Frame Rate

One of the greatest additions to TV football coverage is that little yellow line that tells the viewer where a team has to get to earn a first down. The next question is, “How do they do that?” I came across this brief video the other day that explains it, but it’s more complicated than I thought:

This year’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival is rapidly approaching. If you’ve never had the opportunity to attend, I would highly encourage you to do so. The caliber of submissions gets higher every single year, and this year marks Sidewalk’s 10th anniversary (so you know there’s going to be some special stuff).

As always, Sidewalk will soon be airing promotional commercials to garner interest in the festival. What’s special about the promo this year is the fact that I had the opportunity to work on the shoot as Director of Photography. Filament Artists produced. The 30-second spot was filmed with Alabama talent and Alabama crew, right here in Birmingham. Hopefully it will further highlight the talented filmmakers and the growing film production market here in our community.

We shot the commercial with the Panasonic HVX-200 in DVCPro50 format at 24fps. To read more of my insights into this particular camera, check out two previous posts, “First Impressions” and “Some Considerations.” I won’t give away anything about the commercial’s concept. You will just have to wait until it airs. There’s a possibility that the spot will also screen before each film in each venue during the festival. But ultimately that’s a call left up to the good folks in the Sidewalk office. Until then, look for the commercial on WBRC Fox6  and Bright House cable.

In various posts on this blog, I have discussed how the traditional 30-second TV spot is giving way to a new brand of advertising — product placement programming. This shift can be traced to our video-on-demand world where commercials can be bypassed at will. It seems that the newly labeled “micro-series” is gaining favor among advertisers, particularly Revlon and Match.com. Promo Magazine reports that tonight TBS will premiere “Commuter Confidential” during “Sex and the City.” Each episode of “Commuter Confidential” runs for two minutes and features a format similar to “Sex and the City” — four women carpool together and discuss life, looks, and relationships. Factoring into their discussions are Revlon products and their experiences on Match.com. TBS is also gearing up for another micro show to coincide with replays of “Law & Order.” For now these mini TV shows will air during the commercial break of another show, but I feel that this is definitely the start of a trend that will eventually lead to all product-placement programming.

In the early days of television programs were usually sponsored by a single company, and that particular show would carry the name of its sponsor, like Texaco Star Theatre. It was a format that lasted from the 1950s through the 1960s, but soon thereafter faded from popularity. There were two main reasons: 1) A single sponsoring company couldn’t keep up with the rising costs of production, and 2) Some were accusing sponsors of wielding too much control over programming content.

Well, as the old saying goes, “what goes around comes around.” The New York Times is reporting today that NBC will attempt to bring back this advertising format by partnering with companies like Liberty Mutual to develop and air new programming. Many companies have already developed their own programming for the web, integrating these web-isodes into their overall marketing strategies. This trend will only continue and soon other businesses must come to the realization that if they don’t have video on their sites then they are falling rapidly behind.

NBC’s move doesn’t mean that the traditional 30-second spot will vanish (yet), but it does mark a significant shift in how companies advertise their goods and services. This strategy is an attempt to counteract the effects of TiVo, whereby viewers can simply skip through the commercials. We will just have to wait to observe the long-term effects of this shift.

The following American Express Card commercial is a couple of years old now, but I still love it. The spot is probably one of my favorites and I consider it a great ad. As you watch it, consider a few things:

1. The Dialogue - it’s snappy, intelligent, and quick-paced; you almost always catch something new everytime you watch it, which makes people eager to see it a second and third time. And if you can get your audience excited about seeing your commercial, then you’ve got it made in the shade.

2. The Comedy - it’s subtle, dry, and satirical; Notice how they almost poke fun at the process of filmmaking. Listen closely to Wes Anderson’s “advice” on putting a movie together. I also love the actor’s question at the beginning, “Why would I put my hat on if my best friend was just blown up?” The comedic timing is also great. And notice that the comedy has nothing to do with the product. Interesting.

3. The Visual Style - it’s all done in one take; There are no quick cuts and fancy editing techniques here. Just one long 2-minute take. In a world where many commercials seem to be hopped up on energy drinks, this one takes its time. However, notice the strategic placement of foreground elements that occasionally fill the entire frame as Wes walks behind them. This allowed the agency to cut in and make a :60 or :30 spot when needed, without jarring the viewer.

So, here it is, Wes Anderson’s American Express Card commercial. You’ve probably seen it before, but enjoy it again and be sure to leave your comments on the ad as well.

For those interested in broadcast journalism, let me recommend the book The Murrow Boys: Pioneers on the Front Lines of Broadcast Journalism by Lynne Olson and Stanley W. Cloud. In a day when radio news was nothing more than a suit in a studio reciting news as it came off the wire, Edward R. Murrow and a select few of American correspondents revolutionized the way people received the news. Stationed throughout all of Europe and the Soviet Union during World War II, these correspondents gave radio news a new level of respect and developed techniques that would be used by broadcast journalists in generations to come. If you ever saw the film, Good Night and Good Luck, The Murrow Boys will give you maginificent background information on the legendary journalist, Edward R. Murrow.