LO3: Drafts

Version 1

This first draft of our video lacks any real narrative with harsh cuts between footage , the video needs to flow freely with more elegant transitions such as cross dissolves which will represent our older target audience. This draft is also missing some colour editing, even though this is a Christmas advertisement , we want the shop to look warm and inviting therefore some colour editing needs doing to give a more welcoming aesthetic.

Another things which is missing from this advert as per codes and conventions is an introductory scene, which shows the location of the store.

Version 2

This edit is where we introduce the Christmas music to the edit and a larger variety of shots, having this music in place connotes to the viewer that the advert is for Christmas as the shop although selling Christmassy items , isn't yet dressed for the upcoming holiday.

Here I have added a shot of the beadle opening the door as a welcome into the store and added some colour editing to the Vox pop shots making them warmer and more inviting.

Version 3

In this edit we can begin to see both the audio and visual beginning to match up and occasional jump cuts to music are representing how even though targeting a older audience means we need to keep the video slightly upbeat so that they don't loose concentration on what is happening in the video.

The overall feel of the video is still slightly disjointed with long pauses between clips therefore in the next draft I need to ensure that these gaps are closed and the video runs much more steadily.

Version 4

This edit features the introductory scene of the shop with the added graphics of the shop logo and snow to connote the purpose of the advertisement, this also includes a social media handle for the audience to use which should tie the video in with other posts made on these accounts around the winter period.

Here we can see more control over the audio , the voices of the actors fade in and out with the music which is something I have seen in other advertisements of this kind during my research.

Version 5

In this edit we can see the added addition of some light leaks which makes the footage appear if it is sparkling, this again connotes Christmas and makes the shop appear more festive despite the fact it is not dressed accordingly. It is clear to see here how I have cut the footage in time with the music to keep the video more lively - there are long pauses between the clips intentionally as one of the versions of this video needs to be on a video which doesn't support sound.

Version 6

This is the final draft for our advertisement and show much more control over the graphics used at the beginning and end of the video, the logo for the store is repeated more than once and shown throughout the store to create synergy - there is also now manipulation on the snow fall as the beadle opens the door so that the two shots fade into one another.

Each shot has now been colour edited so that the shop has warmth and connotes Christmas spirit.

LO3: Final Promo

LO3: Evaluation

Evaluation-


When beginning this unit I was given the brief to create a Christmas advertisement for a local boutique department store , there were little requirements for this as we were given free creative reign - that being said there were some requirements , one being that the video had to be around one minute long , suitable for playing on a screen which didn't support audio and able to be uploaded to social media platforms (audio supported video). The store already had a built in demographic of 35-65 year olds within the ABC1 social grading with a high spending power so it was important for to us appeal directly to this whilst also attempting to widen the target audience potentially (younger) through editing technique and shot choices. The store is only heading now towards its 2nd year of trading therefore still needs to be promoted as it is not yet favoured more than say big name high street department stores such as Debenhams or John Lewis despite the fact they stock similar items and brands - this meant that throughout the video there had to be considerable amounts of branding to create synergy and reinforce the name of the store in conjunction with the big names shown on screen.

The purpose of the advertisement was potentially to invite new customers into the store to find their gifts in time for Christmas which in turn creates profit for the management, by showing a variety of products within all of the shots and a happy customer interface we are connoting that the store has everything you would need to complete your Christmas shopping - this is also reinforced by the Vox pop section where intentionally we scripted each 'shopper' to tell us a big name brand which they found in store and in turn who they would gift it to. We focussed around this idea of finding 'your' Christmas which directly appeals to the audience no matter of the age as they feel personally addressed and as though they are being instructed. What with the store having a built in older demographic it was important to appeal directly to them , this was done through gentle editing techniques such as a cross dissolve , that being said there were frequent cuts to the music giving the advertisement the pace which could be more appealing to a younger, more energetic target audience.

For the most part our planning matched production however we planned to show younger shoppers choosing presents for their parents/carers to connote that the store was also suitable for families - however it was made evident when we arrived to shoot the video that the environment focuses more on adults and homewares therefore this is what we included in the video as to give a fair representation of the store. We purposefully used a high frame rate to create a smooth and detailed depiction of what the store looked and also this slower aesthetic suits a less youthful target audience who have the time to look at the video and appreciate the products as opposed to the brands.


