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Tag Archive for: how to

How to make a commercial

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1 Comment/ in College / by Adam Bockler
May 18, 2011

Well, to be completely honest, I guess this is how you would make six of them.

But to understand why these commercials were made, I think it’s necessary to first explain the context behind them.

This semester was our senior project, also known by just three numbers – 413. 413 is the capstone class of Bradley University’s Department of Interactive Media. The spring semester’s project was working on America Live!, an interactive performance in collaboration with Bradley’s Theatre Department.

Personally, this has been my defining project at Bradley University and the experience was immensely valuable. I talked a little about it on the AdamBockler.com portfolio page but wanted to include more about it here.

America Live’s concept is that of a television game show that pokes fun at the media in general, where the host was exposed for rigging contest votes and debate teams argued over silly topics such as what our national food should be and ludicrous stories. Audience members were eligible to be chosen as the co-host (who audience members voted on through using their cell phones) and to be on the debate teams.

IM department head Jim Ferolo and Theatre department head George Brown developed the concept over the course of a few years, while Slane scholar in residence Jeff Wirth was brought in from Florida to write the script and direct the show.

Of course, like any TV show, the performance needed commercials. Several of the commercials sponsored punishments for the losing debate teams, such as dihydrogen monoxide itself, H2-Whoa; a gooey concoction called Body Bash; the “alternative alternative” nuclear energy, Mirage International; and finally USA Power & Electric, which wound up electrocuting somebody at the end of the show.

I’ve already written in detail about the production of these commercials on the America Live blog, but I had written that blog from mostly the perspective of the class. This write-up will include some of the more personal thoughts I had while borrowing material from some of my original posts.

How I wound up producing the commercials

Though there was more to it than I share here, Jim came to class one day about a month in and was talking about what we needed to do. We got to the commercials when Jim looked at me and said, “How about Adam takes charge of those?”

Not knowing what exactly I was getting into, I nodded and said, “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Despite the fact I didn’t initially feel up to the task based on a variety of reasons, I felt honored to be asked to lead the charge. I felt that I owed it to myself, to him and to my team to live up the expectations placed upon us.

The beginning stages

I had actually come in to work on the commercials a few weeks after Jes Schroeder and Darion Clay had started working on them. They had produced a few elements, such as figuring out what talents and props we needed and had produced a few logos.

I reread the commercial scripts, which had already been written. I began modifying the list of talent and props that we were going to need, and Jim had asked me to start coming to weekly production meetings. There, I informed other students and faculty working on the show about each stage we were at, what we had accomplished and what we needed. It was the first time I’d been in a professional setting such as that, and I wanted to take my maximize my effectiveness there.

I have already written some of this information about preproduction at the America Live blog. And since I wrote that content, I will be borrowing some of it for this piece.

Script breakdowns

America Live script breakdown for Intelliphedrin

America Live script breakdown for Intelliphedrin

Script breakdowns are a great organizational tool. I created one for each commercial, which included…

  • talent
  • wardrobe
  • schedule and location
  • props, and who was responsible for them
  • sound effects
  • special effects
  • who would edit the videos in post-production

Each breakdown received multiple revisions over the course of a month. They were extremely helpful to members of the theatre department working on them, mostly the props and wardrobe people. I’d honestly questioned the usefulness of such a deliverable until Becki Arnold, the faculty member in charge of costume design, told me how much they had helped her during one of our production meetings.

Storyboards

America Live storyboard for Intelliphedrin

America Live storyboard for Intelliphedrin

Essentially, the storyboard is a still image of what the camera shot would look like when we got to production. That way, the director has an idea of what shots to get, how to focus the camera and so on. Our storyboards were created by Kristen and Jes.

I was able to download this storyboard template from Deviant Art. In retrospect, we probably could’ve used some of the spaces better or altered it for our needs. But time was of the essence, so we went with what we found.

Logos

Jon Andrews flexed his graphic design muscle in creating logos for several of the products in the commercials, along with Jes Kristen DeRosier.

