Final Shooting Script for The Fresh Market

Writing Assignment

Keep working on your shooting script—or your paper edit. Look at it, work on it, save your work, walk away from it and come back. That’s how writing gets done. It takes time. Submit your final work for a grade. Post your work in your personal blog. Also, submit a copy through the Homework Dropbox, by the deadline, for grading purposes. Please refer to the “Due Dates for Discussion Postings and Assignments” section in the Syllabus for specific information on when this assignment is due.

The Fresh Market commercial

	Video	Audio
1.	Medium shot (MS) of a supermarket cashier staring at a grocery belt as a carton of eggs, bananas with a few brown spots, and a tiny head of wilting lettuce move slowly towards her scanner. Cashier looks down at the groceries.	Grocery store sounds continue through 4.
2.	Close up (CU) of the three items on the grocery belt.
3.	Medium shot (MS) of the cashier staring blankly ahead at Paige and Jay	Cashier (monotone voice): Find everything you wanted at Value Right Mart?
4.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige and Jay on the other side of the counter, from the cashier’s point of view, with glum expressions on their faces.	Paige (unconvincing tone): Uh, yeah.
5.	Wide shot (WS) of Paige and Jay walking through the parking lot. Jay is carrying a brown bag with the groceries and walking slightly behind Paige as she sulks across the parking lot.	Parking lot noises continue through 8.
6.	Wide shot (WS) of a long line of carts being pushed by a teenager, headed directly towards Jay. Jay must do some quick maneuvering and sidestepping to move out of the way and he hurries to catch up with Paige.	Clanging of grocery carts.
7.	Medium shot (MS) of Jay, out of breath, and finally catching up with Paige.	Jay: Not much of a selection there, huh? Want to pick up the kids and eat out?
8.	Close up (CU) of Paige annoyed and looking at Jay.	Paige (sighing): Fine.
9.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige and Jay in their car. Jay is driving and both look tired and frustrated.	Car and road noises continue through 13.
10.	Close up (CU) of Paige looking to her right as she spots something out the window.
11.	Medium shot (MS) through car window as The Fresh Market comes into focus.	Music: French bistro music slowly fades in and continues through 22
12.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige and Jay looking at each other across the car, Paige nods towards The Fresh Market.	Paige: Can I just run in there for a minute?
13.	Wide shot (WS) from behind Paige as she walks towards The Fresh Market doors.
14.	Close up (CU) of Paige’s face as she enters the store glancing around and beaming from ear to ear.
15.	Wide shot (WS) of the interior of The Fresh Market from Paige’s point of view. Steady cam shot as she walks into the produce section and it transforms into an open air European market.
16.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige picking up a large, fresh strawberry and raising the fruit to her mouth.
17.	Close up (CU) of Paige smiling, closing her eyes and biting into the strawberry.	Paige: Mmm, heaven.
18.	Medium shot (MS) of a smiling French man, Pierre, winking and handing Paige a basket.	Paige: Oh! Thank you!
19.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige moving to the next area and sampling a glass of white wine.	Paige: Ahhh!
20.	Medium shot (MS) from behind deli station of Paige admiring all the cuts of meat and cheeses with her hand over her heart.	Paige: Look at the selection!
21.	Medium shot (MS) of Pierre placing two baguettes into Paige’s basket and reaching down to kiss her hand.	Pierre: Bonjour Madame!
22.	Close up (CU) of Paige’s cheeks turning red as she smiles.
23.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige twirling and spinning through floral displays, holding an overflowing basket of groceries.
24.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige still twirling until she bumps into Pierre who plucks a flower from a bouquet and placing it behind Paige’s ear.	Pierre: Beautiful, ma Cherie!
25.	Wide shot (WS) of Paige waiving and skipping out the door holding a large brown bag of groceries as Pierre blows her a kiss and waves goodbye.	Pierre: Au revoir!
26.	Wide shot (WS) of The Fresh Market’s exterior as Paige approaches her waiting minivan, still glowing from her shopping experience.	Parking lot sounds continue through 28.
27.	Medium shot (MS) from outside the mini-van looking in the window at Jay in the driver’s seat. His window is rolled down so he can talk to Paige from inside the van.	Jay: Did you remember the cat litter?
28.	Close up (CU) of Paige’s smile evaporating as the flower falls from behind her ear.
29.	The Fresh Market logo in green on white background.Text underneath the logo reads:Fall in love with fresh. http://www.thefreshmarket.com	VO: Fall in love with fresh at The Fresh Market. To find a store near you, visit www.thefreshmarket.com.

