Dodge Srt-4 Promo/Commerical

[Marc Higa]

Just shot a Commerical for Dodge with a Dvx100...Let me know what you think.

http://www.dodge.com/srt-4/index.htm...epage&type=top

Marc

[Dylan Couper]

I like your camera work, and the footage you shot. Very stylish, very Fast and the Furious. However...


STREET RACING IS ILLEGAL AND DEADLY. IT IS KILLING THE YOUTH OF NORTH AMERICA. IT SHOULD NOT BE GLORIFIED OR PROMOTED IN ANY WAY, EVER.

Shame on Dodge for letting you put this video on their website. That's just as disgusting as marketing cigarettes to kids, or making drinking and driving look cool.

I'm e-mailing a letter to Dodge complaining.

Oh, BTW, I'm not some stuck up parent. I race Corvettes as a hobby. Race tracks are for racing, streets aren't.

[Chris Hurd]

Marc, I'm hopeful that you'll take Dylan's reaction as two separate issues. He is commending you for your creative, artistic and technical skills, which is the most important thing. That he takes issue with the *message* should not be considered a slant towards you personally... he's stating his extreme disappointment in Dodge for that kind of marketing approach.

Here at DV Info, our primary purpose is to discuss craft and technique, and not the message per se, as the message is always a subjective issue that not every one will agree upon. Just look around here and you'll find some rather testy threads debating certain messages of particular filmmakers and marketing departments.

Again, it is the craft of digital video that is our primary focus, and Dylan has handed you quite a compliment. However I would have to agree with him that this particular marketing strategy does not serve the best interests, or more importantly, the safety of its target audience. Hope this helps,

[Dylan Couper]

Yes, it was very good. Decent feeling of speed while they were racing, good music for the medium. Nice lighting, although there were several shots that seemed a little dark.

I think I may have had some problems with my player because there were some weird blotchy colour patterns a few times during the video.

Have to say I laughed when the two cars were revving their motors. My lawnmower sounds more menacing.

However there is a serious problem in the message, but I think my point was made already.
Not your fault, though. Dodge has taken the stupidity cake here. Imagine if Smith and Wesson made a handgun that could fit in student's pencil cases and showed a video of kids looking cool taking guns to school. Although you and others may not think it, this is right up the same alley.

[Boyd Ostroff]

I went to that link, but in order to watch the video you had to provide your e-mail address, age and zip code. Forget it...

[Marc Higa]

I aggree with you guys about the illegal street racing... I just wanted to know what you guys thought of the footage that came from the camera. I was very impressed with the performance of the DVX100. As a couple a months a go I was dying to download any footage shot on the camea. But I demoed the camera and loved it. So I bought two!

Some of the shots I aggree were dark and not lit well but that was only because of the client. But there will be a directors cut soon. i will let you guys know.

Marc

[Alex Knappenberger]

I thought it was very nice. What did you do for lighting and all of that..?

...and what kind of budget was it, if any, and who was driving the car doing all the fancy spin outs and stuff? :D

BTW - Of course I agree that illegal street racing isn't good, but it's just a commercial, and just turn on TV and you'll see many more worse things...

[Dylan Couper]

<<<-- Originally posted by Boyd Ostroff : I went to that link, but in order to watch the video you had to provide your e-mail address, age and zip code. Forget it... -->>>

I just made it up.

[Marc Higa]

The Budget was about $20,000 and we used Kino's some HMI's and some colemen work light towers (about 4,000watts), to light the streets.

Marc

[Zac Stein]

Have to say I laughed when the two cars were revving their motors. My lawnmower sounds more menacing.

Hahahahahhaha i have to agree there. I read the site and with it's '215' horse power i don't think that is much to boast about. I don't know about in the states, but our new HSV commodores, a car i am not even impressed with, is coming stock with 275kw's now, which i believe is around 400hp. But, blah lets get onto the real topic.

I watched the video, and while i found it enjoyable, i honestly can't see where $20,000 went??? Maybe insurance and renting the two cars?? Rights for the music???

I am not coming down at all on the artistic merit of it, but i just can't see exactly where all the money went?

Could elaberate on it a bit?

thanks,

Zac

[K. Forman]

I thought it was quite good overall. It was a bit slow in some scenes, I think it could have been shorter. The camera work was very good, and I saw no problem with the lighting. For some reason, it made me think about Wierd Science... Nice job!