When gathering feedback from our audience , we received back that the video was meeting its purpose as it made them feel in the Christmas spirit - however there was some feedback which stated that the audio levels were haphazard and some actors appeared louder than others . To act upon this, i took the footage back to Adobe Premier and completed various pieces of audio ducking which effectively allows you to have control over the audio levels within a track - this gave me the control to make all of the actors appear to be talking at the same volume which made it easier to listen to - this was received greatly by the audience and shows how we acted upon audience feedback. These audio levels were then maintained throughout the final product including the backing track which had to be adapted as a result so that the actors could be heard.


We wanted to portray within the video that the store was a welcoming environment which cares about its customers therefore we showed a variety of shots which showed relation between the actors and products and staff working within the store such as the gift wrapping and man trying on a jacket - this particular shot also had the premium brand name in shot which appeals directly to the ABC1 social grading who have a higher disposable income therefore are more likely to buy big named brands as Christmas gifts. All of the actors which were used within the video were young which represents how the store caters for shoppers of all ages despite the pre determined demographic - this is important due to the audio supported version of the advert being made suitable for social media where you are most likely to capture a younger target audience. 

The brief was to create a Christmas advertisement for the store which due to time constraints was difficult to achieve as the store was not yet decorated for the Christmas period - I then had to rely upon editing techniques to make the shots appear more festive for example using simple colour editing in Adobe premier to bring out the more orange and red tones within the shots and then using additional 4k light leaks to put a gentle shimmer to each shot - this kind of sparkle is what is associated with the Christmas period therefore was played over each shot in correspondence with the colours within the shot , I did this by placing it over the video and then changing the opacity so that it wasn't too harsh to obstruct  in any way . If I was to do this project again then I would make sure that sufficient contact was made with the client to ensure the store was dressed appropriately so that the meaning was more prominent.

LO3: Audio levels

SOUND EDITING

After making an offline edit we added in appropriate music to fit the genre, after much deliberation this ended up being an instrumental rendition of deck the halls (royalty free). Due to the small amount of audio editing that needed doing, I used the pre Installed sound editing software on Adobe Premier pro to make the suitable adjustments to sound levels throughout the video.


 

Using key frames as shown in the above screenshot, I chose to dip the levels in the audio of the soundtrack so that the voices could be heard clearly, however did not take it to an level when the music could no longer be heard - this signifies to the target audience that someone is about to start talking and also the beginning to the narrative which reinforces the festive theme. This remained the case throughout the time the actors were speaking so that it could be heard clearly what they were trying to put across. 

This is a technique that I learnt about through my research as all the examples I looked at from department stores where there was dialogue had a Similar fade in and out when the audio changed in some way - this is so that the audience doesn't become confused by an array of sounds and more importantly so that the message isn't lost.

When the actors had finished talking, the opposite happened to fade back into the instrumental by changing the dB sliders back up to 5.0dB this therefore created an indicator so that it was clear when someone had finished their lines. In addition to this , one of the actors when being dressed with a microphone had dislodged it from the place it was originally put therefore there was an underlying crackle to her entire audio - to rectify this, I used the audio effects panel in premier as shown to the right to find the Decrackler which I then applied to the audio track to smooth out and reduce any background noise the microphone picked up on.

LO3: Feedback

Our feedback told us that we had met the brief effectively as it made the audience feel Christmassy and willing to visit the store which was our main priorities for these first drafts - however from our analysis we could see that our respondents were at the younger end of the demographic and 90% of them said they would 'possibly' visit the store - in order to make this more of a definitive, I need to ensure the video is more flowing and fast paced as opposed to slower which is how we targeted the older end of the demographic. The priority is to widen the target audience not narrow it.

Verbal feedback from Miss Edwards and Mr Helliwell stated that I needed to edit the sound more effectively to equalise the voices within the video as some of the actors were louder than others. This was acted upon for the final version of the advert so that everybody was as loud as each other.

