Bensons Guidelines

ART DIRECTION

Visual Approach

Composition & Cameras

Lighting

Consistency vs Flexibility

Visual Approach

There was a re-evaluation on imagery for Bensons in 2022 and therefore our approach has been pushed on further. The new approach involves going in closer with the camera, elevating lighting to give a more editorial feel and clever placement of props to frame the shots. Benson's is still a lower price point than some of our other clients so we are still keeping the approach quite standard but aiming to be in line or above competitors.

Previous Imagery Vs New Approach

OLD - Bed not central to camera.

OLD - Quite far away, third wall showing.

NEW - Product is more hero in the shot.

NEW - Smaller space, tighter crop, more intimate feel.

Composition & CAMERAS

The bedframe always sits on the right hand wall.
Bedframe is central to the shot.
3/4 angle is standard although the camera is not fixed and can move to show the product at it's best.
We are closer into the room-sets than previous imagery and cropping through objects help the sets feel more editorial.
No use of third wall hints / propping in the foreground to distinguish from competitors.

Lighting APPROACH

Soft diffused lighting is used to create light and bright spaces. There is natural fall-off the further away from the light source we get.

Light is always hitting the product to hero it.

Artificial lighting can be turned on to add a bit of interest but it doesn't affect lighting overall. Softer shadows are created. Equally keeping the lights off doesn't affect the overall mood.

Bounce light or very soft fill-light can be used to make sure that the right side of the product is clearly visible, but be careful not to flatten the shot by making this light too strong.

Exterior 'window scenes' are always built in 3D so that they are ready for animation. Exterior lighting always needs to feel realistic in comparison with the interior direction and strength.

CONSISTENCY VS FLEXIBILITY

Here we have created a summer and winter version of a set using a mixture of lighting, propping stories and backplates to give key differences for the time of year. Subtle differences like having the window open and the curtain having slight movement all add to the overall look of the seasons.