Pr-Produo

de Cinema em Estdio
Rui Nunes, sj

Assignment #2
1.

Developing a Concept for Advertising

Every year, a multitude of media and market researchers spend billions of euros trying

to persuade people into buying their products. While the efforts marketers endure to gain
access to the desires and needs of every consumer have become increasingly sophisticated,
consumers have never been more resistant, resilient, and even cynical towards commercial
and political campaigns.
To overcome consumers resistance, marketers try to fill every visible spot in our daily
landscape with fascinating ads visual journeys. From public bathrooms to walls, from books
to the web and TV, we are constantly bombarded with headlines craving out for peoples
attention.
To get on our senses, marketers have been mastering the art of rhetoric for ages.
Since the sophists era in ancient Greece, communication techniques can be organized into
three main categories:

i.

Pathos (Greek: ) refers to commercials build upon emotions and passions

fostering an emotional response in potential consumers: 1) it can be a positive
emotion such as happiness (example: image of people enjoying themselves while
drinking Pepsi, Coke-cola, or any other soft drink); 2) or negative emotion such as
pain (example: a person having back problems after buying the wrong chair),
fear or guilt (example: image of a starving child in Sudan to persuade you to send
money for an NGO).

ii. Logos (Greek: ) appeals to consumers sense of logic or reason.

Commercials based on this technique will offer evidence and facts (numbers,
statistics, research, anecdotal evidence, etc.) and will make consumers see
advertising companies as knowledgeable and savvy about a specific topic.
(Example: One bottle of Isostar contains 75% of your daily Vitamin C needs.)

iii. Ethos (, ) appeals to consumers sense of credibility or character.

Commercials with this technique will try to convince consumers that the company
is more reliable, honest, and credible for them to buy their product. Ex: ethos
based commercials often involve statistics/opinion from reliable experts or
celebrities that endorse their product to lend it more credibility.

2.

A brief outline of persuasive communication

techniques1
Based on the classic categories of rhetoric or persuasion mentioned above, you may

also find below some of the most common propaganda strategies.

Technique

Definition

Example

Appeals

Appealing to the consumers hidden fears,

need to protect their family, desire to fit
and be accepted, to follow a tradition, to
be healthy, to look good, to be proud of
your country, etc.

Name Calling

Using negative words, usually in politics,

to turn you against a competing person
without giving evidence or facts.

Plain Folks
Appeal

Trying to show that a person or product is

good for ordinary people, because a
person is just like you and understands
you.

If you dont want ring around the

collar, use a particular
detergent.ORQuit Smoking:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=SfAxUpeVhCg&spfrelo ad=10
My opponent didnt tell you the
truth!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=WV6mZfR258s&spfreload=10
Blue Bell ice cream first taste
goes back to your childhood
memories...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=zIRsvm3r7lo&spfreloa d=10

Glittering
Generality

Telling only positive things about

something or someone, without giving
evidence or facts.

Bandwagon

Convincing us to accept someone or

something because of its popularity.

Testimonial

Using a famous person to try to make you

buy or support something or someone.

Snob Appeal

Suggesting that association with a person

or product can make you special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=Ky7ic1Ro9yw&index=2
Commercials that show everybody
have got one, or everyones doing
it!Example: Nike: just do it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=RboTJOfRCwI&spfrelo
Tiger Woods wears Nike clothing,
and if you want to be like him, then
you should, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=rh6hXgQcr7c&spfreloa
Aston Martin: The people who drive
this kind of car wear fancy clothes,
live in mansions, or go to great
places.

See Appendix 1 for more techniques commonly used in advertising.

Evidence, Facts,
and Figures

Using tests, statistics or information that

sounds scientific to prove that one
product or person is better than another.

Unfinished
Comparisons

Comparing a product or person to

another, without providing the other half
of the comparison.

Repetition

3.

Repeating a name, slogan or product

over and over in the same advertisement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=lZGEDjyh6f4&spfreloa d=10
Close the tap tap, be responsible
when brushing your teeth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=BubRvnOIpU0&spfrelo
This soap cleans better! better
than what?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=m8bBzrrMZ2I&spfrelo
Splenda : sweeeeeeet...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=75YiRTqYT08&spfrelo ad=10

Pitch perfect slogan or motto...

Organizing a marketing strategy or developing a brand can be both an exciting and

overwhelming endeavor. Once marketers have something to say, serve, or sell, its time to
start thinking about the attention-grabbing techniques better suited to spread the word. Let
me introduce you five criteria for you to begin your creative journey into a great attentiongrabbing slogan:

Keep it short. Slogans should never be longer than a sentence and, ideally,
should hit the sweet spot between six to eight words. Any longer than a sentence
and your slogan will become jumbled and ultimately forgettable, unless it rhymes
or has an accompanying jingle. Brevity and simplicity lends itself to memorability,
which is the primary goal with slogan writing. Remember: limit your slogan to 1
(one) sentence or less. Example: "Think different." (Apple)

Highlight a rhythm, rhyme, and ring: A slogan longer than a single word should
fulfill at least two of these three criteria: 1) it should have a rhythm, it 2) should
rhyme, and 3) it should have a ring to it. Slogans, whether read or heard, should
be pleasing to the ear; rhythmic and fluid-sounding slogans are much more
recognizable and memorable for later recall. Remember that words presented in a
song are remembered significantly better than words presented in normal speech.
Example: "The quilted quicker picker upper."