LO3: Evidence of Editing

1. During the first stages of editing, prior to the offline edit, it was crucial to trim the shots down using the razor tool (shortcut -C-) to get them to a suitable length for the narrative - this needed to be done as to the high frame rate which we filmed the video in meant that each individual clip was extremely long so that during the editing process we could indeed keep the clip at that frame rate or in contrast speed it up by half without the playback being choppy and disjointed. 

By doing this short piece of editing I then had a much more manageable amount of assets to work with and could begin to outline how the footage we had taken worked in conjunction to the storyboard created in the pre production stages. From there onward it was easier to manage the footage on the tracks and make further adjustments with the razor tool where necessary. As this particular piece of advertisement is aimed at a mature audience around the ages of 25-60 , it wasn't a requirement for the video to be fast paced or drastically edited as those kind of editing techniques are reserved for a younger target audience with a much shorter attention span. I concluded that these elongated smooth clips would be much more relaxing and easy on the eye - which is quite fitting for the nature of the shopping environment.

2. In the second version control of the advertisement when the clips were at a more suitable length I introduced the audio , In this case an instrumental rendition of 'Deck the Halls' (rights free). Using the Short cut M , I listened to the audio and began to mark out as seen above indicated by green tabs, the beats of the music which I could use to jump cut in time with later on in the editing process. This small tweak meant that later on when the advertisement was nearing finish , the progression from each shot was lively and matching to the soundtrack I had chosen - I have seen this done in various other marketing campaigns in my research process therefore thought it would be appropriate to follow this convention.

3. Due to filming some of the clips handheld rather than with the Ronin, there were occasional sections of footage that appeared unstable and did not reflect the high quality look I was aiming for. In order to resolve this, during my version 2 edits I looked at all of the clips which had this kind of effect and applied over the footage a warp    stabiliser VFX  which when analysed gives the entirety of the shot a much smoother aesthetic. This could then be applied directly to all the effected shots which gave instantaneously the look I desired. This could be found in the video effects section within Adobe premier.

4.  When looking at the footage in its raw state I personally thought it was lacking the Christmas 'feel' which is one of the most crucial parts of the brief - baring this in mind I decided to do some research into light leaks and the possibilities they hold in terms of brightening and warming a shot. I downloaded (rights free) 4k light leaks and added them over the top of the footage on track one and dropped the opacity to 6% so that the video didn't play directly over the original footage of the shop and story boarded content. 
This gave a small glint to each shot giving the impression of a sparkle which is a key attribute to the Christmas aesthetic and dependent on the shot I could pick an appropriate colour which would fit the colour on each shot after being shot in C-log. When looking at shots with magenta tones I looked for a matching leak of either red,orange or purple and when looking at Cyan either blue,purple or white as to not clash.

5. In my 3rd version control I decided it was time to start adding creative flair to the ways the clips transitioned between each other alongside the aforementioned cut to music. Having done some research into smooth transitions I decided to experiment with a cross/film dissolve in order to move fluidly from a shot of some coats hung to the front of the store to show all of the beauty wares the store sells to keep in touch with this idea of representing the products as                            for both a masculine and feminine audience.

Using the editing panel, I chose both the cross dissolve and film dissolve from the video transitions panel and applied it to the centre of the shots and then using the extension tool on the chosen editing track lengthened the time the edit way applied for so that there was enough footage to blend into when the transition had finished. This type of transition is suited well to the type of advertisement I was creating as mentioned before as I had to repeatedly remind myself of the target audience and what would be most visually appealing for them ie: slow smooth transition for those aged over 50 as to not give a false impression of the nature of the shop.

Harsh cuts would be more apt for a young persons fashion shop however Sandersons needed to show their ability to work with all ages - this was shown by using a variety of actors and in this kind of decision in the editing process.

6. All good advertisements start with the company branding and occasionally a look at the shop itself, when looking at other similar retail companies I noticed that this was an ideal way to introduce the department store and set the scene for the rest of the video. Having taken the Ariel shots on a winters morning in November there was nothing that explicitly told the time of year (no snow only the shops dressing) therefore I decided as the brief was to create a Christmas advertisement , something needed to be done to make this more apparent. Having watched a few short tutorials on how to achieve this effect I went online and downloaded another piece of footage which featured snowfall and as with the light leaks  - layered it over the shot of the shop as can be seen above. I then altered tilt , swivel and distance to the image - warping the footage where needs be to create the effect that the snow was falling in all different directions toward and away from the camera. This gave the shot some dimension and also meant that the brief had been taken strongly into consideration. In addition to this I added an adjustment layer which wasnt present before over the entirety of the video meaning there was a cinematic crop throughout which really gives that professional look.

