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.

Promotional Video- Critical Evaluation of Finished product

Critical Evaluation of Finished Product

     For this project I was required to film and produce a promotional video that met with standards acceptable to a client. To begin this I first analysed the codes and conventions of three existing promotional videos. The first of these was a promotional video for the area of Camden in London, which featured the use of visual conventions such as a montage sequence of establishing location shots around the area, and close ups of historical buildings and areas such as parks and busy streets, making the area look vibrant and appealing, this was accompanied by a rhythmic non diegetic soundtrack that overlaid the sound of busy roads and natural noises in the area. The second video was a promotion for a school program called “Butterflies” this videos structure was different from the first as it featured a series of interview scenes with people involved with the program that were speaking directly to the camera, and they were always placed directly in front of something that related to the topic being discussed e.g. the school building. This was aided by on screen graphics to show the audience the person’s title and their involvement with the project, and throughout the video the visuals were accompanied by soft non-diegetic music that didn’t tune out the sound of the interview. The third video was a promotion for a mediation service for divorced couples to work around their issues to put their children’s benefit first. This video was similar to the second one as it featured interviews with people involved with the project with on screen graphics to display their role. However this video differed as it also included small dramatised pieces to show the audience the effects divorce may have on children and it added a sense of narrative to the video, it then diverted to more interview scenes with the actors to show how the mediation process might work. After analysing these videos it seems that the codes and conventions for promotional videos include the use of interviews with the people involved, montage shots, non-diegetic music that doesn’t drown out the background noise and close ups and establishing shots are important in the visual aspect of the videos.

   I intended the style of my promotional video to be influenced by the first promotional video by using close ups, establishing shots and effects such as changing depths of field with any non-diegetic music being quiet and doesn’t drown out the background ambient noise too much. I also intended to take some influence from the third video as it showed the process of the mediation service, my client is the owner of a Tattoo Studio and during meetings they didn’t give me any specific criteria so I thought that showing the process of a tattoo being inked would be an appropriate direction to take. I believe it works well in the video, I used the codes and conventions of the analysed videos by including establishing shots and close ups on the location, I also used depth of field changes to make certain shots look more interesting. The use of influence from the third video was also done well I believe as it gives my video some form of narrative that goes from entering the studio and browsing the designs to going into the work area and then to going through the tattoo process. I believe that I have managed to include many of the code and conventions featured in previous promotional videos to show my influence from them in my production.

  The purpose of my video was to promote my clients business and to show the process of how a tattoo is performed, and I believe the finished product achieves this as the first few establishing shots introduces their business to the audience and then due to the narrative structure it then takes the audience inside the studio and through the use of close ups, showcases the variety of designs that the artists are capable of creating. I wanted to show the studios environment to the audience as a means to show its interior to anyone who may never have visited a tattoo studio before, and to show the kind of designs that were on offer from m client. The final part of the video I wanted to show the process of how a tattoo is performed to express how simple, safe and efficient the procedure is in reality, in contrast to any apprehensions the audience may have concerning the process e.g. if it’s painful or complicated. The message I wanted the video to express to the audience was how the process of getting a tattoo would be performed and to absolve any worries they may have about either pain or complexity as in my finished video I filmed a 2 hour session of a customer getting a tattoo on their shoulder, they show no expression of pain throughout the video, and the close ups of the artist I use I show the concentration and precision that is needed to create the design and I believe the finished product has achieved this.

I intended the audience for my finished product to include people, who most likely would not have had a tattoo before or perhaps even visited a tattoo studio, so I wanted the video to showcase most of the features of the location and to go through the basic process of getting a tattoo. I believe I showed that through the shots of the various designs and background in the studio, including the process of a customer getting their tattoo inked. I believe that it does appeal to the intended audience since the films narrative takes them through the three basic steps of the process such as initially entering the location to browse the designs, then going into the studio itself and being seated which progresses to the actual inking of the tattoo. I think that it would appeal to the audience as it would set aside any worries they may have concerning the safety of the procedure, this is shown through the shots of the customer while he is being worked on and how calm they appear. I also think that the video will appeal to an audience who have already had work done by my client and simply enjoy their work and/or are considering getting more work done by them.

If I were to reproduce my finished product I would likely decide to include more footage of customers getting their tattoos inked as a way to break up the video more, to show a greater variety of the type of artwork my client performs which would make it seem more appealing to the audience. I would also consider trying to get interviews with customers and my client to share what they think of tattoos and their reasons why they have them which would make for a more interesting final video.

Promotional Video- Client Feedback

After the completion of my promotional video and I had uploaded it, I took it to show to my client in order to get feedback from them to discern if it met their expectations. Overall they seemed to appreciate the video and were pleased with how it turned out, they said that they liked:-

• The music choice for the video as it fit with the style of music that they played in the studio and that they themselves listened to
• the footage of a tattoo in progress and the process of how it is performed along with the final shot of the finished piece
• the footage that showed off the front of the studio where you first walk in which showcased all of the designs and props 

However the client did also mention some areas that they thought didn't work out so well and things that while not major concerns could be improved to make the video seem better such as:-

• The frame rate of the video was slightly distorted so there was a constant interference on the video that appeared to sweep across the screen during the video
• They thought that the shots taken from outside the studio were too bright and it didn't seem very clear, although this was due to the weather conditions during the day that those shots were taken 

Promotional Video - Final Film

Original Sin Promotional Video from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

This is the final edit of my promotional video for the Original Sin Tattoo studio

Promotional Video - Bin Labelling

During the production of my promotional video I needed to organise and arrange my footage so that it could easily be located and arranged during the editing process, as without renaming the footage or without placing it in an easily accessible location would prove difficult for me to edit it together.

This is a shot of the folders where i would be storing all of my footage I labelled them according to the room I was in in the tattoo studio during filming 

These two shots show how I renamed and labelled all of the footage from the first film shoot to make it easier to locate and categorise for future editing, I separated them all into groups and named them accordingly, mostly to describe what the shot was showing.

These three shots are from the second shoot and I followed the same process as the last time, I renamed the clips according to what they were showing as a way to organise them for easier access.

These two shots are from when I was actually filming the process of a tattoo being done however since it was in the same room as the last shoot I simply decided to slightly alter the name of the folder. I tried to organise all of my shots with labels and numbers so they would be easy to distinguish between during the editing process.

Promotional Video - Rescheduling

During the production for my promotional video, I had initially planned to film the process of someone having their tattoo inked as my client informed me they were due to work on someone who would be willing to appear on camera on the 29.3.2013, However on the day I intended to film this process it appeared that there was a problem as there were other customers also having work done and when I inquired about this to my client, they informed them and returned to say that they would feel uncomfortable with the camera present. So in the end I needed to reschedule the time that I would be filming the tattoo process for a week later on the 4.4.2013 and while this was a major inconvenience I decided to take the time instead to reshoot some footage from the first room of the studio and to also expand on the footage I had already acquired. After the rescheduling I then proceeded to return a week later to film the tattoo process and this time the  contributor was willing to appear on camera, this allowed me to film over a 2 hour period while they were worked on and I also obtained a final shot of their finished tattoo, which I think would help me in producing the promotional video.