Creative Approach and Shooting Script (Draft) for The Fresh Market

Writing Assignment

1. Write the Creative Approach section. This will complete your concept paper.
2. If you’re going for fiction, write a first draft of your shooting script.
3. If your choice is nonfiction, do no more than three interviews. Transcribe them (or have them transcribed), and get to work on your paper edit. You should also submit a first draft.

Post this and other writing assignments in your personal blog. Also, submit a copy through the Homework Dropbox, by the deadline, for grading purposes. Please refer to the “Due Dates for Discussion Postings and Assignments” section in the Syllabus for specific information on when this assignment is due.

Creative approach for The Fresh Market

The creative approach for The Fresh Market’s commercial is a story about a middle-aged, married couple, Paige and Jay, who are tired of shopping at the same old grocery store, buying the same food, and cooking meals with the same ingredients time and again. The wife, Paige, knows there must be an answer to this mundane madness and she finds that answer when she visits The Fresh Market. As soon as Paige sets foot in The Fresh Market she is enticed by the wide array of fresh produce and vegetables, meats, cheeses and bakery items. Paige is positively glowing from excitement as she floats through the market sampling food and filling her basket. She feels as though she has stepped out of suburbia and into an outdoor, European market. Paige is quickly brought back to reality when she floats out of the store and out to her mini-van where her husband asks if she remembered the cat litter.

The Fresh Market commercial

	Video	Audio
1.	Medium shot from behind a deli counter of Paige and Jay crouched down staring through the glass with a disappointed look on their faces.	Grocery store sounds, muffled talking continue through 5.
2.	Close up (CU) of what Jay and Paige see in the sparse deli counter, a few pieces of chicken, a nearly empty bowl of potato salad and another empty bowl of beans, and a sign saying “Rotisserie Chicken Picnic Special! $17.99”.
3.	Medium shot (MS) from behind bakery counter of Paige and Jay peering through glass. Paige cups her hands around her face in hopes of getting a better luck. The bakery items are also sparse and do not look appetizing.
4.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige slumped over empty cart looking annoyed.  Jay walks next to her and is bumped by a sloppy looking teenage store employee wearing headphones and his hat backwards.	Jay: Not much to choose from…should we just pickup the kids and eat out?
5.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige and Jay looking at each other and raising their eyebrows.	Paige (sighing): Let’s go.
6.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige and Jay in the front seats of their mini-van. Jay is driving and both look tired and annoyed.	Car and road noises continue through 7.
7.	Close up (CU) of Paige looking to her right as she spots something out the window.
8.	Medium shot (MS) through car window as The Fresh Market comes into focus.	Music sounding like a choir of angels.
9.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige and Jay looking at each other across the car, Paige nods towards The Fresh Market.	Upbeat, whimsical music continues through10 Paige: Can you drop me off there?
10.	Wide shot (WS) from behind Paige as she walks towards The Fresh Market doors.
11.	Close up (CU) of Paige’s face as she enters the store glancing around and beaming from ear to ear.
12.	Wide shot (WS) of the interior of The Fresh Market from Paige’s point of view. Steady cam shot as she walks into the produce section it transforms into an open air European market.	Music: French bistro music begins to play and continues through 22
13.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige picking up a large, fresh strawberry and raising the fruit to her mouth.
14.	Close up (CU) of Paige biting into the strawberry and smiling.
15.	Medium shot (MS) of a smiling French woman handing Paige a basket.	Paige: Oh! Thank you!
16.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige moving to the next area and sampling a glass of white wine.	Paige: Ahhh!
17.	Medium shot (MS) from behind deli station of Paige admiring all the cuts of meat and cheeses with her hand over her heart.	Paige: Look at the selection!
18.	Medium shot (MS) of a male French baguette seller placing two baguettes into Paige’s basket and reaching down to kiss Paige’s hand.	Baguette seller: Bonjour Madame!
19.	Close up (CU) of Paige’s cheeks turning red as she smiles.
20.	Medium shot (MS) of Paige twirling and spinning through floral displays, holding an overflowing basket of groceries.
21.	Medium shot (MS) of a male florist plucking a flower from a bouquet and placing it behind Paige’s ear.	Florist: Beautiful, Ma Cherie!
22.	Wide shot (WS) of Paige waiving and skipping out the door holding a large brown bag of groceries as the grocers all wave goodbye.	Grocers (in unison): Au revoir!
23.	Wide shot (WS) of The Fresh Market’s exterior as Paige approaches her waiting minivan, still glowing from her shopping experience.	Parking lot sounds continue through 25.
24.	Medium shot (MS) from outside the mini-van looking in the window at Jay in the driver’s seat. His window is rolled down so he can talk to Paige from inside the van.	Jay: Did you remember the cat litter?
25.	Close up (CU) of Paige’s smiling face as the flower droops and falls down alongside her ear.
26.	The Fresh Market logo in green on white background.Text underneath the logo reads:Fall in love with fresh. http://www.thefreshmarket.com	VO: Fall in love with fresh at The Fresh Market. To find a store near you, visit www.thefreshmarket.com.