Then having gathered the assets from the client (fonts, logos etc) I decided to add branding to the opening scenes like I had seen previously in my research with competition companies like House of Fraser . Using the cross dissolve video transition I had used previously, I made the footage with the snow fade into and remain underneath the logo and on the editing track beneath. Having watched the youtube tutorial , I learnt that the snow footage could be layered multiple times to create a heavier snow shower therefore when introducing the logo onto the screen I layered another track on top of snow and adjusted the tilt, swivel and distance to the image again so that the snow fell in front of the logo - again creating that desired depth of field which would be present should it be snowing.

7. When reviewing the Vox pop footage during creating a footage log , it became apparent that the colouring was too cool due to the lighting conditions within the small space we had to shoot however this gave me the chance to colour edit some of the footage in Adobe Premier pro. I did this by clicking on the editing panel to the top of the workstation and then using the sliders make adjustments to the footage. I first of all lowered the temperature to bring out the cyan in the shot and then counteracted this using the tint and pulling back the magenta tones which gives the shot as shown above a more orangey overlay - this connotes the warmth of the store in contrast to the colder looking outdoor shots. I then looked closely at highlights and shadows making sure they complimented each other nicely in terms of making the darks less obvious and retaining the whites to give that crisp wintery feel that was so crucial in the brief. By pitching the highlights and shadows against each other and increasing the contrast/exposure slightly the peachy tones within the footage peak and allow the blacks to create a strong contrast against the rest of the shot which ultimately makes it look sharper.

This was then applied to all the Vox pops and adjusted accordingly to suit skin tones and other factors such as makeup and lighting changes.

8. Using the same technique as mentioned before in example 6, I decided to have a matching ending to the beginning of the video to reinforce the branding as this is a convention I have seen frequently in my research stages. However this time I played it over a drone shot flying away from the store (as if the whole video has been a journey) and then using the text tools and once again the cross dissolve - I made each asset appear in order onto the screen. This keeps the viewer engaged for longer and associates all of the products which have been showcased in the video with the web name and social media outlets such as facebook, snapchat and instagram.

LO3: Offline Edit

Offline Edit

LO3: Footage Log

LO3 : Following codes and conventions

EXAMPLE PROMO VIDEO 

OUR PRODUCT

During the pre production process of making our promotional video for Sanderson's, I conducted some research into another well known department store, House of Fraser , and how they have tackled a Christmas promo in previous years. The most memorable of these was the 2014 release where models were describing who was the easiest to buy for and the best present they'd ever received - This was done in a Vox pop style format. 

When evaluating the promo I decided there were some elements that we could recreate in our own work such as the vox pops as this is a unique way to show products to our target audience and show case the brands which the department store sell - This was the second Christmas promotional video the store has had therefore it is important to showcase the variety of products the store sells in its second year of opening. The previous advert to this which had been created by the stores own media manager focussed heavily on the products which were in store however didn't show how the store had a positive effect on the customer - although this advertisement was cleverly shot in terms of camera techniques and editing, we believed to put Sanderson's in the mix with other house hold names such as Debenhams, John Lewis and House of Fraser - it would be important to follow their lead whilst also bringing a new look.

LIGHTING AND COLOUR

  

This is one of the prime examples of us following codes and conventions of a Christmas promotional video, the lighting within the shot connotes the festive period as fairy lights are commonly used at Christmas as decoration, the bokkah within the shot adds warmth and also adds dimension to the shot so that the actor appears to be talking directly to the audience. The clear difference behind the shots is colour, House of Fraser decided to go for a cool/icy tone throughout the entirety of their advert which to me feels less inviting and more hostile toward the audience - this approach is ok for a Long running department store as they have already established themselves across the Uk as a house hold name , Sanderson's however does not yet have this accreditation therefore it is important to connote a warm and welcoming environment hence the warm , orangey tones. This colour scheme is repeated throughout and is even repeated when showing a customer experience - this is reflected on the models face as he smiles when pulling on a coat he has found in the store.

