Plan

My plans for the practice project are decide where and when we will take photos and how we are going to take them. Firstly we should have a narrative plan, which will explain what is starting point and where we will finish. Also we should discuss when we meet to take photos and which photos. As more detailed the plan will be as better work will be.

I choose this advert because I think the idea with pickles is very creative and unusual. It has a comic effect which make the clip funnier. The advertisement goes only 1 min but the concept is clearly seen and makes the audience what to buy the product. The romantic aspects also make me like this video because to see how a husband cares his pregnant wife is so cute thing. After watching it leaves pleasant feelings and impressions of the brand.

We want to take the main concept of being there for its customers any time of a day and night, but change the brand and character. We want to take the university library except McDonalds, because rather than coping the whole advert, it will be better to have own idea and create it, but save the main features of the advert. Our main character is a student who also wants to find something, which he is extremely needed at the night, which is WIFI. The target audience is clearly seen in the concept. Moreover, we still have main settings of a flat and the city as in the advert, because both emphasizes the proper environment and develop narrative. Similarly to the advert’s the voyage and return narrative we will have in our video. Our character also go to the city to find something and at the end he finds special place where he found it.

The problems, which we might face, are the weather, lighting, laziness and people who will be engaged in the video. When we will have a plan of time when we take photos and what photos, the weather might be not good for the work, so we should be prepared for different obstacles like rain or clouds, if they affect the lighting, which is the second problem because we might want to use natural lighting in streets. Also I think our laziness might be a problem as we should visit many places in different time of a day for our advert. If someone in the group will be lazy to do it others should be maximum organized. Other people who will be engaged in our photos might not like participating, so we should have their permeation, so it will be fair. In addition as we going to take pictures in the train, we should be sure that the train station opened and the rain works. 

Hunter Gatherer

The brand is the McDonalds fast food restaurant.

I understand that the brand is there for their costumers any time of the day and night, does not matter who are you and where are your from, it can always give what you want.

The narrative of the story is about a pregnant wife and her husband. At the beginning she searches something in the kitchen but cannot find it, then the man saw it and go outside to buy something for his wife. However, because it was night all stores closed or do not have what he wants. Then he found the McDonalds fast food restaurant, which works 24 hours and asked for pickles. At the end he returned home, sits next to his wife while she is reading a magazine. The man puts a box from hamburger on the table if front of her. She opens it and sees pickles. They both are very happy.

The main characters are pregnant wife and her husband. She is an ordinary pregnant woman who acts typically for pregnant. Her image is used to show the audience that McDonalds works for anyone and can satisfy everyone even you are pregnant with has special food cravings. The second character is her husband who is caring person and wants to makes her happy and satisfied. He looks like an average man with a typical hobby, which is watching a football match. But for him his wife is more important, so he drops the match and attempts to find pickles.

The settings of the advert are the flat, city and the restaurant. These places emphasize the environment and the audience can easily connect their lives with the main character. The actions happen during the night when most stores closed. This is important because the wife wants pickles at any time of a day and the most problematic is nighttime, because you could not find pickles in that time. But it is not the problem for McDonalds as it works 24 hours a day. So, you can order food any time.

The non-diegetic music is very important in the advert because there are no dialogs or voices in the video. However, there are some diegetic sounds of the football match, knocks and other sounds. The music creates the mood and atmosphere of the advert. It is a pleasant soft song with a singer and sounds of instruments. The rhythm is quit slow and same during the whole video.

At the beginning the characters’ flat is established. There is a man sitting on the sofa and watching a football match, while the wife is in the kitchen searching for food. They are middle class people who live in average flat with combined kitchen and hall. It gives opportunity to see characters, what they are doing and where they are at the same time. Also, they can see each other.  We understand what they feel and their reactions through their face expressions. Face expressions are the main communication between characters, which can exclude dialogs, but the audience will understand what they feel, their thoughts and what they want to say. Next the city streets with stores are established. The character enters any open stores with food but all workers show that they don’t have what he wants. Most stores are closed. He continues search for pickles and then find McDonalds. There is established a smiling and kind casher who can sell pickles. It gives idea that all McDonalds workers are kind and nice people, who can help you any time a day. At the end he returns home, then we see he holds a bag from the restaurant and a cup of coffee. It signifies that he bought something for himself from McDonalds also. The wife looks at him and the bag, takes out the box from burger. Which connotes that she will find a burger there but when she opens find pickles. She is smiling to show that she thanked and happy.

The cinematography used different distances of shots such as LS when he is established walking outside and searching for stores or inside McDonalds. It emphasizes the environment and space. MS and CU gives more intimacy and focus on emotions of characters. Also gives additional information like the CU of the pickles at the end.

The editing is used to connect the shots together. Editors used straight cuts and short takes for this advert because it narrows the time. The video goes only 60 seconds but it explains the main concept of the brand in that limited time. There is also used cut away to show the POV of the main character. What he is looking at, his emotions and thoughts. It gives additional formations, which develop the narrative.

The message of the advert is that everyone should go to McDonalds because it always satisfies any food cravings of any person.

The main idea of the advert is that McDonalds is there for its customers in any time of a day or night.

I would like to buy something is McDonalds because this advert makes me happy and I like this cute narrative.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212 Commercial 'Sorry'

Ø  The product is Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212.

Ø  I understand that the car is safety to use because it stops immediately when you press stop pedal.

Ø  The equilibrium of the story is when the driver drives the car in the road in the forest. The disruption of equilibrium happens when he turns his head and sees Death. Then Death says: ‘Sorry’, and looks forward. There is a trunk on the road. The driver immediately press stop pedal and the car stops before the impact. After a brief moment of shock the driver turns to Death and say: ‘Sorry’.

