:30 Buying Spot(w/greenscreen)- Buffalo NY at DVinfo.net

Steven Hoffman · May 2nd, 2007, 12:23 PM

http://www.theself-sufficientjeweler.com/webuyit.wmv

Please review critically.
Please tell me where I went right as well as wrong.

I'm aware the audio jumps to the left for about 2 seconds at the end, this was because we have only two mic inputs and each of them needed one to be heard clearly.

Used my HVX200 for this shoot, no lighting.
Edited in Premiere Pro 2.0

Store layout.

For those curious, the lighting condition in the store is usually pretty bad. A mix of many types of lights in a small 200sq ft store.

enclosed side of counter where jeweler stands, Yellow lighting shining on jewelery, Florescent lighting in ceiling, no openings except the counter while back door is closed.

Customer side of counter, 3 full wall windows, huge amounts of natural light. Florescent lighting in ceiling, Yellow lights on jewelery.

Nicholas Foster · May 2nd, 2007, 07:53 PM

I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I thought it was terrible.

Steven Hoffman · May 3rd, 2007, 09:46 AM

Fair enough, but could you please point out any way it could be improved upon, at least on a technical level, because I have little to no control over script?

I will say, as far as TV ads go, its very effective, but I'm showing what I've made in hopes of improving, and I'd love at least one thing I could do to improve it.

Reid Bailey · May 3rd, 2007, 10:45 AM

There are times when the client insists on doing it their own way and insist on being in the piece.
This is on par with most low budget, small market spots that are currently running, around me at least. My guess is you were hired as a shooter/editor and not as an ad agency.

You can't change the lighting at the location, so you just go with it. And that's the least noticeable thing here.

The framing in the woodgrain window thing is a little weird, but judging from the outside shots you probably had very little room to work with.

The red text is very harsh and the drop shadow does little to pull it up from the bg. Maybe a lower third and a more subtle color.

The original exterior shot (two secs in) is very quick and kind of jarring. Do you have a screen swipe or something to being it in? If you have any of the Digital Juice editor tool kits they have matched sets of lower thirds and swipes.

I am never one to advocate the use of transitions other than cuts and dissolves, but this is the type of piece that may benefit from it. Play around and try and jazz it up. I know people are going to jump on this and call me a hack for using funky transitions, whatever...

You should be able to balance out that audio. when it jumps to one channel can't you just combine the channels and go mono?

The audio is certainly clean enough though. Maybe kick up the level on the blonde, there is a noticeable difference.

Also, I didn't see the address appear at any time. Is that by design? The customer would have to know exactly where that kiosk is located.

Ian Mora · May 3rd, 2007, 11:09 AM

"I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I thought it was terrible."

Seriously,......there's no point in commenting if you're not going to try and help.

I thought the commercial was fine, although,........I would stay away from the keying unless you are really willing to dial it in. Get a good light setup,.....or look into seriousmagic's Ultra,.....which is actually ADOBE Ultra now. http://www.adobe.com/products/creati...duction/ultra/. Supposedly it allows for use with less than stellar lighting setups. I personally have never used it, but am thinking of buying myself.

The green halo surrounding your actors just kind of takes you out of the commercial, and even non-video nerds would notice. Long Hair is especially going to be a giveaway. Look into beefier video cards and some better apps if you are going to green screen. Or,....it may just be a matter of finding a good tutorial on how to get it dialed in. Even having her tie her hair back or shaving her head,......that would do it,.......I'm sure she'd go for it!! hehehe

Kyle Ross · May 3rd, 2007, 01:20 PM

Wow that girl is annoying. That "I buy it" line will replace the robo-panda in my nightmares.

If you're a real stickler, at about 24 seconds the girl disappears off the screen before it changes back to the guy. It only lasts for about half a second, but I found it noticable. I agree as well that the text could use some work. Maybe make it more dynamic, or spin at the end... I don't know.

Also, is there some sort of jingle you could get in the end there? Anything to spice it up.

Finally, to the chroma key, at ~19 and ~21 seconds the chroma key is functioning worse, and I'd take a longer look at those areas. With the rest, I didn't think that it was long enough to notice the halo Ian was talking about. When you pause it, of course, but otherwise.... although if you do have a chance to reshoot it at all, I agree she should tie her hair back.

All in all it really isn't that bad. Salvagable for sure!