The Ariel shots which show the store were taken on a bright winters morning which also meant the sky had similar pink/red/orange tones - during the editing process it was important to ensure the visuals supported this connoting the stores warmth and welcoming by using light leaks and an increased temperature in colour editing using Adobe Premier.

BRANDING 

To follow conventions set by not only House of Fraser but a variety of other high street names such as Debenhams, John Lewis and M&S - I decided to write into the story board and follow through in post production with the store branding at both the beginning and the end of the video - this reinforces the branding of the store and reminds viewers all of the brands and items shown in the video are from the store itself. The title and end sequence of both the Sandersons and House of Fraser video have ensured to keep the branding consistent with what we are familiar with , creating synergy throughout. This means that when customers come across this advert online or in store - it is specific that it is not just about the big name brands in the store which have been featured, but the aesthetic and feel of the actual shopping environment itself. This is the key theme we wanted to convey across the entire video as all the successful campaigns which I researched during the planning process focussed on this idea of customer experience, as this store is relatively new, this message is all the more important to convey

FONTS

In order to create synergy throughout, any other graphics and fonts that have been included in the Sandersons Ad, match the typekit of the original which is used across the stores branding including the shop front, loyalty cards and bags. I personally contacted the PA for the store and asked for font files, hex codes and full resolution images of the branding itself so that in no way were we breaking the synergy which is so important in this type of advertising job. In the subtitled version of the advert which was needed for inshore due to the screens not supporting audio, we continued to use the same font which features on the branding as to tie in the whole look.

LO3: Planning Matching production

The below screenshots are examples of how during the production process of our promotional video, we followed our planning material. 

EXAMPLE 1: EXTERIOR SHOT

For the beginning of the promotional material we planned on having an exterior shot of the store front to set the scene, we decided to change this due to weather conditions on the day to a drone shot which could be easily edited to look like a snowy scene. When sending the drone up the conditions meant that the top of the building appeared to be snowy - we then manipulated this during post production to have a snowy graphic playing on loop over the top. This also fits the conventions of a promotional video as it shows what we are aiming to advertise - at the end of the production this is reinforced so the audience are constantly reminded by the aesthetic and the brand.

EXAMPLE 2: EXTERIOR SHOT

This shot went as planned what with having the beadle on hand to open the door, the only thing that differed from planning was the door was only available to open on the right hand side. This shot welcomes the viewer into the video and provides a more personal experience which connotes the store's warmth and accommodating nature. This follows conventions as we are showing the audience the positivity and 'Boutique' experience you receive when visiting the store - this will be favoured by the ABC1 targeted demographic. 

EXAMPLE 3: INTERIOR SHOT VOX POP

Due to casting problems when we got to the store, we had to use contingency actors which meant we had to start the video with a male actor rather than a female as planned - this could have been changed in post production so that a female appeared first however we thought that this challenges conventions of Christmas present buying being a stereotypical female activity. Women appeared in the video at a later time but personally I believe that starting with this shot widens the target audience to ABC1 18-35 year old males as well as females as the actor is telling the audience what he managed to find in store.

EXAMPLE 3: INTERIOR BAG SHOT

This shot followed pre production planning in terms of the article within shot, however we altered the shot to low angle to connote the importance of the shopper and the brand itself. The branding is clearly evident throughout the whole shot which is important as this is a sandwich shot in the middle of the promotion - this reminds the viewer which shop is being filmed and associates the luxury brands within the rest of the video with the branding at the beginning, middle and end.

EXAMPLE 4: EXTERIOR DRONE SHOT

Again this shot went to plan and followed the idea we planned in pre production however changed to a drone shot rather than the branding by itself. This means that through the drone shot the viewer can geographically place the location of the store which is important as this is a relatively new shopping complex. The shot then pans out and shows the entirety of stocks bridge including the new road which has been placed to make Fox Valley more accessible - this inadvertently shows shoppers how they would be able to access the shop and how local it actually is.