Author: beast

End of the Vine – For a video content production company it’s a little unnerving to hear that Vine, the short form video content app, has been closed for good. Apparently there just simply “wasn’t the usage”. So why when video content is growing at a phenomenal rate, and the percentage of posts on the likes of twitter and instagram, did the platform dedicated to video content fail? Vines were an extremely creative medium. People were creating masterfully crafted video content using all sorts of different approach’s; animation, motion graphics, editing off the cuff, highly stylised visual effects was making big names and big social followings for some. This creativity was stretched across the board in sports and music with the likes of musicians such as Shawn Mendes launching his career. End of the Vine – So what triggered its downfall? Is it that we just have too many social media platforms to keep up with right now? Considering that twitter owns Vine you would have expected the investment both financially and creatively to have thrived. But soon after its launch its co-founders began to quit and the demise began. The launch of Video on Instagram in 2013 seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for Vine. It seems our loyalty to the likes of instagram and Facebook which have now become such a rooted part of our daily routine, is rewarded with these platforms developing and growing at such a fast rate, crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s that there is simply no room for anyone else right now.

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Snow Business – It’s that time of year again…Christmas in October! Well, it is Christmas time for all forms of video content production and TV commercial production. Actually pre-production and even shooting often starts as early as August, so shooting in October is cutting it a little fine. Here we have three stories for Sportsmaster. We asked the question – what do kids wish for at Christmas? Snow of course! Lots and lots and lots of snow. And that’s what we had here in the studio for this greenscreen shoot for Sportsmaster. Great fun! We didn’t have a huge studio and we had to fit two sets in back to back. This mean building a set where we would employ ‘false perspective’. In other words the set actually becomes smaller as it gets further away from the camera. Since our master shot would be taken from the edge of the set and we didn’t need to have too many pick up shots it meant we could save on space, time and money in terms of the set build. We used the tracks in the snow to give the skiers a route that they could follow in every shot, this meant there was no variation in their rout through the set which again helped save a huge amount of time and also gave more detail and perspective for the shot. Being a white material snow can be tricky to shoot, so the more structure you can give it the better the final results will be. We also had some fun on the ice. We decided it would be more dynamic and enhance the sense of action if would go the camera down on the ice. So that mean a special camera rig that would allow us to slide the camera around at any speed and in any given direction. It was an extremely simple yet versatile solution and again, was a cheap old school option. We also wanted to have a hero shot so shooting from the low angle with the players looming down over the camera meant we could get the look and also the emotions we wanted to see.

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Surprisingly for many directors it’s easier to design fancy camera moves than to directing actors. Not many like to admit it, but even the big masters get cornered sometimes by the simplest question, “What is my motivation?” That’s because it’s easier to deal with equipment and moving parts than with actors. Because working with actors means dealing with complicated human emotion and behavior. But it is that emotion that comes first and draws the audiences into any story. No amount of editing trickery or post production effects will be able to conceal bad acting. And furthermore, believable acting and genuine emotions will save even a low budget, technically imperfect movie. So how can we be better at directing actors? What tools can we use? First option is to do lots of rehearsals. But even if you’re limited on time, there are some techniques that can help the actors understand their respective characters, which will improve the overall story execution immeasurably. Alone Time Gain the actors’ trust by encouraging them and devoting plenty of your time even if you’re really busy – nothing is more important than these guys after all, and it helps if they can feel that from you. Call for a total silence on set or take them out to a quiet place to do the last preparations. Set the mood for the upcoming scene. A good technique here is to have an eye-to-eye reading – just ask the actors to say their lines by looking at each other non-stop. Use action verbs. A common mistake is to show rather than explain which usual results in mimicry. Saying, “Be sad”, and making a sad face will lead to actors faking an emotional state instead of actually experiencing it. Try to use more action verbs, like “convince”, “insist” or “discourage” to make actors go through a thought process that’ll can help them immerse themselves into the story. Set personal goals. Give one goal to each actor and don’t them what each others goal is – they will figure that out through experiencing the scene for themselves and therefor they will often give true natural and instinctive performances. These are great for rehearsing, but can even be used as a filming technique – take “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as a great example where the actors are asked to use improve in order to create the scene. Do the exact opposite of what you want from the scene. Go crazy. Ask the actors to mumble their lines, or say them as if they are in a musical. They might not like you for it, but these tricky little exercises will help top break down barriers and inhibitions. Interview. Using interview is a great way for the actor to get to know his own character. Ask him questions about his past or his attitude towards specific people and events. This will make him get into the character’s head and feel where he is coming from and what is personal motivations are. Give them a prop. Actors love to hold things. It gives them a sense of interaction and can often help them to be more creative with their performances. It gives them something to do and and allows them to start thinking more about how the character would behave in a given situation. Of course the object should not be random, it should be relevant to the story and your theme. Give them interaction with their surroundings. Allowing the actor to move through a space often gives them crucial visual queues to help them with their lines and in the same sense as with pops – they can also have more action if given objects or spaces to perform to. Thus resulting in more natural lines as well as more interesting cinematography. Use manipulation. You can craft more natural performances from your actors by not telling them what exactly is going to happen during the shoot. Remember in Alien when the creature came out of John Hurt’s stomach? SURPRISE! Work on the voice intensity, that doesn’t mean turn the volume up. If they actors get too theatrical, never tell them they are being theatrical! Just ask them to keep the voice down. Sometimes they think that shouting will help them convey an intense emotion, but it usually doesn’t work this way. Invoke their memories This is often how many actors will connect with a character and draw out difficult emotions by tapping into their own emotional memory banks. Ask an actor to find something in his personal experience that’s similar to what his character is going through. Living through a sad memory, for instance, will help him show loss. Do one take for safety. Takes the pressure off, makes the actors believe they did well in the previous take and accomplished what the director had asked them for. Sometimes those takes are the best and are the ones that get in the final cut. Tell them to never stop acting before you say cut. It’s also a good idea for them to start acting before you say “action!”