Paper edit for Captain Y and Z interview

Writing Assignment

Download the Captains Y and Z Interview and Captains Y and Z Content Points documents. Using the Content Points as your guideline, do a paper edit based on the Interview. Your piece should time out so that it runs between two and three minutes. (Since we don’t have the benefit of a recording here, read the lines at a normal speed to get a sense of the timing.)

Post this and other writing assignments in your personal blog. Also, submit a copy through the Homework Dropbox, by the deadline, for grading purposes. Please refer to the “Due Dates for Discussion Postings and Assignments” section in the Syllabus for specific information on when this assignment is due.

Final Edit

CPT Y: Motivation is – it’s probably stronger than money when it comes to our unit and the success of our unit. And that motivation is also key to the spirit of the unit.

As Captains in the U.S. Army, it’s a rank. You have to know what your charge is, and as you take that charge you don’t just feed, you don’t just listen; you nurture.

Not everybody has a problem, but everybody can always use some help, whether it’s personal, professional.

CPT Z: As Commanders, I think it’s important that we recognize those soldiers that need help and try to break that barrier and let them know it’s okay to come forward and ask for the help that the Army can provide them.

CPT Y: It’s an underlying trust that you build with your soldiers.

CPT Z: There’s a stereotype that if you’re in the Army, that you’ve go to be a man, you’ve got to take care of your family. And you don’t ask for help. You just drive through that wall and –crush it.

CPT Y: Most soldiers like to keep their own problems personal. When they do need help, having an open door and a sharing ear and that it’s held in confidence, that you’ll be able to help them without them being another case – you don’t treat them like cases; you treat them like people.

CPT Z: It’s a great motivator to know that you’re helping one of your soldiers.

CPT Y: Soldiers are the heartbeat; they’re the pulse and they’re the tempo of that unit. And if that tends to skip a beat, it’s going to show.

If one soldier is hurting, his friends are going to know about it. His friends are going to suffer from it. It’s going to bring down morale.

There’s no science to it; it’s just a culture that once you put this uniform on, that you’re part of a family. And it’s a grand scheme of taking care of each other, leaving no man behind.

CPT Z: And that saying, leave no man behind, it doesn’t just refer to when you’re on the battlefield. It refers to just as much when you’re back here at the home station and your soldier needs help. You – you just don’t leave him out there on his own. You bring him in and you take care of him.

CPT Y: The essence of family is – is not just mother, child, husband, wife and their children. You have so many different conglomerates of what we call family.

A soldier is no good without his family.

CPT Z: It doesn’t matter where else you work, if your family gets sick, if you get sick, they might give you some time off, but they only can give you half pay. The Army is going to still pay you. And then you have the support of your unit that’s going to help you out.

CPT Y: Just knowing the unit is there, it gives them a security that somebody is going to be there, whether we’re passing the hat, bringing meals or just asking them how’s everything going in the family.