The logos had to be different since they have to represent unique brands. Designers could not get away with mimicking the same design on each logo since the actual theatre show is similar to a television show. Obviously, actual product makers don’t want their logos to look similar to another logo, especially within the same industry.

Organizing talent

Right before spring break, we had a meeting inviting members of the theatre and communications departments together to be cast in these commercials. Jim made the decisions as I, along with assistant line producer Arianna Brown, wrote down who was cast in each role. Once the casting choices were made, I would be in constant communication with each actor, specifying the role they would have, letting them know what time to be there and answering any questions they had.

As a communications major, too, this was my strong point. There are many IM students who are good communicators, but I feel that organization and the ability to coordinate this information is one aspect that sets me apart from many.

Sound effects and voiceovers

Darion’s passion is in sound. Unfortunately for us, unlike the real production studio we were able to shoot the commercials in, we didn’t have that luxury for the voiceovers and had to set up shop in an office in between shelves full of books and other equipment. We turned some appliances off, plugged a snowball microphone in and had at it.

While in our makeshift studio, I experienced something on the fly – directing voice actors. After having reviewed the scripts numerous times, I felt like I knew what Jeff was going for. And without him to be there to guide us, that meant I had to make sure I got what I wanted out of the performance.

One of the voice actors named Mary – who was also a granddaughter in Memory Mulch – was a student I’d never met before. She was reading only a few noises for Body Bash. “Mmm…ahh…ohhh…yesss,” was all she needed to say. But Mary had never met either me or Darion, who were sitting in a quiet room with her while she made sensual noises. Needless to say, she felt uncomfortable.

“Let’s pretend like you have a boyfriend,” I said, trying to ease the awkwardness. “He’s fresh out of the shower with only a towel on, and he’s just used Body Bash and you love the smell of it. Now let’s try these lines again.”

I don’t know if my spur-of-the-moment direction got anywhere with her, but we got some great lines out of her regardless.

Animatics

With images and sounds, we had what we needed to create the animatic. The animatic doesn’t look pretty – it’s just storyboards that are cut to the length of the voiceover. Creating the animatic was entirely practical and very useful because we knew how roughly how long each shot was going to be in the final version and made sure to shoot enough on each side for coverage.

After presenting these animatics at a production meeting, it was time to head into the studio.

Trial by fire in the studio

I don’t have much to add to the America Live commercial shoot days compared to what I’ve already written. Though this was the first time that the rest of the class really came in on these commercials, meaning that my and Kristen’s knowledge was heavily relied upon for shots that Scott wasn’t sure of. Kristen especially jumped in as the assistant director and fed Scott which shots we were doing, how long they were supposed to be and what lines the actors needed to say.

To summarize it, none of us had ever worked on a large production like that before. Scott Cavanah was a great faculty mentor to work with in setting it up and his relaxed demeanor coupled with knowing exactly what he wanted made the shoots go smooth.

Post-production

Again, I feel I did a pretty decent job covering post-production on the America Live blog.

The hours were rough – and 8-hour day following the shoots, along with 7 to midnight each night for the rest of the week – but each pair of students tag-teamed a commercial and everybody churned out quality final products. I’m very happy with the results. Even though I didn’t get my hands dirty with much editing, I learned what types of things to look for and what will add to or detract from the product.

Key takeaways

After having had some time to get out of the world of America Live, I feel there are several key takeaways here.

Teamwork

I needed to rely on others, just as others needed to rely on me. I hated working in teams in high school and still hate it in some classes in college because people don’t take their responsibilities seriously. But members of both departments realized how important working as a team was and made a really cool final product as a result.

Communication and organization

As somebody whose second major is also Communications, I feel like this allowed me to flex those muscles differently. I’m used to doing class work related to written journalism. But for America Live, I needed to communicate both orally and in the written form. I viewed my position for a long time as a liaison between the IM and theatre departments, as I was one of the main sources of information each had regarding the commercials.

