Ariel - Tuen To 30 Advert

With regard to moving image and how it might work with my recent ideas on Energy saving here's a commercial from the Ariel - Turn To 30 campaign. I love the simplicity of the idea and how like in my own work I'm trying to make the connection between how our every day actions could ahve a much greater effect on the environment.

If I had time the next step for my campaign would be to go back to the moving image element and take what I've learned since my earlier attempts and develop this area of communication further.

http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA3446&advertiser=Ariel/

Energy saving animated typography

Following on from looking at a number of pieces of animated typography I decided to take a piece of energy saving statistical information to attempt an animated version of my own. I think it works but isn't as 'WOW as the examples that I have collected. I think unless the narrative is interesting enough then you are completely reliant on the animation to carry the interest of the viewer. For this to work better I think I'd need to include more imagery and animated effects to compliment the animation to captivate the audience.

Balloons in environmental films

The use of balloons seems to be a common theme in a couple of the clips that I downloaded. The first from my previous post, Change - People's Choice winner from FOE one minute film competition. The film uses red and green balloons to represent the difference between positive green actions and red balloons for negative actions. The film cleverly portrays the transition of turning towards living greener lives by using the balloons as a metaphor.

This clip uses a similar balloon metaphor in that the black balloons are the negative effect that our over use of energy in the home is having on the environment.

Black and red are seen in these cases as negative colours. Red for stop or danger and black as a dirty or deathly.

One minute films

I've been engaging with a number of environmental video campaigns. FOE each year run a one minute film competition where people from all walks of life are given the opportunity to submit a one minute piece of video using an environmental them. This year they are using the theme of 'Which bit of the Earth are you a Friend of?'

Here are some links to a few of the submissions from last year. The rough, home made filming style is widely used by environmental organisations like Friends of the Earth. Shot by real people they give off a very real and powerful message capturing events in peoples every day lives that those who view it can generally relate to. Because of this the very slick commercial style isn't always the most effective way of visually communicating an environmental message.




The Plastic Battle - Best Green One-minute film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJaI-Ohggd4

Polar Bears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDIP71Lviys

Morph - Looking ahead to 2008's one-minute film competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQl8MahN9fk

Friends of the Earth's One-minute film competition 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebXJC4SCIjs&feature=user

Green Film Competition: Call for entries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-q2exNdrwA&feature=user

Typographic Inspiration

I've started looking at some typographic moving images on YouTube for inspiration and ideas that I might be able to use within my own moving images. I came across a number of inspiring pieces of moving typographic sequences (see below links). I love how the type follows the pace of the narration and cleverly reflects the atmosphere and emphasis of the words being spoken. I found that the pieces gave those narrated sequences that I was already familiar with a new exciting dynamic. I think they are fairly impactive and pack quite a punch, especially where tension is being emphasised with big bold lettering which fills the screen. Each of the sequences below have certain qualities that I could use in my own sequence. With time being of the essence I'm not sure how much I will be able to acheive in after effects which would be ideal for this approach but could experiment with flash as some of the examples below do have a vector feel to them yet still contain the excitement.

PULP FICTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syf8olcM0z4&feature=related

FUCK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu0dS7xJbZ4&NR=1

NICK THE GREEK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mnvvVi4HaI&feature=related

TYPOLUTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVPfTlpCKaw&feature=related

PHONE BOOTH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIjCEETGpOo&NR=1

FIGHT CLUB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbMa4MGFCOg&feature=related

BIG LEBOWSKI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsucK43_DoM&feature=related

THE HUSH SOUND – LIONS ROAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXxouXt5dz4&feature=related

Saul Williams - Type Motion, Part 1: Amplitude
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSDSge9-yR0&feature=related

FULL METAL JACKET
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW78mR5DyNQ&feature=related

DEXTER TRIBUTE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSmSvZ1UYhA&feature=related

WHAT IS GRAPHIC DESIGN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CvAPBQL_0Y&NR=1

TRAMP TYPOGRAPHY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3vaxlJ86vk&feature=related

Engaging with the needs of different target audiences

To develop the sequence ideas further I think I need to consider that there are many reasons why people do an environmentally friendly acts, here’s just a few.

- Guilt trip - Play on the emotions
- Money savings
- Keeping up appearances – the neighbours have a got a solar panel so will I
- Trendy – It’s cool to be green
- Peer pressure – Everyone else is doing it so why aren’t you
- Fines – Forced to pay the price, poorer people
- A safer future – Those who are conscious of the scientific consequences

I think if I bear these in mind I can use one of them to give me an angle when appealing to a specific target audience. For instance, the guilt trip would work better when trying to engage with home owners with children. Trendy would appeal to the twenty somethings. Keeping up appearances might appeal to the more lucrative individual who can afford to buy a solar panel to match that of his neighbour.

Moving image test 2 - Energy saving light bulbs

To continue the theme of greener living and lifestyle changes I based the next sequence on switching from standard light bulbs to energy saving light bulbs. This time I've tried my hand integrating some sound. It is still a bit basic but the sound does give the sequence a bit more interest and helps give the images some reality. I'm not sure about the stock photography images as they don't hold any narrative and look a bit random. Again, it would be great to include some moving people images but I feel a bit limited by my capabilities in this area.

I've started to think about some form of sign off to sum up the sequence.