CPT Y: You have to be motivated. We, as Commanders, live for our soldiers as —  as we do our own families.

CPT Z: There’s no other employer in the world that will – will support its employees like the Army does.

Shooting scripts for Southwest Airlines and Diet Pepsi

Writing Assignment

Take two 30-second spots—there are a great many of them on YouTube—and reverse-engineer them as shooting scripts, exactly as we’ve done in Lesson 6. Avoid spots that are simply voice over with pictures (car commercials are often this way). Try to select spots that feature little dramas—live action and actors with lines. You’ll learn more that way. Here’s a link to the template you should use for your shooting scripts. Post this and other writing assignments in your personal blog. Also, submit a copy through the Homework Dropbox, by the deadline, for grading purposes. Please refer to the “Due Dates for Discussion Postings and Assignments” section in the Syllabus for specific information on when this assignment is due.

Southwest Airlines Fees commercial 

	Video	Audio
1.	Wide shot (WS) of airplane interior. We see Larry standing in the aisle trying to open an overhead bin while other passengers take their seats.	Airplane engine noises, muffled talking.
2.	Medium shot (MS) of Larry tugging the handle of the overhead bin. Larry glances around embarrassed and then reaches into pocket for a quarter. He deposits the quarter into a slot on the bin and it finally opens.	Airplane engine noises, muffled talking.
3.	Medium shot (MS) looking through the airplane seats to show Larry seated in a window seat.	Whimsical music and airplane sounds continue through 13.
4.	Medium shot (MS) from the airplane aisle showing Larry struggling to recline his seat while his seat neighbor sleeps soundly. Larry looks down at his armrest.	Creaking of airplane seat.
5.	Close up (CS) bird’s eye view of Larry’s armrest. Larry moves his hand from the armrest to reveal another coin slot requiring a $.25 deposit.	Larry’s annoyed sigh.
6.	Medium shot (MS) from aisle of airplane showing Larry depositing a quarter into the armrest and the chair reclines, throwing Larry backwards.	Loud creaking as chair reclines.
7.	Medium shot (MS) from seats in front of Larry showing him struggle with the airplane window shade and then glancing to his right with an annoyed look on his face.	Shaking of window shade.
8.	Medium shot (MS) from seats in front of Larry grabbing a snack and drink. His seat neighbor, Marcus, is awake and listening to headphones	VO: TIRED OF BEING NICKELED AND DIMED BY OTHER AIRLINES?
9.	Close up (CU) of tray table showing yet another coin slot requiring $.25	Marcus: Is this your….
10.	Medium shot (MS) from seats in front of Larry and Marcus showing Larry staring at Marcus frustrated and annoyed	Marcus:…first flight?
11.	Exterior shot of a Southwest Airlines plane flying above a cloudy sky.	VO: ON SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WE DON’T CHARGE FEES FOR STUFF THAT SHOULD BE FREE.
12.	Steady cam shot down aisle of a spacious, empty Southwest Airlines plane with leather seats.	VO: SOUTHWEST, FEES DON’T FLY WITH US.
13.	Black screen with Southwest Airlines airplane logo and the following text in white font:Southwest.com (typed as if by a computer)Computer arrow clicks and highlights the font, briefly highlighting it in a yellow glow.	VO (in airplane pilot voice): YOU ARE NOW FREE TO MOVE ABOUT THE COUNTRY.

