Project Description
Project Brief
We were approached by the director of marketing at 11Alive to produce a series of short commercials. The idea was to promote brand new Pandora Radio playlists inspired by the four hosts of their acclaimed show “Morning Rush”.
After hearing their ideas for the look and feel of these 15-second commercials, we knew we could deliver something excellent, and we were grateful for the opportunity to work with 11Alive in Atlanta!
Shiba, Crash, Chesley, and Francesca were all genuinely warm people to work with, and our crew had an awesome time capturing each one of them on video.
We started with Shiba Russell at Piedmont Park where Charles Georgi (Director) wanted a wide shot of Shiba running through the park. We had a sennheiser shotgun mic to pull sound from her feet running on pavement as Charles set up for each successive shot.
After we got all the shots we needed for Shiba’s commercial, we moved on to shoot Chesley McNeill on the very same picnic bench you see pictured above next to Shiba. We wanted to see him casually sit down and relax on the park bench, pull his phone out and open Pandora on his phone. After that, he’d put his bluetooth headphones on and stroll.
We had a lot of fun with these shoots at Piedmont Park, and it’s probably safe to say that we got all we needed without any stress whatsoever. So that’s good. All shooting wrapped for Shiba Russell and Chesley McNeill at Piedmont Park on April 16th, 2018.
Ten days later, we met Crash Clark and Francesca Amiker on Peachtree St. in MIdtown Atlanta to shoot their commercials. Since these segments had to be so short (only 15 seconds each) the trick was to capture the hosts in ordinary life when they would naturally pick up their phone.
Charles Georgi (Director) had the idea to have Crash walk up to a traffic light intersection. After pushing the crosswalk button, Crash would pull out his phone from his pocket and open the Pandora app.
Crash was really fun to work with, and we all appreciated his unique sense of style.
Last, but not least, we had the pleasure of shooting the beautiful Francesca Amiker outside Cafe Intermezzo on Peachtree St. Charles wanted to see different styles of headphones in each commercial, so it made the most sense to have Francesca wear Apple Airpods. We wanted the ambient sound from both the restaurant and cars driving by, so having Francesca seated outside next to the sidewalk was perfect.
She took one last sip of her coffee, placed her airpods in each ear, grabbed her phone and opened the Pandora app. Francesca was warm and friendly to everyone. She repeatedly said she was so impressed with our crew, and she hoped we could work together again.
Shiba Russell
15-second commercial spot
Crash Clark
15-second commercial spot
Francesca Amiker
15-second commercial spot
Chesley McNeill
15-second commercial spot
Behind The Scenes
Midtown Atlanta – Peachtree St.
On the Streets of Atlanta
Skills Needed for success on this project
The IE Studios crew shot all of these commercials with a tripod, slider, Canon 7D camera/lenses and a sennheiser shotgun mic. So nothing crazy. The real skills needed to make these commercials work are far more creative than technical. The ideas for each 15-second commercial would need to fit within the short timeframe while also entertaining a television audience. Editing (along with planning) was, perhaps, the most important skill needed for this project.
Initial Concept Planning
Began in April 2018. Locations determined by IE Studios. Shot list initiated by IE, and the shot plan executed by IE Studios. All equipment and truck rentals, travel accomodations for IE Studios crew, and other miscellaneous items included in our final quote to 11Alive.
Shoot
All shooting was done in April 2018.
First shoot was performed in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, GA on April 16. Setup began at 9:00 AM and lasted until tear down at 12:00 PM.
Second shoot was on April 26 in Midtown Atlanta on Peachtree St. First segment on the actual street and the second just outside Cafe Intermezzo. Setup began at 10:00 AM and shooting lasted until tear down at 1:00 PM.
Post Production and Final Delivery
Editing, Motion Graphics creation, Coloring, Sound Effects, and export revisions took about 2 weeks. 11Alive was immediately pleased with all four commercials and asked for 1080p versions at 30fps for broadcast airplay right away. Each of these commercial ads ran on Channel 11 in Atlanta for over 6 months. The project was a complete success.
Good Stories
The most interesting part of any good thing is its story. How did it come to be now from where it came from? What challenges and struggles did it need to overcome on its way to here and now? How did you overcome those challenges, and what did they teach you? What’s your story?
Make Great Videos
A great video moves an audience, and they feel something. It should portray people as real and authentic….the way they actually are in real life. It should inspire ideas and actions and thought. From the time of conception to final delivery after all production, enjoy the creative journey.
