Impressive video, and the stuff that haunts a director's dreams

An impressive feat - and every producer/director's nightmare: a complete video shot in a single take. With so many moving parts and an equal number of opportunities for mistakes to occur.

I'd love to know how many takes it took to get The One. Enjoy.

The use of humor in video

Ace Metrix, the leading company in television analytics, recently released a year-long study on humor in advertising.

They reviewed over 6,500 nationally-breaking ads in the U.S. that aired from January, 2011 to March, 2012.

The results were surprising. 

They discovered that humorous ads did not perform better than ones that didn't use humor. Enjoyment was up, the willingness to view an ad more than once increased. But bottom line, where the advertisement translates to sales...humor did not compute.

You can download the report or read the press release Ace Metrix's site here (they will ask that you register to get the download, but there is no cost).

The right music can have a powerful impact

A tune, coupled with powerful lyrics, can be an effective tool in the hands of the advertiser.
In this spot, Nestle Purina (via our agency of record, Leo Burnett) spins a poignant and evocative tale - without words.

Just music and a few home movies.

What do a wooden ball, a smartphone and a forest have in common?

This amazing TV ad.

Chiaroscuro

A few days ago someone I work with tipped me off about a guy. It's not unusual to hear about someone who is an artist at his craft. What sets this guy apart is that he's not a Coaster. He's not even in a top tier metro demographic. This guy lives in a little town in Kansas.

And he's got The Eye. Composition. Timing. Chiaroscuro. And most of his work is with nonprofits. Or wedding videos.

Seriously. Wedding videos. And they're good. So good, in fact, that I'm taking notes - I want to incorporate some of his technique in an upcoming film.

Check out Robert G. Productions. My bet is the guy has a background in photography. His storytelling is rich in imagery. Enjoy.

Um.

Just Um.

A very interesting use of robotics....

(From Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide for Andes Beer in Buenos Ares)

Sometimes you just gotta love technology.

Headroom. Legroom. Creative Room.

I'm just dying to take a crack at a show that utilizes this type of stop motion.
I can guarantee stop motion is going to be on my pitch list this year when I meet with clients.

I particularly like how Nissan has handled it. Take a look at their commercials "Legroom" and "Headroom" - you may want to hit the pause button a time or two to appreciate the not-so-registered technique and the fun, upbeat look that brings to the overall ad (well okay, multi-striped socks and pink hair might add a teensy bit of something, too).

I can see this being used as a way to get an audience who has 'seen it all' to look once again, through a fresh set of eyes.