Ø  The main character is the Mercedes driver. He is about 30 years old, who wears grey suit and drives elite car. He looks like a successful handsome businessman. Maybe, he returns home after a work or drive somewhere because of work.  The protagonist signifies that Mercedes owners are rich successful men.

Ø  Settings: The advert takes place in the winter forest in modern time. It is seen through the snow on the trees around the road. I can understand that it happens nowadays, because the driver wears a modern suit and the car looks modern.

Ø  The non-diegetic music develops the narrative and have the emotional idea for the advert. At the beginning the music is quite and relaxed. There is a pleasant sound of the piano. It makes the viewers feel relaxed and give idea how do they feel if they drive the car. However, when the Death appears the sound of piano goes down and reminds that something bad happened. It builds the tension and suspense. When the driver stopped and saved life the cheerful sounds of piano appear again. It tells us that everything finished well and the driver cheated Death.

Ø  Mise en scene establishes the place which is the forest and the Mercedec car with the drive in it. Through props and other things we are informed about what is happening and where. We understand who is the main character and who is a villain. The audience understands that the villain is a Death because he wears black suit and holds a scythe. He appears suddenly. Also Death evilly laughing and say ‘Sorry’ which mean that he is there to take the drivers life. At the end the car is established and key words appears: “Senses danger and increases braking power. BAS PLUS’. This gives information what the advert is promoting.

Ø  Cinematographers used mostly MUC of face expressions of characters. Because of that we can share emotions with the main character. As we see things from the first perspective we also share ideas, thought, feeling with him. There are also MLS/LS of the car on the road, to put the attention to the product and emphasize the place. The camera movement of the nature conveys sense of space and suggest mood. It also emphasizes the continuity of time and space.

Ø  There is establishing shot of the forest at the beginning of the advert. There are only used straight cuts to have the linear narrative and make the sense of continuity. It not disrupts the audiences’ attention, so makes easier to follow. There is also used technique shot/reverse/shot between the driver and Death. It this moment the 180-degree rule is broken because when the driver established when he saw Death, he appeared from Deaths perspective. There is one more technique is cut-away, which is used to provide additional information (what is behind the car) and develops atmosphere, narrative and creates tension and suspense of hit.

Ø  I think the message of the advert is that you should be attentive while driving the car and those Mercedes-Benz cars have a very safe system which can safe your life. So, don’t waist your time on other cars and buy Mercedes-Benz.

Ø  Mercedes cars have great Bas Plus break assists system, which can save your life.

Ø  I would like to buy it because Mercedes is good German car which looks expensive, moderns and cool to use. I like the advert, because it is funny and entertaining.

Carling: Office Escape

Ø  The brand of the beer is called  ‘Carling’.

Ø  I understand that the product is good addition while watching a football match.   

Ø  The equilibrium of the story is when an office worker is established. He is chained with clips to his workplace in the office. Then disruption comes when he received a letter from him friend who is outside the building waiting for him to watch a live football, which starts at 5 pm. The worker tried to escape the office that the employees don’t see him. At the end when he almost escaped the building, the protagonist hits the glass door. His friend outside says, “ It is good, but is not quit Carling”.

Ø  The main character is an ordinary middle-aged office worker, who does incredible things to escape the office. He reminds of an agent 007 and Superman. His goal is to escape the office and catch a football game. However at the end he doesn’t achieve the goal, because he hits the glass door and his boss sees him. I think the advert is mostly for the men audience, because the protagonist is male and main aspects of the advert are mostly men's interests like the football match, beautiful woman and drinking beer with a friend. As he looks like ordinary office worker, the audience can connect themselves with him. 

Ø  Settings:

·      It happens in our time. It clearly seen through their clothes, props such as the smartphone and computers.

·      The place is the office building, because people wear suits, also there are desktops with computers. Everyone work. The compositions of elements reminds of typical building with offices. 

Ø  The non-diegetic music is important to develop the narrative because it connotes viewers about agent 007, that he should perform a dangerous mission. Also the music builds tensions and suspense.

Ø   Mise en scene is establishing main things that help audiences to understand the idea of the brand. Viewers understand who is the main character, what is happening to him, his goals, where he is.  As it is an advert of beer, there is a key moments where his friend holds 2 glasses of Carling and he mentioned something about the brand. At the end we see how the friend stretch his hand with Carling and then the beer is establish with the black background and with a phrase ‘ Refreshingly perfect’ which is highlighted by red line.

Ø  Cinematography works with mise en scene and editing to create a whole video and communicate to the audience. There are lots of MCU and CU to focus on face expressions of the characters and othe important things, which give additional information. It helps to share the emotions with protagonist and develops narrative. We see things from the first perspective, so we can connect ourselves with the protagonist.  To establish his perspective and have sense of continuity of time and actions cinematographers used tracking shots, which were achieved by dolly and steadycam. There is also moment where is used selective focus to concentrate on the important aspect of the shot and separate important things from the background. There is also zooming used to have a dramatic effect and focus on the face. In the climax there is used slow motion, which creates comic effect that the person flies. It stops when he hits the door.

Ø  The editing montage is used to contracting time but give full idea of the brand. It makes the video chronological. It makes the sense of continuity. There are mostly straight cuts between shots, however at the end beer moves forward with the black background.

Ø  I think the message of the advert is that Carling is refreshingly perfect.

Ø  I feel that main idea of the brand that it refreshes and good addition to the football match.

Ø  I would not buy the product, firstly, because I don’t like beer and secondly, I didn’t understand the main idea of the advert. The video was chronological and entertaining but last phrase “It is good, but is not quit Carling” I did understand. Also I didn’t catch why people should buy the product.