Beach Tweet: Diet Pepsi commercial starring Sofia Vergara and David Beckham

	Video	Audio
1.	Medium shot (MS) of actress Sofia Vergara fanning herself while sitting on lounge chair on a sunny beach.	Music: Whatever Lola Wants and beach soundscontinue through 22
2.	Close up (CU) of Sofia turning her head and raising her eyebrow at something.
3.	Medium shot (MS) from Sofia’s point of view of girl sitting on beach drinking from a Diet Pepsi can.
4.	Close up (CU) of girl tilting her head back to enjoy a refreshing drink of Diet Pepsi.
5.	Close up (CU) of Sofia with an inquisitive expression on her face.
6.	Medium shot (MS) from Sofia’s point of view of a long line of people standing at the snack bar.
7.	Medium shot (MS) of Sofia smiling and lifting her cell phone to start texting.
8.	Close up (CU) of Sofia’s phone revealing that she is typing a tweet on her Twitter account that says:At the pier…just saw…
9.	Close up (CU) of Sofia’s face contemplating what name to type.
10.	Close up (CU) of Sofia’s cell phone as she finishes the tweet by typing:#David Beckham
11.	Close up (CU) of Sophia’s face with a mischievous expression.
12.	Close up (CU) of two women reaching for their cell phones.	Cell phones ding.
13.	Medium shot (MS) of crowd in line checking their cell phones.	Numerous cell phones ding with text message alerts.
14.	Medium shot (MS) of girls running away from the line excitedly.	Sound of girls screaming continues through 16.
15.	Birds eye view shot of girls running across the beach.
16.	Medium shot (MS) of Sofia walking toward snack bar as several girls run away.
17.	Medium shot (MS) of Sofia standing at snack bar placing her order.	Sofia: One Diet Pepsi, please.
18.	Close up (CU) of an ice-cold Diet Pepsi can being placed on counter as water and ice fall from can.	Sound of can being opened.
19.	Close up (CU) of Sofia drinking from straw in Diet Pepsi can and smiling.Text in lower right corner of screen in white font: Nothing refreshes like a diet pepsi	Sofia: Ahhh.
20.	Medium shot (MS) of Sofia on lounge chair as a soccer ball rolls into her chair. David Beckham runs over to pick up the ball.
21.	Close up (CU) shot from low camera angle of David Beckham asking Sofia a question.	David: What’s going on over there?
22.	Close up (CU) from birds eye view camera angle looking down at Sofia’s shocked face.

Concept papers for The Fresh Market and Pratt & Whitney

Writing Assignment

Take what you wrote last week—those are the write-ups of your two top choices for a course project—and convert them into concept papers. Each concept paper should have four sections—Focus, Brand, Audience and Content Points. What you say in your online discussions is informal—the concept paper is a document of record. Don’t include a Creative Approach just yet. Post this and other writing assignments in your personal blog. Also, submit a copy through the Homework Dropbox, by the deadline, for grading purposes. Please refer to the “Due Dates for Discussion Postings and Assignments” section in the Syllabus for specific information on when this assignment is due.

Concept paper for The Fresh Market (first choice)

Focus

With an emphasis on freshness, The Fresh Market strives to be the one-stop shopping destination for consumers who want to live, cook and eat well. The Fresh Market is seeking a commercial to further promote its brand and differentiate the specialty grocery store from its competitors, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. The video piece will be one minute in length and the distribution channel will be through social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

Brand

The cluster of ideas surrounding The Fresh Market’s brand are fresh, healthy, green, innovative, upscale, charming, pricey, unique, wicker baskets, green awnings, dark ceilings, chalkboards, greenery, European and eclectic. The strength of the brand is that consumers associate it with fresh, healthy food products. The brand’s weakness lies in the fact that it is not very well known, the name is often confused with a lower-quality market called Nature’s Fresh, and specialty grocery stores are often associated with premium prices.

Audience

The Fresh Market audience seeks fresh, healthy food products at reasonable prices. They also seek unique options that make them feel as if they’ve just discovered a great find at a reasonable price. The audience wants to experience shopping in a smaller, friendly European-style market versus a mega grocery superstore. The target audience for the commercial is consumers between the ages of twenty-five and sixty-five with incomes of $40,000 or more.

Content Points

The commercial should entice consumers in the target market to shop at The Fresh Market and choose the store over its competitors. The commercial should point out that The Fresh Market is your friendly, neighborhood corner market it. It should say, “Hey, come on in and check us out! We have the freshest foods at the best prices. We’re laid-back and friendly, yet we offer premium groceries.” After watching the commercial, the audience should be enticed to visit The Fresh Market for a unique shopping experience and the opportunity to eat the freshest, healthiest foods available.

Concept paper for Pratt & Whitney (backup choice)

Focus

Pratt & Whitney is known for its long history of developing and manufacturing powerful, innovative and dependable airplane engines. The company is seeking an image piece to further promote its brand and increase its share of the jet engine market. Pratt & Whitney would also like to differentiate itself from its competitors, General Electric and Rolls-Royce. The marketing piece will be 30 seconds in length and be distributed via a paid television advertisement to major cable networks in the United States and Europe.

