Deconstructing commercials

Camera shots

• Where is the camera positioned?

• Are close-ups or wide shots used?

Camera movement

• zooming in / out

• tilt - moving the camera vertically, up to down or down to up, while its base is fixated to a certain point (tripod) - these shots are popular when introducing a character, especially one of grandeur, in a movie

• pan - like tilting, but moving the camera horizontally - left to right or right to left - great for establishing a sense of location within the story

• truck- moving the entire camera from left to right typically on some truck or motorized vehicle - can create beautiful, flowing effects

Lighting

• What time of day is depicted?

• What clues tell you so?

• How does it set the mood?

Setting

• Where is the location?

• Indoors / outdoors?

• Artificial or real?

Post production

• Quick / slow edits?

• Impact of editing

Actors’ Expression

• words

• facial expression

• body language / gestures

The product

• How much detail is given?

• Does it appear a lot or hardly at all?

• What lifestyle are you meant to associate with it?

The end

• Does it end abruptly?

• Is there a call to action?

Overall impression

• Who is the target audience? (who is it meant to appeal to? )

• What makes is memorable?

QUESTIONS

1. What was the target audience of the commercial? How do you know? How impacted do you think the target audience might be?

2. Did the commercial appeal to feelings or emotions? How?

3. What would make this commercial memorable?

4. Which of the initial strategies we discussed was/were used and how?

5. Comment on the camera shots/movement.

6. Comment on the sound / music.

7. How does the product come through? How is it presented? What symbolism is associated with it?