[Marc Higa]

$20,000...that's nothing to shoot a 5 minute spot. It should have been $20,000 per day. You have to pay the actors, the crew, kraft services, security, barricades, stunt drivers, make-up, insurance...permits alone can add up to $7000...and we haven't even bought the tape stock to shoot the stupid thing.
If you can do it for under $20k, give me a call!!!

Marc

[John Locke]

Marc, subject matter aside...nice job. The only big complaint I have is the lighting in the living room scene...the overhead light just flattens everything. I'm biased, though...can't stand overhead lighting in houses either.

I'd be interested in hearing what type of car mounts you used. Also, how big was your crew?

I have to admit that when I was in high school I had Thunderbird with a 429 V8 and a speedometer that went up to 160...and I saw the needle lay flat a few times. Fortunately, I also had miles and miles of flat, straight, and empty highway to do the teenager thing. Not that that would've saved me if I'd had a blowout...it just meant I wouldn't have killed anyone else--except maybe a jackrabbit.

Just imagining racing on city streets where anything can happen gives me the heeby-jeebies.

[Glen Elliott]

It's funny you guys are dissing this car....it IS in fact the fastest car under $20000! If I didn't jump into financing my Protege5 I'd be driving an SRT-4. Seriously I saw one that had one with a boost controler, full exhaust, and drag slicks beat a Corvette at the track in the 1/4. He ran a low 13. Sick! Sure some of you may have cars faster, with 400hp or whatever but it sure as heck didn't cost $20,000us. The most bang for the buck you'll ever find!

About the video- it's awesome man! I really like how you captured the action of two moving cars- something I know isn't easy to do. As someone else said- very FastandtheFurious'ish. I agree the pacing was a bit slow in parts but overall was a nice short- though cliche. Kinda like a beer commercial- with hot girls etc. Anyway, $20,000 budget wow- at first glance I would think that would be absorbetant however you're probably right...all the things you don't see ON-camera add up too. And lighting- ugh I've been pricing some Lowel lighting kits...those things aren't cheap and they aren't even considered expensive kits in the general scheme of things. Well do you mind me asking HOW, exactly, did you get affilliated with Dodge in the first place?!

As for me I'm an aspiring event videographer. Me and a friend have 2 weddings under our belt and 3 more scheduled this season. We've also done shorts, and a full length documentary. Untill this week we've been working with an XL-1s and a GL-1 but ironicaly enough I'll be recieving my DVX100 today! That's why I'm home from work and able to post on this board so early!! I'm just a wee-bit concerned regarding the possible strobing when shooting in 24p. I know I get massive strobbing with Canon's "frame-mode" especially during pans, regardless of shutter, and speed of pan. Again great job- would love to see more of your work!

[Zac Stein]

I disagree about 20K usd being nothing for a short. Geez El Mariachi and Undead are two movies made for half or less of that, and on film too, with higher production quality.

I believe people use money like a hose to make problems go away, and or escape being resourceful. I have produce 7-10 minute short movies with as much if not more production value for $200. I was only asking where the money was spent, because the actors appeared very amateurish, and a lot of visuals seemed a bit rushed in production.

For 20k USD, i could buy the camera, all the equipment i would need, secure the locations and actors have the better half of 10k left. But i have learned every way, to pull every favour, to secure any location, to get what i need done with the least compromise and most results.

I am not coming down on it, but you made me state my case even though i didn't want too.

I think you have a lot of talent, but a lot more time needs to be spent on storyboarding and scripting, and working out an editing ryhthm within the piece. I have seen ferris bueler/risky business/weird science/fast and furious, now i want to see your own work, and one thing you must learn is to work within your own boundries, because i feel a lot of money was poured into 1 element and not enough concentration was spent elsewhere. Now i know the focus was on the cars and it was the 'money shot' of the flick, but it is no excuse ever not to put 110% into everything else.

Anyways, I stated my case and you or anybody else is perfectly allowed to agree or disagree, this is what i love about an open public forum and this forum, because we can have adult dicussions about things.

I am not even going to get into car talk or the morals of the piece. BTW, the Holden HSV clubsport is around 20kUSD and comes standard with 225kw as the base model, and goes up to 275kw for higher end models. And i wouldn't touch them, the weirdest thing i have ever seem emerging lately is that if a car is fast it must be good, well those subaru wrx's are floating around the streets here wizzing past, but also falling appart, unconfortable, built with horrible quality and no resale value, but hey it's fast so much be good.

Give me an m3 anyday.

Zac