Directing Commercials
ABBREVIATED TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface
INRODUCTION
PART I
From the perspective of a Creative Director
The process of ad creation
Advertising Agency
Phase I - pre-production
Phase II - Production (shooting)
Phase III - Post-production
PART II
From the perspective of a Film Director
Advertising – a movie in a nutshell
Global aspects of the film
Visualization and planning of editing and staging
Set Design
The image and styling of a character
Directing actors
Staging - setting a film situation
Camera coverage of the static scene
Directions of movement and looks
The visual elements
Composition of the frame
Positioning of the camera
Dir/DOP - The director behind the camera or the DOP as the director
Director in post-production
Soundtrack - audio creation of the film
Creating a film composition
Analysis of students’ works
Film crew - specialists
Glossary of terms and jargon of advertising and film
Poststriptum
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface ………………………………………………………………………..18
INRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………….20
The most interesting job in the world
How to get into the profession
Spec reel
PART I
From the perspective of a Creative Director
The process of ad creation……………………………………………………….28
Small Budget
Strategy
Scenario
Production
The shoot
Studio or natural location?
Large budget
Advertising Agency………………………………………………………………46
Creative department
TV production department
Client Service Department
Strategic Planning Department
Via dolorosa
Treatment
Stage I - pre-production ............................................ ................................................. 61
Casting
Team
Recce
PPM
Planning the shoot
Phase II – shooting (production)…………………………………………………..76
Where do I start?
Camera ...ready ... action!
How to deal with the agency and client
Phase III - Post-production………………………………………………………….81
Time for ad agency
Time for the client
Final approval
When will you see your ad on the screen?
PART II
From the perspective of a Film Director
Advertising - a movie in a nutshell……………………………………………87
Why do we need a director?
Director on the set
First steps - a handful of tips
The global aspects of the film…………………………………………………96
The narrative aspect
The dramatic aspect
The aesthetic aspect
The psychological aspect
The financial aspect
The natural aspect
The physical aspect
The technical aspect
The aspect of the composition
Visualization and planning of assembly and staging………………………100
Shootingboard
Animatic – the animated storyboard
Set Design……………………………………………………………………..109
Dramaturgy of the set design
Set design study
Sketches and set design plans
Selecting objects
Determining the topography of the scene
Routine procedures of set designer
Set equipped with props
Director’s problems with props
Scenographic tricks
The image and stylization of a character……………………………………….133
Costume
Mask
Directing actors………………………………………………………………….. 138
Assignment of roles –more on casting
The main types of actors
Working with an actor
Leading an actor
How to build a character
Realistic-psychological convention
Working on a dialogue
Logical and emotional accents
Subtext
Staging – setting a film situation…………………………………………………..163
Static set ups of actors
Static set up with one actor
Static set up with two actors
Static set up with three actors
Static set up with groups – four or more actors
Actor's movements and activities
Changing the position of the actor in front of the camera (mise en scene)
Changing the position of the actor in the frame (mise en cadre)
Working with extras - the mass scenes
Camera coverage of the static scene………………………………………………195
A scene with one actor
A scene with two actors
A scene with three actors
A scene with a group of actors (four or more)
Directions of movement and looks ………………………………………………..201
Static Directions
Dynamic Directions
The visual elements…………………………………………………………………..209
Line
Shape
Block
Value
Texture
Color
Light color and pigment-based inks
Color of objects
Interaction of color
Color harmony
Working with color in practice
Composition of the frame………………………………………………………………247
Frame format
Dynamic composition
Static composition - framing
Principles of static frame composition
The balance in the frame
Attracting attention
Structure of image
Background
Perspective
Setting depth
Positioning of the camera…………………………………………………………….270
Camera angle
Height of camera
Eye height
Worm’s eye
Bird’s eye
Narrative and dramatic points of view
Objective
Subjective
Subjective - objective (POV)
Video Plans
Twelve scale stage plans
Special shots
Movement in the film
Movement in the frame
Movement of the frame
Moving view
Influence of the optics on the perception of space
Regular lens
Wide-angle lens
Telephoto lens
DIR/DOP - The director behind the camera or the DOP as the Director……………244
The dramaturgy of light
Expression of light
The nature of light
Space and light
Creating light in a film
Features of light
Portrait light
Types of light (temperature of light)
Balancing the light (white balance, color balance)
Power of light, sensitivity of the carrier and clarity of optics
Exposure
Basic lighting equipment
Auxiliary lighting accessories
Working strategy
Speed of work
Lighting a small plan
Packshot
Tricks of advertising workshop
Director in post-production ............................................. ...................................... 348
Editing
Film punctuation
Director’s cut
A few tips for editing
Post-Production Studio
Computer generated image (CGI)
Digital Animation - Motion Control
3D Animation (case study)
Stereoscopy - three-dimensional film (3D)
2D to 3D - Converting two-dimensional image into three-dimensional one
Soundtrack - Audio creation of film reality…………………………………………380
Audio
Sound on location
Sound editing
Sound processing
Music
Music in a commercial
Creating the film composition………………………………………………………. 399
Dramaturgy - composition of film history
Directorial scene fragmentation
Rough cut
Tempo, rhythm and dynamics in the film
Line of action
Genre
Style
Production value
Analysis of student work (overview of cases )........................................................412
Film Crew - specialties .............................................. ..............................................455
Production Team
Director’s group
DOP group
Lighting Group
Grip (Technicians)
Stage Design Group
Costume Group
Stylists
Sound Group
Special Effects Group
Casting
Stunts
Extras
Animals
Post Production Group
Glossary of terms and jargon of advertising and film…………………………………469
Postscriptum…………………………………………………………………………...530