Posts Tagged ‘Video’
Six reasons why I love Mad Men.
Jim Antonopoulos | 20.09.2009
I was watching a few episodes of the second-best show on televison* recently and a few key scenes had me punching the air in celebration of a group of creative talent who are just so good at their craft.
Here are six screen grabs from recent episodes and a short reason why this show is amazing.
Composition
This shot is simple, two would-be fathers sharing a bottle of Johnny-Red as they wait in the waiting room for their resepctive wives to give birth (as you do). As one pours the other a glass of whiskey, this beautiful, yet so simple, composition appears before us. Don looking straight at the pour through the arms of the person pouring. Beautifully framed.
Leading the eye
The next frame flips around and we’re presented with another simple but clever composition which leads the eye directly back and forth between the two people in conversation. Don’s arm stretches from foreground towards the secondary character. Simple. Perfect.
Fusing reality with the surreal seamlessly
Many times throughout this show, dream sequences are a simple extension of a current scene – as a viewer, for a split second, you aren’ sure if you are witnessing the scene from another point of view, or the character’s thoughts/dreams. Nice.
Dramatic storytelling that lets the user put the pieces together
Don Draper’s wife Betty was just told, at her front door step by a police officer, that her father had passed away – this was done in full view of her young daughter (above). As Betty composes herself, turns around and walks inside, paying no attention to her shocked daughter, she closes the door. This leaves an all too young girl in solemn tears walking back slowly to receive some comfort – only to find the door is locked. Profound drama that says so much about motherhood, parenting and the elegant balance of storytelling and a nod to an intuitive audience.
Love the bad guys / Seeing positives in failure
Now we all know that Don isn’t a saint, but when Sal walks in to acknowledge his failure at a recent shoot for a television commercial (his first go at it) which has lost the agency a client – Don acknowledges the failed attempt by promoting him to the new role of ‘Commercial Director’ – Sal walks out beaming. People management at it’s best and just like the other show* by this team of writers, you just can’t help but love the bad guys.
* The Sopranos was the best IMO.
Visit Mad Men here.
Tags | artdirection, madmen, television, Video
Categories | Inspirational, Photography, Tank
Would you work for free?
Jim Antonopoulos | 18.06.2009
You know how I feel about free-pitching. this
Thanks to Stan Lee for enlightening us with this video.
When I was studying advertising, we were constantly told how difficult an industry it was to crack and that we should be prepared to put in ‘the hard yards’ and do some work for free at the outset of our careers.
I always felt my lecturers were wasting their time in trying to convince me to work for free – and I still feel that way. Why the hell would you have to work for free?
I believe that when work is done for free, the person receiving the free service does not respect the work as much as they would have if they were paying [anything] for it.
Great video. Thanks Stan.
via @BrandDNA
Tags | free, ip, pitching, Video
Categories | Advertising, Branding
Dreams.
Jim Antonopoulos | 16.06.2009
Blue sky thinking is usually a waste of time, mainly because those that choose to engage in it do it without an objective in mind.
When there are a number of key objectives and a sincerity in it’s approach, blue sky thinking can be one of the most enriching business experiences possible.
Honda has produced these short online films to explore ‘the power of dreams’ by discussing the topic of mobility in the year 2088.
I’ll let the following paragraph speak for itself:
…
Honda is a company founded by a dreamer. And we are a company that believes in the Power of Dreams.
Honda has a rich history of making impossible dreams come to fruition…. We wanted to document our advancement as a company through film to give you a better understanding of the people behind our products. Please join us as we uncover Honda through the candid approach of the documentary film process.
…
In an economic climate such as this, brands must make a simple choice. Do I sit back and wait, or do I take a stance on what I believe in and let people know that I’m here, thinking about tomorrow?
Do you lead or follow?
Do you speak or listen?
Do you tell or engage?
Do you use rhetoric or meaning?
Brands today have an opportunity to create new forms of dialogue with their audiences, be it car companies, product, service or media brands.
Tags | content, dreams, honda, Video
Categories | Advertising, Branding, Digital, Inspirational, Video
The Future of the Workplace
Jim Antonopoulos | 27.05.2009
TANK-favourite Monocle looks at how the economic climate is influencing design thinking and the key trends emerging in the future of the workplace.
Stop motion with wolf and pig.
Jim Antonopoulos | 10.05.2009
Aren’t the most amazing things amazingly simple?
From the horse’s mouth:
“At first I photographed stop motion animation. And I displayed the photographs in my room and photographed it again. I used 1,300 printed pictures. Enjoy a connection with the world of the room and the world in the photograph.”
Tags | Photography, stopmotion, Video
Categories | Digital, Inspirational, Photography, Video