I had to email numerous people in a clear and concise fashion. With many of us receiving numerous emails every day, I tried to keep mine succinct.

I also got used to presenting updates to a group. I know I’ll need to do this in the workplace someday, so this was a nice way to ease me into that. Doing karate demonstrations is one thing, but it’s a completely new experience to do this

Above all else, I got to develop relationships and learned how certain people operated along with the best methods for interacting with them.

A critical eye

While I didn’t necessarily have the final say in all production elements, I did take into account things like audio levels and video cuts. If Scott or somebody noticed something they didn’t like, I would pay attention to those details and try to point them out if they came up later.

America Live was a learning experience. In some ways, I already knew how to do everything coming in when I take a basic look at it. I’ve done preproduction work in previous classes and I’ve coordinated a group before. But I’ve never done anything to this scale.

I couldn’t have asked for a better team throughout this process. We had a few issues along the way, but I had so much fun with everybody that the best moments overshadow the not-so-great ones.

After an intense two months, I’m satisfied with laying America Live to rest while I finish my undergrad career.

How to find and attend a tech conference

0 Comments/ in College / by Adam Bockler
December 8, 2010

As a student in the design or technological industries, you may be asking yourself how to further hone your skills or network with potential employers to earn more freelance jobs.

One way to do this is to attend a conference.

Recently returning from the Adobe MAX event in Los Angeles, Iona Group solutions architect Chad Udell eagerly discussed his trip and offered advice for anybody looking to attend his or her first conference.

First, “you need to determine the reason you would want to attend a conference,” Udell said.

Udell, who graduated from Bradley University in 1999 with a degree in graphic design, develops primarily Flash and mobile applications for e-learning.  He said there are three primary reasons why people attend conferences: networking in order to meet people in your industry who you want to seek business with or promote your services to, to learn from the best and the brightest, and for presenters to share their knowledge.

“From there,” he said, “determining what conference you go to is a function of what your purpose is.”

Finding a conference

There are several ways to get involved and hear about conferences.  Udell is on a variety of different mailing lists and in user groups that are tied to national organizations.  Locally, for example, the Peoria Ad Club is tied to the American Advertising Federation. Adobe and Microsoft, too, have local user groups for this purpose.

He also finds out about events through blogs and Twitter.

After you start finding out which conferences are available, you can begin to narrow down which ones you would want to go to.

“First-time events are always kind of iffy,” Udell said, having been to 20 to 25 conferences.  “The first time is like a rite of passage.”

He said if a conference is brand new or if somebody who has never done one before is putting one on, conference-goers need to verify session schedules by checking the credentials of people on the list.

Last year, Udell, now an adjunct professor in Bradley’s interactive media department, attended the Designer/Developer Workflow Conference in Kansas City, Mo.  He wasn’t interested in speaking at it until he saw other interesting speakers on the bill.

On the other hand, some of the bigger organizations have more polish, and they feature higher profile speakers, celebrity appearances and giveaways.

“If it’s a perennial event, such as Microsoft Mix or Adobe MAX,” Udell said, “rest assured it’s going to be a pretty cool event.”

Events such as these typically have a keynote speaker and different subject matter every day.  For example, Udell said a day might consist of six hours of concurrent sessions and conclude with an evening event, followed by a reception.  Afterward, he might head out for cocktails or dinner with people he met.

The cost

The cost of a conference fluctuates based on several factors.  Udell said smaller, regional events might cost anywhere from $150 to $500, depending on the catering, how many days the conference lasts and what type of venue it’s in.

“You’re getting a lot of good knowledge there,” he said in response to the cost.  “The value is commensurate with the stuff you get.”

Udell said MAX organizers gave away $700 worth of hardware this year.  Its highest price was $1,695 for a full conference pass after on-site registration.  Earlier pricing was cheaper.

Not all companies pay for their workers to go to a conference, but again, it depends on the type of conference and the type of agency a person works for.  Udell said some companies budget for training and others don’t.  Some events may be less about conferencing and more about being a trade show.