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From TV commercials to online video content to full feature film production: There’s more to telling a good story…than just a good story. So what is the art of storytelling? First there’s the idea…then there’s the craft behind it. The key plot points and character arcs needed to tell any story, should be the same whatever the format. The story could be a minute, it could be 90 minutes or 13 episodes of a TV drama series. The plot points and therefore the art of storytelling, will be the same: The Big Event, The New World, Approach To The Inner Most Cave, The Mid-Point, Grace, The Big Gloom and The Climax. One way or another these ingredients will always be included. The character arcs will be the same. Characters need obstacles because character is defined by action. When the couple walking in the park are attacked by a mugger, does the guy run away leaving his date to defend herself or does he confront the assailant and risk his life? Here’s a great diagram that helps to explain what those key turning points are and how character is defined by action. THE MATRIX OUTLINE Set Up A In digital space, Trinity talks to Cipher over the phone and says Morpheus thinks he’s the one. She believes the line is being traced and hangs up. Outside an apartment, police kick in the door and point guns at Trinity sitting at a computer. Outside the building, a cop tells Agent Smith they can control one little girl, but Agent Smith tells him his men are already dead. In the apartment, Trinity kills the cops, receives a new location from Tank and runs to the new location followed by more cops and Agent Brown. She leaps an impossible gap between two buildings and the cops stop. But Agent Brown has the same skills and makes the same jump. Trinity flies from the building, smashes through a window and down stairs into a hallway. She exits and runs to a payphone. A truck pulls up opposite and revs it’s engine. The phone rings. Trinity runs to the payphone and grabs the receiver as the truck plows into her. The Agents climb from the cab to find Trinity gone but they don’t care, they have the name of their new contact – His name is Neo. In an apartment, Neo sleeps at his computer as it searches the net. A message appears – Wake up, Neo. He’s told to follow the white rabbit. There’s a knock on his door. He takes cash from a group of dope heads and gives them a hard drive. Inciting Incident The main dope tells Neo he needs to unplug and asks if he wants to go to a party. Neo says no then spots a white rabbit tattoo on the dope girl’s shoulder. In a club, Trinity introduces herself. Neo asks if it was she on his computer. Trinity tells him all she can say is he’s in danger and they are watching you. Set Up B She tells him she knows he is looking for Morpheus like she did. But it’s not Morpheus he’s really looking for. It’s the question he is looking for. Neo says what is The Matrix. The following morning, Neo arrives to work late and is warned by his boss that he must make a choice if he wants to keep his job. In an office cubicle, Neo receives a fed ex. It’s a phone, which rings. It’s Morpheus. Morpheus tells him they are coming and tells him to stand. Neo looks to see Agent Smith, Agent Brown and cops at reception. He ducks down. Morpheus tells him to do what he says. The cubicle opposite him is empty and he should run into it. Neo does and the agents and cops arrive to find him gone. Morpheus tells Neo to head to an office at the end of the room and stay low. In the office, Neo enters and Morpheus tells him to climb outside onto scaffolding. Neo asks how he knows all this but Morpheus says he doesn’t have time to explain. Neo climbs out but he’s too scared and returns to the office. He’s taken by the agents and put in a black car. Trinity watches from a motorcycle. In an Interview room, Agent Smith tells Neo they know about his double life. One as a program writer for a software company and the other as a hacker. Agent Smith says they need his help to catch Morpheus. They are willing to give him a fresh start for his co-operation. Neo says he has a better deal, flips his finger and asks for his phone call. Agent Smith tells Neo what use is a phone call if he cannot speak. Neo’s mouth seals up. They rip open Neo’s shirt and pin him to the desk. Agent Smith takes out a red flashing bug, which turns into a metallic creature, and it crawls inside Neo’s stomach. In Neo’s bedroom, Neo wakes screaming. His phone rings. It’s Morpheus. He tells Neo he is the One and to meet him at Adams Street Bridge. At Adams Street Bridge. Trinity picks up Neo in a Cadillac. He’s held at gunpoint and told to take off his shirt. Neo doesn’t comply and the car stops. He goes to get out but Trinity reminds him of the road he’s been down before and to take a chance. Neo agrees and Trinity removes the bug in Neo’s stomach. At a building, Neo meets Morpheus. Morpheus asks Neo if he believes in fate. Neo doesn’t because it means he’s not in control of his life. Morpheus agrees. Morpheus tells Neo why he is here. It’s something he feels but doesn’t know, like a splinter in his mind. Morpheus tells him about The Matrix. It’s all around us. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to hide the truth. You are a slave. A prisoner of your mind and you have to