Kyle Prohaska · May 3rd, 2007, 02:02 PM

The graphics really need some work as well, the red text looks very ugly with the video, its too harsh. Some nice soft shadows on the text and a nice color or gradient for them would work well. The lighting is bad in there (I remember when I came to see the HVX you guys had), and I never thought of this before but if you guys could invest in a nice standup greenscreen, you'd probably be better off using daylight and a reflector to light the thing than in that room, I promise. Btw, what are you using to key the footage?

- Kyle

Steven Hoffman · May 3rd, 2007, 03:06 PM

I used premiere and did a Chroma key, nothing special.

a quick half-day project.

Marcus Marchesseault · May 3rd, 2007, 06:17 PM

The chromakey isn't all that critical for that kind of ad, but the green spill/halo looks bad. Use some color correction to remove that green and it won't look bad (for a half-day job local commercial).

I don't like the woman's voice. It's too high and nasal. Perhaps a bit of equalization would make it more pleasant without taking away the "punch".

I'd like to see some light under that opening the man stands in. He keeps going into shadow. I know, it's a cramped space, but I would still like to see some more accent light under there. Maybe a little clip-on halogen light would work.

Steven Hoffman · May 8th, 2007, 10:03 AM

Thanks Everyone =)

I'll take it all into consideration for the next shoot.

-Lighting in the back area

-Using alternative program for Chroma(either Adobe Ultra, or After Effects)

-NEVER using that color for CGs

-don't allow audio to be ignored, watch to make sure its always balanced.

I think thats everything, besides it just being an... annoying commercial overall, if I had to remake it I know how to polish it up a bit.

-Steve
Complete Novice in possession of really nice equipment.

Sean Skube · May 11th, 2007, 04:02 PM

It looks very much like all the other commercials of this type. Usually used cars, furniture, or pawn shop ads. But I'll admit, this made me laugh. But then again, I've had one of those days where I laugh at everything.
I think the signiture of these type ads is the quick talking, repetition of phrases, and the owner of the shop in the spot. We have one here for The Snappy Shop, with these two little old ladies showing off their wares. It's cute, but doesn't make me want to go in and buy their stuff. I think rather than showing off a ton of items, showcase a couple of the best stuff, individually, and lit well. That might help.

May 2nd, 2007, 12:23 PM	#1
Steven Hoffman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 51	:30 Buying Spot(w/greenscreen)- Buffalo NY http://www.theself-sufficientjeweler.com/webuyit.wmv Please review critically. Please tell me where I went right as well as wrong. I'm aware the audio jumps to the left for about 2 seconds at the end, this was because we have only two mic inputs and each of them needed one to be heard clearly. Used my HVX200 for this shoot, no lighting. Edited in Premiere Pro 2.0 Store layout. For those curious, the lighting condition in the store is usually pretty bad. A mix of many types of lights in a small 200sq ft store. enclosed side of counter where jeweler stands, Yellow lighting shining on jewelery, Florescent lighting in ceiling, no openings except the counter while back door is closed. Customer side of counter, 3 full wall windows, huge amounts of natural light. Florescent lighting in ceiling, Yellow lights on jewelery.

May 3rd, 2007, 02:02 PM	#7
Kyle Prohaska Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ransomville NY Posts: 239	The graphics really need some work as well, the red text looks very ugly with the video, its too harsh. Some nice soft shadows on the text and a nice color or gradient for them would work well. The lighting is bad in there (I remember when I came to see the HVX you guys had), and I never thought of this before but if you guys could invest in a nice standup greenscreen, you'd probably be better off using daylight and a reflector to light the thing than in that room, I promise. Btw, what are you using to key the footage? - Kyle __________________ Online Portfolio \| Feature Film on XHA1

May 2nd, 2007, 07:53 PM	#2
Nicholas Foster Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 47	I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I thought it was terrible.

May 3rd, 2007, 09:46 AM	#3
Steven Hoffman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 51	Fair enough, but could you please point out any way it could be improved upon, at least on a technical level, because I have little to no control over script? I will say, as far as TV ads go, its very effective, but I'm showing what I've made in hopes of improving, and I'd love at least one thing I could do to improve it.