“A lot of companies won’t pay for things like that,” he said, because the show is less about learning and more about selling.

Event speakers usually get in for free, he said, but sometimes he gets his lodging and airfare taken care of.

Finding a session

Once you’re at a conference, it’s your decision to figure out what sessions you want to attend.

“That’s always tough,” Udell said.

With smaller events, there are only one or two tracks to take since there might only be 200 attendants.  At an event like MAX, which Udell estimated to have hosted 4,000 people, it’s a little more difficult to choose.

Most big conferences allow you to register early and specify your agenda, but also allow participants to reschedule if they wish.

For example, Udell said at events like MAX, Microsoft Mix or Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, the organizations usually unveil brand new technology.  Previously unannounced sessions are then revealed for that technology, and “people flock to rearrange their schedules,” typically by using an online application.

The results of attending

Udell said conferences generally yield two results for participants.

One aspect of conferencing is coordinating talent.

“I may be able to find new freelancers,” he said, and he has found several for the Morton-based Iona Group.  “[Conferences are] great if you’re a freelancer, especially if you’re extroverted.”

Freelancers can now put their works on a handheld device or an iPad, so “you can always have your demo reel with you.”

People also attend conferences to get new business.

“Generally speaking,” he said, “a lot of people that are there would entertain business opportunities.”

Udell also has connected with at least one agency to make sure Iona’s prices are a good value for their vendors.

Udell started going to conferences just to learn and find out more about his industry.  Now, before he boards his plane, he makes a short list of people he wants to reach out to in order to share a drink or dinner with.

“That’s not something I would’ve done even a handful of years ago,” he said.

Udell said one of his favorite stories from attending conferences comes from this year’s Adobe MAX.

“I ran into a Bradley alum that I haven’t seen since graduation,” he said.

Udell knew his friend was working in the industry but didn’t know he shared as many contacts as he had.

“Reconnecting with somebody on the other side of the country that used to go to the exact same school and the exact same program…to meet him and find out he’s friends and acquaintances with people that I’m friends and acquaintances with is interesting.”

On the other hand, Udell said not all aspects of attending conferences are fun.

“Travel can be terrible,” he said, noting layovers and delays and sleeping in a hotel for three or four nights.

Days can stretch to 12 hours long by the time you get there, register and go to the keynote speech and concurrent sessions, followed by the gathering at the end of the night.

He said people think, “‘Oh, you get to get off work for three days and go to these conferences?’

“It’s basically working 12-hour days for the time you’re there.”

Being on the other side of the podium

As noted earlier, Udell has both been a participant and a presenter.  While he said it’s relaxing as a participant, “it’s cool being on the other side.”

With a speaker tag on his badge, Udell said people approach him to talk to him.  He said he may get invited to other events or get perks such as freebies.

“But it can also be a drag,” he said, having experienced speaking six times over three days at one conference.

As a speaker, Udell said, you’re far less apt to go to other sessions as a participant due to mingling more with other conference attendees.

“As a participant, you’ve paid for the event and want to hear people,” he said. But it’s not the same feeling for presenters.

Udell said he has ranked fairly high on the surveys collected at the events.

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a below-average rating,” he said.

Udell has shared several of his sessions on SlideShare, which creates an online slideshow of PowerPoint presentations.  Several conference websites have featured his slides.

To follow up on his experiences, Udell typically uses e-mail, his blog, or Twitter.  He also gets many LinkedIn requests.

Final advice

Udell had advice for anybody looking for his or her first conference experience.

“If you’re thinking about doing something,” he said, “find a local, regional conference first.”

He said there are many opportunities in St. Louis or Chicago, and it probably wouldn’t cost more than $200 to $300.  Udell said people most likely already knew somebody in one of those cities, and that you could “probably just crash on somebody’s pad.”

For Udell, it really came down to one snippet of advice.

“Just go check it out.”

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Adam Bockler is a freelance marketing consultant and a certified personal trainer. He's a DDP Yoga Level 1 instructor and a multi-time USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee.

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