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McDonalds cancel US Youtube – So McDonalds recently cancelled their branded content channel ‘US’ from YouTube. Described as an entertainment channel, that threw itself directly in competition with the likes of Vice, Red bull, and E4, it’s digital content simply wasn’t getting the ratings and views. So how could this retail giant have got it so wrong? Is this down to McDonalds for the advertising agency behind its creation? This monumental fail only confirms that branded content remains a trepid path for brands and when done wrong, can be disastrous. So if a giant like McDonalds cancel US Youtube channel, for me this only highlights the skill and talent that goes into creating great branded content. Advertising agencies cannot profess to be good at ‘everything’. Originality, youth and language – not necessarily all together at the same time – is at the heart of connecting with people online. That’s why smaller agencies, creative collective’s and young talent that specialise in this subject are so successful at it. They speak the language. They understand the psychology. The other question that looms at me from this rather large f**k up from McDonalds is – Is branded content right for all brands? You go to McDonalds to binge eat when you feel shit. You know their food is bad for you, it doesn’t matter how green and wooden they want to make the front of their shops look. When you have eaten a McDonalds you want to forget about it. You don’t want to be reminded of the guilt right. Least of all interact with them on an emotional and entertainment level that wants you to forget about their food, but ultimately has the adverse effect. The problem with trying to create branded content for a burger giant who’s food we know is bad for us, and who’s history is tainted to say the least is do people really want to hear their story – or lack of one. No. Do people want to get emotional with them? No. Audience’s are tough these days. They are selective. I think if McDonalds wants to make it big in the branded content market, they need to spend their money elsewhere first changing their story and doing good things, then maybe they will start to create something people want to connect with. http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/why-mcdonalds-youtube-channel-fail/1408681

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Nature or Nurture, the question is still out there, but recent developments in neuro science are blowing all our psychological teachings out of the water and compassion seems to be the key… Harvard now have a whole department dedicated to the study of compassion and emotion within their neuro science department. I find that pretty fascinating. Apparently compassion is what triggers the brains electrical circuitry more than anything else.  So if the brain gets so excited when its stimulated through compassion then its gotta be doing something pretty powerful in there right! This leads me to think about the brilliant Steven Bartlett. His worldwide success in marketing has come from his deep understanding about people and how their brains work first. He has an avid interest in psychology, and i believe here in lies the lesson. To really understand marketing we need to embrace how peoples brains really work – and if thats means looking to neuro science, so be it! And if neuro science leads us to learning about how powerful emotions are, and how they can re-wire your brain, thats a very powerful tool to be embraced. http://www.businesszone.co.uk/do/customers/shock-and-awe-why-emotion-is-the-most-powerful-marketing-tool  