Highlight a key benefit of your product: The point of a slogan is to differentiate

your product or brand from that of your competitors, while also underscoring the
company's general mission. If you have an advantage over your competitors, or if
your product or service has a unique benefit, you need to use it. Slogans are the
first impressions for many potential consumers, so it absolutely needs to stress
the company's worth. Isolate one key area of your business, and find a way to
integrate it into the slogan.

Explain the company's commitment. Winning slogans will explain a company's

dedication to its customers. Slogans devoted to customer service, especially
ones that guarantee quality and satisfaction even if it's at the company's expense,

play extremely well with the public. So if other companies sell the same products
as your company does, let them; instead, sell the public on trust and customer
care. Example: AVIS: "We're number two, so we try harder."

Be honest. When writing a slogan, it's extremely easy to get carried away.
However, it's imperative that the slogan accurately reflects your companys
business. In other words, hyperboles are extremely discouraged. Language like
"The No. 1 ___," or "The best ___ in the business," is not only untrue, but also
extremely generic, and a big turn-off to consumers. Instead, be realistic, and find
a clever but real way to emphasize your company's perks. Example: "It's
everywhere you want to be." (Visa)

4.

PSA/Commercial assignment requirements

4.1

Deadlines

Email your assignment no later than March 4, 2015@14h00 in PDF FORMAT.

Always provide carefully written and/or visual explanations for your decisions and/or ideas
regarding visuals, music, script, symbols or directing notes that support your commercial. Do
not assume! Be concise, be precise, and original about what you say and present.

4.2

Assignment description

You will make a thirty (30) seconds professional style commercial for a
product/service or a sixty (60) seconds public service announcement (PSA) for an NGO (non
governmental organization). Your commercial should be shot and edited in a high-energy
style that encourages the target audience to buy your product/service. Each student must
direct/produce his or her own commercial.

4.3

PSA/Commercial requirements
If you choose to produce a PSA, your announcement must be EXACTLY 60
seconds long (EXACTLY!); if you decide to do a Commercial, it must be
EXACTLY 30 seconds long (EXACTLY!). Please, check your treatment from last
semester.

Create a powerful SLOGAN or CATCH phrase. VERY IMPORTANT!

5 shot/sequence minimum: like music videos, most commercials use shots two
to five seconds long revealing emotions and capturing consumers attention.

Use a variety of shots: must include Long Shot (LS) transition to Extreme Close
up (ECU); traveling along horizontal Axis; front shots for reactions (3/4 view is the
strongest)

Minimum of 3 camera movements or combination shots (Pan, Tilt, Arc, Dolly

In/Out, Truck R/L).

Use music appropriate for your PSA/commercial.

Use text in your PSA/commercial to emphasize in writing what you are trying to
sell. USE WISELY & SPARINGLY.

4.4 Pre-Production Workflow

As you organize your shooting plan, consider the following pre-production exercises:
4.4.1 Write your slogan
a) Introduce your slogan (one brief and powerful sentence) Be clear about the
rhetorical appeal you want to use to drive your commercial. Be creative and precise with the
selection of words you pick to add value to (or detract from) your product. Evaluate the
overall effectiveness of your commercial by promoting your slogan among your friends: do
they look persuaded or dissuaded when you say it? Would they buy your product after the
slogan? Does it trigger a necessity/need?
b) In a brief statement, comment on each sequence or shot you will make to sustain
your slogan motto.
4.4.2 Organize your shot list
Consider the Banco Popular PME commercial we analyzed in class22. The opening
sequence is a 5 seconds one continuous shot on Paulo... Fill out the table below, or a similar
one, for your PSA/Commercial.
Time Code
(HH:MM:SS)

Visuals

Music

Script

00:00:00:00
00:00:05:00

Entrance
lobby of a
hotel, with lots
of people
carrying their
luggage...

Cheerful and
Repetitiv e
Piano tune.

Repare na
cadeia de hoteis
do Paulo! ....
Que Charme!

()

()

()

()

Symbols
Against a brown
background
with grey and
dark tones, red
is the colour that
pops up in
several items
focusing our
attention...
()

Directing Notes
(Focus on emotions
actors will reveal)
A confident and happy
Paulo walks in his Hotel
lobby. In the
background, a
dull/routine like people
do their jobs. He looks
happy, caring, and
energetic...
()

4.5 Grading rubric

[Pre-production: 40 points for Pre-Production planning + 40 points for Creative

Storytelling and originality] Show that you are going into this project with a
carefully constructed plan. Casting should be appropriate to the qualities of the
characters in the story. The choice of sets, props and locations should also be
appropriate for the story. Your planning documents (script, shot list, storyboards,
casting, mise-en-scne, directors notes, etc.) will be collected for review and

http://vimeo.com/59398280.

evaluation. You may begin with your treatment from last semester or change it
accordingly.

[Cinematography: 20 points for variety of shots + 20 points for variety of camera

movements] Make sure to have sharp focus, effective composition, proper
exposure, and smooth camera moves (if applicable). Make sure to gather the
best-shot variety to allow the editor to compose the scene with seamless flow.
Use minimum of 5 different type of shots, different camera movement, shot
length: 3-5 seconds.

[Post-Production: 40 points for professional editing + 20 points audio/text/music

to enhance storytelling Cinematography] Does the scene flow seamlessly? An
effective master scene exercise should look like the action all took place in one
seamless flow. Grading will consider the quality and effectiveness of your editing
workflow (logging, initial assembly, rough cut, picture lock) as well as the
professional looking style of you final cut.

[ATTENTION: Draft presentation: 20 points for quality and effectiveness of your

presentation on November 23, 2015].