how to make tv and video: five creative approaches

Five ways to do TV and video

CM417.15

Edward Boches, Professor of Advertising

Thoughts on TV/Video

Television offers endless opportunities to tell a story, feature a product, bring a user to life.

You can be serious, provocative, funny.

You can convey a feeling, leave an impression or educate the viewer.

But the one thing you have to remember is that every person sitting in front of the TV set has a remote control within reach.

What makes great?

Are you interesting enough to watch?

Are you respecting your viewer?

Are you rewarding them for their time?

Would you want to watch it yourself?

Would you share it with a friend?

What come !rst?

Strategy

Audience

Message

Concept

Execution

Strategy: client, planner, account team, CD

Audience: client, planner, media

Message: planner, account team, CD

Concept: writer, art director

Execution: CD, writer, art director, producer, director, editor,

Where do you start?

What do you want to say?

How can you dramatize it?

Five ways to do video

All are concepts thatyou can remember

and tell someone about.(Stories)

Manifesto: say it brilliantly in words

Tell a story: beginning, middle, end -- classic dramatic structure

Visual: bring a powerful image to life to convey a feeling

Dialog/drama: create a mini drama with characters and dialog

Monolog: personal story or recollection

The Manifesto

If you let me play sports

I will like myself more;

I will have more self-con!dence,

I will be 60 percent less likely to get breast cancer;

I will suffer less depression.

I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me.

I will be less likely to get pregnant

I will learn what it means to be strong.

If you let me play sports.

Here’s to the crazy ones.

The mis!ts. The rebels. The trouble-makers.

The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things.

They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world --

are the ones who do.

When I grow up, I want to !le all day.

I want to claw my way up to middle management.

Be replaced on a whim.

I want to have a brown nose.

I want to be a yes man.

Yes woman.

Yes sir. Coming Sir.

Anything for a raise sir.

When I grow up I want to be under appreciated.

Be paid less for doing the same job.

I want to be forced into early retirement.

Plain was the same as it ever was.

Plainly plain.

Samely same.

But then, someone lit the "ame.

Plain rode away on lion’s mane.

Where plain met fruits with strangely names.

Such wonderful things they did contain.

A shot of life to a hungry vein.

That kept a beast who broke the chain.

And there upon that fruited plane

Is where plain became what plain became.

So much more than more than plain.

Plain will never be the same.

What does the product stand for and believe?

What do you want me to know about its vision?

Tell a story with words that resonate.

Write it. Write it again. Write it again. And again.

Visual story telling

VW’s handles great in the snow.

Mercedes Benz handles great in the snow.

Levi’s is for rebels

VW has useful features like the remote key.

Google search has all the answers

How can I convey that in a story?

Is there tension and drama?

Character development?

Is there a protagonist?

What makes me remember it?

How is time manipulated?

How can I demonstrate the feature?

Come up with 100 answers.

Evaluate them based on relevance to brand, target, category convention.

Presuming they are original, fresh, unexpected.

One Powerful Visual

What is the one thing you want to say?

Joy and happiness. Amazing color. Women’s independence. Ultimate desire.

Come up with 100 visual ways to say it.

Dialog / Scene

Is there a metaphor?

Is there a mini-drama?

Is there a simple encounter?

First person monologstory

Express a virtue that is connected to the product (VW)

Relate an experience that celebrates the user of the brand (Bud)

Share a sentiment, a wish, a regret that a product promises to address (Axe)

Sometimes you are just creating a connection

But you are always telling a story, a narrative, that is interesting

inform: tell me about new product or feature or bene!t

persuade: convince me you’re better than the alternative

inspire: make me feel good, connect around shared beliefs

entertain: make me laugh and like your brand

Idea !rst, but then the details matter.

Shot list

Casting

Location

Music

Editing

Elements of a script

An ideaIf you can’t explain your idea in a sentence you probably don’t have an idea.

There was a ________ that __________ it !gured why not _________.

There was a bear rug that watched so many Canal + movies it !gured why not direct one itself.

(Show Canal +’s passion about and commitment to, cinema.)

Sequence of shots

Description/explanation of action

Dialog/VO

SFX/Music

Anthem TV: 60

Till all books are read

and all the pens put down

and stories stop being told

and everything there is to learn is learned

till tears are no longer shed

and zingers have all zinged

and the irony is all ironed out

till the heroes retire

and monsters return to their dens

and ships are all beached

and all the plots are wrapped up

till there are no more twists or turns

no more guns in drawers

no more shaggy dogs

till rhymes stop rhyming

and pots stop boiling

and everyone is happy

and there is nothing more to say

till that day

by hook or by crook

by book or by NOOK

I will read.

SUPER: Barnes & Noble

VO: Plain was the same as it ever was the same. Samely same...

It rode away... ...on a lion’s mane. Where plain met fruits with strangely names.

FAGE :45 Launch Television“PLAIN”

But then, someone lit the flame.Plainly plain...

Plain went against the grain of plain old plain.

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