EHP LABS 

Dir: Terry Dawson

Cinematographer’s Conceptual Statement

02/17/22

Music

Here is a link to the music subscription service Artlist.io. You should be able to browse for free and I can get the license if you find something you like.

Keep it all american

Given the location constraints, I think these are some looks we can aim to pull-off:

Product Shots

Below are some new examples of split screen effects we could implement for product shots. These are simple overlays without black boarders giving it a much brighter look.

02/09/2022

Cheat it with style

I think there are a few technical/creative elements we can utilize to make our Ad stand above the rest.

Mixed Aspect Ratio
Undercranked Frame Rate
Split Frame to Showcase Products
Multiple “Interview” Setups

Mixed Aspect Ratios

A majority of the “Fitness” ads on the web are usually presented in 2.39 “cinematic” aspect ratio. By having the aspect ratio change we can inject more energy into the piece. This is not to say we arbitrarily switch aspect ratios. Certain exercises lend themselves to be photographed with a taller frame in mind while others with a wider frame. For example, pullups are a vertical movement with the body positioned vertically and would fit nicely into a 1.33/1.66 frame. A movement like sprinting, where the subject moves along horizontally through the frame would look good in 2.20/2.39 aspect. The frame further highlight lateral nature of the movement.

Below is an example of mixed aspect ratio content.

Undercrancked Frame rate

Visually, the most compelling exercises to capture would be one where the body moves through space. Some examples would be, jumping, running, pullups, sit-ups, and power cleans etc. These movements coupled with movement from the camera would add tension and energy to the clips. Something like curls or bench press are exercises where I don’t think there’s enough movement in frame to make it visually stimulating.
Again, many of the videos across the web lean heavily on slow-motion. I think we can go the other way. We can always cut back to the interview to control the breathing and pacing of the piece. Shooting some of the exercises at 22/21fps and 90° shutter will give that feel of fight scenes you find in major movies (I’ll shoot some examples of this since I can’t find any at the moment). It’s subtle but very effective.

split frame Product Shots

I think it could be interesting to use split frames to showcase the products. For example, we can show a pre-workout mix pouring into a bottle, it being mixed, and drinking the shake concurrently. And in one of the frames we could have a “traditionally” shot product image.

We can shoot background plates around the gym and then later at Rider Shack we shoot the actual products on green/blue screen with total control of the lighting and environment.

Interview

Considering the script is short we can shoot two or three different light setups for the interview. This will give us the opportunity to shift the tone and mood. We could run a setup with the subject seated, standing, moving etc, adding to more flexibility in post.

Lighting, Gear, & Crew

I can have a better idea about lighting, gear, and crew once I know what kind of access to the location we’ll have. Will we be there during closed hours or are we going to be working around customers? A location scout will give me a better sense of what we need.

My Gear:
https://www.geofparker.com/gear

Addition Rentals:
Teradek wireless transmitter
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens
V-Mount Batteries