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Audi and Airbnb. Who would have thought it? Those clever little rascals at Venables Bell & Partners of course. To us this signals a whole new era in collaborative marketing. It’s slick, it’s cool, and the timing is just perfect! So, the two brands have teamed up to produce a promotion as part of Audi’s Emmy Awards sponsorship. You can win the chance to book a three day getaway at the luxury Rondolino Residence in Death Valley; a home so remote, it doesn’t even have an address, or neighbours…..or roads! And what’s the best way to explore somewhere so remote, and make the most of one of the flattest surfaces on the planet? Why an Audi R8 i think!!! Yes, with the winning three day getaway comes a new Audi R8 and it’s set of keys, all for you. The video launched to advertise this promotion made by the brilliant MJZ director Craig Gillespie has captured imagination and lure with a sprinkle of humor on top in order to secure anyone with even the tiniest sense of adventure to want to put their name down for this draw. I mean who in their right mind wouldn’t want to rag a new Audi R8 across the Californian desert bypassing any chance of getting hit by the school run, traffic lights, or an M25 jam? Nope, here there are no restraints. The question is how far can you push the car! Its positively tantalizing. I can only see a win win situation here with this collaboration. Air BNB have stretched the minds of those who use it, tempting people to look further, go beyond their usual ‘safe bet’ in a holiday home. And Audi have been able to park their car alongside and in front of these people who have a sense of adventure, want to be thrilled, and want to be different. An effortlessly cool effort i say. Both brands have come up trumps, and the video is just FUN to watch! http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/audi-and-airbnb-offer-crazy-house-death-valley-and-great-ad-go-it-173541  

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Ampersand & Company approached us to make a content video for Cambridge Audio. Cambridge felt it was time to tell their story, and they wanted to use video to do it. Here is a look at Cambridge Audio behind the scenes. Their story captured our imagination immediately. Being music lovers ourselves, we were intrigued to hear that what sets Cambridge apart from other brands is their ‘British Sound’. Cambridge prides itself on the pure, unfiltered and natural sound its HiFi’s deliver, allowing us to hear music “as the artist intended”. After learning about the different sound and quality that other countries and brands have, we were hooked on creating a video that told the story in the most authentic way. We worked together with Ampersand and Cambridge to develop some initial ideas and directions for a video. We wanted to tell the story in a relaxed and approachable way. It’s not a short story, the company was founded in 1968, so we wanted an engaging and fluid narrative told by a great actor to deliver that for us. Getting the balance between informative and engaging is always key but we also wanted to make the story more cinematic and captivating by using historical scenes with a great British tone to really bring the story to life. We researched the specific years that Cambridge had key developments take place in their technology. We then added our personal touches to the story and created scenes that reflected that year, with a British emphasis. With 1964 came Beatlemania. The beginning of rock and roll and a new era for music pushed forward the engineering of technology and the need to create more usable pieces of kit for a bigger market. We wanted to create a sense of hysteria in our scene – but without having the budget for huge crowds and thousands of screaming girls – we decided to see tat era through the eyes of a young teenage girl that would have been caught up in the hysteria of that era. The styling and art direction of our girl and her bedroom submersed us in a great 60’s memory. 1965 and the P40 amplifier was built by a couple of students studying at Cambridge University. We wanted to create the feeling of a couple of guys in a garage surrounded by wires, circuit boards and big ideas. We wanted the scene to reflect the feeling that this was where it all started. A back yard of their parents house. Personal posters on the wall, and a vintage car from that year really bought to life a sense of that era. 1968 and with the emergence of Rock and Roll recording facilities and technology took a leap forward. Cambridge was at the fore front of this. The best way for us to illustrate this key moment in their history was of course to take us back in time to a young rock and roll band jamming in a studio. We wanted to re-create early scenes of the Beatles in Abby Road. Cups of tea, frilly lampshades and old rugs set the scene perfectly. The equipment and mic’s we used were all from the mid 60’s and finished of with a soft black and white grade filter, film noise and flicker to the picture it feels gritty and authentic. 1980 and anarchy. We wanted our punks to feel youthful. We wanted to feel the new wave, so we made a contrast between them and their environment. Placing them in a quaint grandmothers type living room, really accentuates this new era explosion and their desire to revolt……as does them making out on the grandmothers couch. Early 90’s and  bad hair, bad clothes, but still some great music, the 1990’s was just a bit baggy! How could we highlight the CD in a not so obvious way? Of course, a girl doing her lipstick in the reflection. We had a brilliant time bringing those scenes to life. The hair and make up, and art direction took some real skill by some very talented people. Thanks Cambridge Audio, let’s do it again some time!