May 3rd, 2007, 10:45 AM	#4
Reid Bailey Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fredericksburg, Va Posts: 220	There are times when the client insists on doing it their own way and insist on being in the piece. This is on par with most low budget, small market spots that are currently running, around me at least. My guess is you were hired as a shooter/editor and not as an ad agency. You can't change the lighting at the location, so you just go with it. And that's the least noticeable thing here. The framing in the woodgrain window thing is a little weird, but judging from the outside shots you probably had very little room to work with. The red text is very harsh and the drop shadow does little to pull it up from the bg. Maybe a lower third and a more subtle color. The original exterior shot (two secs in) is very quick and kind of jarring. Do you have a screen swipe or something to being it in? If you have any of the Digital Juice editor tool kits they have matched sets of lower thirds and swipes. I am never one to advocate the use of transitions other than cuts and dissolves, but this is the type of piece that may benefit from it. Play around and try and jazz it up. I know people are going to jump on this and call me a hack for using funky transitions, whatever... You should be able to balance out that audio. when it jumps to one channel can't you just combine the channels and go mono? The audio is certainly clean enough though. Maybe kick up the level on the blonde, there is a noticeable difference. Also, I didn't see the address appear at any time. Is that by design? The customer would have to know exactly where that kiosk is located.

May 3rd, 2007, 11:09 AM	#5
Ian Mora Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 50	"I'm sorry to be so harsh, but I thought it was terrible." Seriously,......there's no point in commenting if you're not going to try and help. I thought the commercial was fine, although,........I would stay away from the keying unless you are really willing to dial it in. Get a good light setup,.....or look into seriousmagic's Ultra,.....which is actually ADOBE Ultra now. http://www.adobe.com/products/creati...duction/ultra/. Supposedly it allows for use with less than stellar lighting setups. I personally have never used it, but am thinking of buying myself. The green halo surrounding your actors just kind of takes you out of the commercial, and even non-video nerds would notice. Long Hair is especially going to be a giveaway. Look into beefier video cards and some better apps if you are going to green screen. Or,....it may just be a matter of finding a good tutorial on how to get it dialed in. Even having her tie her hair back or shaving her head,......that would do it,.......I'm sure she'd go for it!! hehehe

May 3rd, 2007, 01:20 PM	#6
Kyle Ross Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Surrey, British Columbia Posts: 48	Wow that girl is annoying. That "I buy it" line will replace the robo-panda in my nightmares. If you're a real stickler, at about 24 seconds the girl disappears off the screen before it changes back to the guy. It only lasts for about half a second, but I found it noticable. I agree as well that the text could use some work. Maybe make it more dynamic, or spin at the end... I don't know. Also, is there some sort of jingle you could get in the end there? Anything to spice it up. Finally, to the chroma key, at ~19 and ~21 seconds the chroma key is functioning worse, and I'd take a longer look at those areas. With the rest, I didn't think that it was long enough to notice the halo Ian was talking about. When you pause it, of course, but otherwise.... although if you do have a chance to reshoot it at all, I agree she should tie her hair back. All in all it really isn't that bad. Salvagable for sure!

May 3rd, 2007, 03:06 PM	#8
Steven Hoffman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 51	I used premiere and did a Chroma key, nothing special. a quick half-day project.

May 3rd, 2007, 06:17 PM	#9
Marcus Marchesseault Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 1,961	The chromakey isn't all that critical for that kind of ad, but the green spill/halo looks bad. Use some color correction to remove that green and it won't look bad (for a half-day job local commercial). I don't like the woman's voice. It's too high and nasal. Perhaps a bit of equalization would make it more pleasant without taking away the "punch". I'd like to see some light under that opening the man stands in. He keeps going into shadow. I know, it's a cramped space, but I would still like to see some more accent light under there. Maybe a little clip-on halogen light would work.

May 8th, 2007, 10:03 AM	#10
Steven Hoffman Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 51	Thanks Everyone =) I'll take it all into consideration for the next shoot. -Lighting in the back area -Using alternative program for Chroma(either Adobe Ultra, or After Effects) -NEVER using that color for CGs -don't allow audio to be ignored, watch to make sure its always balanced. I think thats everything, besides it just being an... annoying commercial overall, if I had to remake it I know how to polish it up a bit. -Steve Complete Novice in possession of really nice equipment.

May 11th, 2007, 04:02 PM	#11
Sean Skube Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 156	It looks very much like all the other commercials of this type. Usually used cars, furniture, or pawn shop ads. But I'll admit, this made me laugh. But then again, I've had one of those days where I laugh at everything. I think the signiture of these type ads is the quick talking, repetition of phrases, and the owner of the shop in the spot. We have one here for The Snappy Shop, with these two little old ladies showing off their wares. It's cute, but doesn't make me want to go in and buy their stuff. I think rather than showing off a ton of items, showcase a couple of the best stuff, individually, and lit well. That might help.