Promotional Video- Critical Evaluation of Production Skills

Critical Evaluation of Production Skills

Once I had finished the promotional video I went to show it to my client in order to get feedback from them, overall I believe the client seemed to appreciate the finished product, they were pleased with the way I showcased the various designs that they offered to people along with any custom designs that were requested, as well as showing the collection of piercings that they offered as another service in addition to tattoos. Another aspect they enjoyed was how I included the process of a customer getting their tattoo done. I believe the finished product does meet the client’s expectations as I managed to show the majority of their business in a positive light with fitting music and the actual process of a tattoo being inked, although I do feel that there were many problems along the way as there were a few complications with the filming process.

During the initial stages of the planning process I recorded a discussion while liaising with the client, to get an idea for what they wanted to be included in the video however they left it very open as they were not too strict on what content to include, so that made it harder for me to plan what I wanted to film, as they had essentially given me free reign over the production. I think that one of the problems I initially had with making the video was a lack of a production log which would of helped during the planning process, which would of helped me plan my shots better however I doubt it would of aided me much as the client didn’t give any specific criteria so the range of shots and structure I could use was left very open, I also believe that further meetings with the clients would have helped shape the video as the collected footage would have helped them and myself to come up with better ideas to improve on the video however I do think that the finished product turned out well as the client was more than happy with the result . Another issue would be that the video would have been made better with footage of more people getting tattoos inked and perhaps interviews with them afterwards as a means of speaking to the audience about the process.

I also think that the cinematography of the video is done quite well with the close up shots of the designs and reverse zoom shots of the scrolls on the walls, the changes in depth of field also make the video more interesting as the subject is initially blurred but slowly comes into focus. However I did encounter some problems during the filming process as some technical issues with the settings on the camera proved to make the footage over exposed in some areas, especially when filming outside, and then in some parts the footage is too dark or the white balance is off, this is most evident in the first few shots of some of the ornaments in the display cases at the front of the location, as the light reflects off them and creates a glowing effect which makes the shot seem dark. However I do feel that the footage of the tattoo process was done well as I managed to capture it from various different angles although for health and safety reasons I dared not get too close to the subject as the artist would likely feel enclosed ad be unable to work, there was also the present danger of the inking needle so staying a safe distance away was the logical choice while still being able to film the process and then once it was done I managed to achieve a close up shot of the customers finished tattoo which seemed like an appropriate ending to the film, which showed the end result of the process.

There was also a number of legal issues concerning the sound I used, I decided to use a song called “Sucker” by a band called California X, this music track was likely copyrighted and I informed the client of this once the product was finished, although they assured me that they were aware of the legal issues surrounding copyright infringement, however they had a license to play copyrighted music in their shop from a website anyway, which the chosen song would likely appear on as the website included the genre of music that the song I used belonged to. However if I were to produce this video again I would instead opt to use music under a creative commons license, which allows anyone to use non copyrighted music within media production for creative or non-profit purposes. That way there would be no legal issues concerning the videos soundtrack if it was uploaded to the clients website if they themselves did not have a license to play music on their premises.

During the editing process I did encounter a few problems with the footage as some of it was either too dark, overexposed or out of focus so I couldn’t use them in the final product however beforehand I had noticed these shots and shot them again during the same shoot so although some shots were unusable there were similar shots that could be made use of within the video. During the process I found that it was hard to compile the shots together as I didn’t initially have a production log or a set narrative planned out for the video, as my client didn’t specify how the video should look, which made it difficult whilst editing. Another of the problems I faced was using effects and titles on the video as initially I was unsure what to use which would be appropriate however in the end I decided to use fading dissolve cuts on some of the shots in order to lead up to the next one without it being simply just a sharp cut to the next shot. As for the titles I managed to figure out how to include them within my video so I thought it was best to put them at the end to show the clients business I was promoting and its address, along with the music included in the video as well.

I believe that overall the finished product turned out well and met with the clients criteria however I think that if I were to recreate this product in the future I would first put in a great deal more planning into the process and try to make use of a production log if possible. I would also try to obtain more footage of tattoos being inked and people being interviewed about their experiences or their reasoning behind getting a tattoo done. I would also try to make use of more varied effects within the finished video as a way to make it more interesting and visual to the audience, this along with using a creative commons license so there would be no risk of copyright infringement for any music that I may use within the video.