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BURNING MAN, visceral mayhem for Photographers, Video Content makers and Burners. So for those of you who missed BM 2016, start preparing for 2017. A few things: buy tickets in pre-sale (February) or sale (March). Due to the big demand, they vanish in seconds so make sure you have your finger on the mouse the exact second the sale starts. Decide the way you want to experience it: bare minimum (some people just show up with nothing relying on the gifts they will receive from other participants, including a shelter, some others prefer the “closed camps” with fees above 10 000. I had a tent, some water, few cans of tuna and Pringles – more than enough. Burning Man is a territory of diversity: whatever madness the human mind could imagine, there it is. The greatest circus, show, breathtaking religious-like ceremonies, greatest electronic music djs, hippie enclave and lavish Arabian night closed areas. This last chapter requires some detailing as this year one of these camps was sabotaged by some people. It’s true that while most of the camps are open to the community and have various programs of participating (like giving food, fresh juices, coffee, etc. for free to all passers by), the closed camps don’t. They only cater to “tourists” that basically come to show off for the weekend. On the other hand, the “rich” camps sometimes contribute huge amounts of money to the construction of state of the art stages and installations; bring the best djs, etc. But, of course, you won’t see Silicone Valley CEO’s giving lemonade on the street, nor inviting random hippies into their tent. As said, BM is a territory of diversity: Some hippie die-hards would like to swipe the “plug and play” camps away. For the moment they have to coexist with the rich kids. And it’s part of the fun seeing them all mesmerized by the ceremonies under the same harsh heat and dust storms. BM is not a music festival or at least it wasn’t intended to be. Some people hate it as now one cannot find silence no matter how far deep in the Playa: there will always be some loud music playing nearby. Our neighbors had the idea to build the biggest sub woofer ever made (as big as two trucks) and played it 24/7. My inflatable mattress vibrated together with my chest but by the second night it became my lullaby. But by then Skrillex was live at the other neighbors … For EDM fans, BM is paradise, for all tastes: check the DISTRIKT party, Robot Heart, Mayan Warrior, Disco Knights and, best sound and line-up: White Ocean, to mention only a few. The blogs are filled with info on how to prepare (what kind of dust mask, bike, what goggles, how to shower, how to cook, how to fix your tent, etc.). My one conclusion is that no matter how well prepared one goes, the discomfort of the Playa is about the same. Just don’t underestimate the cold in the night or you won’t be able to enjoy it. At times my ship skin and wool were not enough. Same for the heat during the day: it explains partially why so many choose to go nude. Rental companies forbid taking the car to BM so just say you go anywhere else (even though after so many years, they see from a distance who’s a burner) and then just pay the fine when returning. Or have it detailed, but I lost half a day with this. The amplitude crowd empathy is overwhelming. It is the closest thing to magic I’ve lived and, as someone said, photos and words cannot explain it: it is like explaining to someone who never had sex how it feels. So, go see for yourselves! :) Corvin Cristian Architect Check out http://blackrockyearbook.com where many of the burners are portrayed but for me, it’s not very useful, as they are posing in a booth while the whole charm is to get them “in the wild”. 

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If you are a passionate and creative Motion Graphic Designer looking to build your showreel in an award winning video content production company… APPLY HERE. We are looking for Motion Graphic Designers to join our roster of creative writers and directors! This opportunity is perfect for anyone wanting to work on creative video content production. Our company sees pitches for projects that vary hugely; including typographic/infographics, some character driven animations through to full 3d animations. In particular, we produce video content incorporating graphics and live action, beautifully tracked and composited. Check out our portfolio here: BEAST VIDEO CONTENT SHOWREEL Responsibilities You’ll be responsible for helping us to come up with the initial concepts and develop ideas for our clients, right through to completion working either on your own or as part of a larger team. Our ethos is simple: To create great work that we are proud of and build client relations through the excellence our work. If you share the same passion and are interested in the role please get in touch. Required Skills A solid understanding of the Adobe Creative Suite is essential, including an understanding of tracking and compositing. A good understanding of Cinema 4D would be great. A good understanding about greenscreen. You must be able to demonstrate a strong motion graphic design portfolio, showcasing your ability to create exciting, eye-catching animations from scratch. We are looking for technical ability and an individual creative approach in equal measure.

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