My company does a fair amount of ad agency work. Big, small, mid-range production, and sometimes... even free for those long-term clients who need a quick favor. I love the agency work because it's always different, challenging, and on occasion, makes me go... "You want what?"
This latest project was up there in the "You want what?" category. A set of :15 sec and 30 sec spots about donations to charity. The idea was to pack all these spaces in the house with goods you tend to keep but never use. So, why not donate them to someone who will?
We spent about 8 days in pre-pro, and two days with a production designer, buying and staging each set up (time well-spent). But that isn't the "You want what?" part.
What made me tilt my head and say "come again" was when the client said they wanted each scene to look "romantic." Now, don't get me wrong. This client is a seasoned television pro. They have done this for years, and I place them in high regard. But... when I first read the brief, I was thinking "How in the hell do I make a bunch of junk look romantic?" It's tougher than it sounds.
To tackle this problem, I realized that the first step was to reframe my thinking. The spots weren't focused on "junk." I was tasked with highlighting personal treasures. Things that are attached to memories, and fun! I know it sounds weird, but as soon as I redirected how I was thinking about the subject of each frame, I was able to see the frame in a different way. Suddenly, the lighting schematic became clear, and I knew how to work with my gaffer to achieve the desired results.
The day came off without a hitch, and by the time the director said "That's a wrap!" the client was thrilled with how everything looked. That's all great, I love a happy client. What I appreciate just as much is the reminder that, for me, every scene has an emotion attached to it. Be it a big feature with actors pouring their everything into a believable performance, or a house full of old sports equipment, furniture, and stuffed toys, part of my job is to make a believable connection between what is in front of my lens and the eyeballs that see it once it hits the screen.
So, how do you think about your subjects? Do you see the emotion? Do you prefer to just see the technical challenge? There's no right or wrong. I just wanna know.
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I think about the emotion as a writer, Michael Fitzer, MFA.
"I know it sounds weird, but as soon as I redirected how I was thinking about the subject of each frame, I was able to see the frame in a different way." I ran into a big plot hole the other day. I figured out the plot hole fast. I just had to look at it from a different angle.
And your post reminds me of a Sci-Fi Romance script idea I thought of way back. I couldn't figure out the story, but your post might be the missing piece. Thanks.
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Maurice Vaughan I want 10% and a writing credit. LOL!
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5% and two movie tickets, Michael Fitzer, MFA.
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What a fascinating puzzle to solve! And it sounds like you handled it masterfully.
I think about subjects and the environment in which I find them. If the surrounding environment is chaos, I want to represent what that internal chaos may feel like to the subject but share it visually, even in moments of clarity or turning points. Everything in the frame matters to me. And I think of the chiaroscuro lighting of still life paintings. Caravaggio could pull emotion out of anything.