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.