

Before you even put the camera on the tripod, ask youself (and the client) some questions like..

what are they selling?
who are their customers?
why should I consider them for my tattoo?

once you 'know' who the customer is and what they want you can sell them visually on the service.
Click to expand...

I did ask those questions, however the client had some specific ideas in mind for the commercial. The clients wanted classical-type piano-like music and wanted something that was supposed to feel a bit...classier maybe. So perhaps judge on whether or not I met that goal, and how best I could have achieved that if I didn't. I agree that it doesn't really fit the venue or the tattoo stereotype, but hey it's what they wanted and they were fairly adamant.

I agree, some more finished tats would have been nice, but sadly all I had access to were the three guys that you saw in the commercial. Also in regards to the audio at the end, they're just kinda laughing together and having a good time, there's not supposed to be any audio there that's meant to be heard.

And Greg I kind of agree with what you're saying about how they seem like nice guys to hang out with and all, and I guess based on what I had available to shoot that's kind of what I was trying to sell. Other than showing more finished tattoos, are there any other ways you all can think of that I could have sold the tattoo shop visually?
 
tommygdawg said:
I did ask those questions, however the client had some specific ideas in mind for the commercial. The clients wanted classical-type piano-like music and wanted something that was supposed to feel a bit...classier maybe. So perhaps judge on whether or not I met that goal, and how best I could have achieved that if I didn't. I agree that it doesn't really fit the venue or the tattoo stereotype, but hey it's what they wanted and they were fairly adamant.
Click to expand...

if that's what the client wants then, that's what they want but maybe it's not what they need. the most important question here is why?

they want classy music - why? - to appeal to a wider clientele? (not just the bike riding, ZZ top fans) - to determine the right kind of music we need to know who the new clients are - women? middle class office workers - the answer to that will lead us to the right kind of music - maybe something like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el3v2JCsPPQ

the music you have is elevator music - it's not aimed at anyone.

if they are looking at a wider clientele it might be worth having some of those clients in the shop - are women going to say " gee a shop full of hairy bikers - looks appealing, I might just get a tat" - however even a quick shot of a couple of women looking over a catalogue of designs would get the message across.


they want to see themselves chatting and laughing - why? - no idea

and even the original question - they want a TV commercial - why?

it seems reasonable to assume that they want to get more business and appeal to a wider clientel - so instead of being a tattoo parlour they want to be a body art design studio? fine but they look like a tattoo parlour - if they're not going to change the image of the shop they need to create that image in the TVC - and that's where you come in - your ideas and creative skills can give them the result they need (which isn't the same thing as the commercial they want) - you've got the skills - sell youself.
 
Tommy,

I agree that the final shot with their mouths moving but no audio feels odd. Smiling and being happy is one thing, but why are they speaking if there is no audio?

I'm also not a fan of the wide shot. The pictures in the foreground that change image are quite distracting.

I don't have a problem with the music, esp. if that's what the client wants, then what can you do.

Also, I don't know what the outside of the shop looks like, but maybe some establishing shots would be good.

Hope that helps a little.
 
The tail shot with the guys talking bugs me. Next time have them pose and tell them not to talk like its a video portrait and do a countdown out loud for 10 seconds so they dont feel uncomfortable holding it for so long. No lip flap.
 
Thanks everyone so much for all the feedback, it's very much appreciated and I can hopefully start thinking about some of this stuff a bit more critically for next time.

The client was...ecstatic actually. Granted, I saw their last commercial and many many other commercials for local businesses and it literally looks like a five year old did them. So, they didn't have much to compare it to. And, they said they want me to do some more in the future, so that's good news!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top