Brand

The cluster of ideas that encompass the Pratt & Whitney brand are quality, innovation, reliability, airplanes, eagles, corporation, travel, powerful, loud and standing the test of time. Strengths of the brand include a long-standing history in aviation and dependable airplane engines. Weaknesses include the fact that the company does not produce products for Business-to-Consumer (B2C) customers and so it is not as well known as competitors like GE and Rolls-Royce.

Audience

Pratt & Whitney’s audience for the piece is airline passengers. Airline passengers seek to know more about Pratt & Whitney, who are they and what they do. They also seek to understand why they’re in safe hands when they fly on an airplane featuring a Pratt & Whitney engine. Airline passengers seek comfort and safety when flying. They want to know that airplane engines are reliable and long lasting. After watching the image piece, airline passengers should be reassured and excited to find out more about Pratt & Whitney and to tell there friends about this highly innovative company.

Content points

The image piece should highlight Pratt & Whitney’s ninety years of experience developing and manufacturing airplane engines and also speak to its innovative future. The piece should also focus on the safety aspects associated with Pratt & Whitney engines. Testimonials from pilots and passengers may be considered for the piece. Overall, it the piece should leave the audience knowing they are in safe hands with Pratt & Whitney. Viewers should also know that Pratt & Whitney strives to continuously transform the aviation industry through innovation and serve as the leader in aircraft engines by providing unprecedented quality and reliability.

The Fresh Market or Pratt & Whitney

Writing Assignment

After you bang around your three to five possibilities with your fellow students—listening and responding to their input—narrow your possibilities down to two—your first choice and a backup. Do a write-up of each. Keep each write-up inside the 50- to 100-word range.

First choice: The Fresh Market

By opening the doors to the first The Fresh Market in March 1982, Ray and Beverly Berry hoped to bring back the feeling of an open air European market. Today, The Fresh Market grocery chain has grown to include 101 stores in twenty states. The Fresh Market is proud to offer an entirely new shopping experience as each store features low-level lighting, classical music, fresh products, an Old World butcher shop, European delicatessen, and more. With an emphasis on freshness, The Fresh Market strives to be the one-stop shopping destination for consumers who want to live, cook and eat well.

Backup choice: Pratt & Whitney

Founded in 1925 by World War I captain, Frederick Rentschler, Pratt & Whitney is known for its long history of developing and manufacturing powerful, innovative and dependable airplane engines. Today, Pratt & Whitney engines are found on over 30 percent of the commercial passenger airline fleet and its portfolio has expanded to include gas turbines and space propulsion systems. Pratt & Whitney strives to continuously transform the aviation industry and become the leader in aircraft engines by providing unprecedented quality and reliability to aircraft manufacturers around the world.

Sources:

Pratt & Whitney. (2011). Pratt & Whitney, an overview. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.pw.utc.com/About+Us/An+Overview.

The Fresh Market. (2011). History. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.thefreshmarket.com/Company/history.html.

Mac Commercials: finding the songbirds

Introduction

The following commercial’s from Apple’s Get a Mac advertising campaign have been reviewed and analyzed below:

1. Viruses, Restarting, Better, iLife, Network, WSJ
2. Work vs. Home, Touché, Out of the box
3. Accident, Angel/Devil, Trust Mac

In reviewing the twelve Apple Mac commercials below, I noted a recurring theme that Mac is portrayed as being smarter, calmer and cooler than the PC. Also, in the commercials Mac is friendly, laid back and approachable whereas PC acts very uptight and clueless. Apple has been known to scoff at the idea of having a target market, as their products are designed to appeal to the masses (Morris, 2008). The following advertisements have been analyzed to determine the audience’s needs along with the songbird that provides us with a glimpse of who the character truly is.

Viruses

In the Apple advertisement entitled Viruses, the ad targets the audience’s needs and desires for a computer that isn’t susceptible to viruses. The songbird for the ad is revealed when the PC tells Mac that he should stay back because he is sneezing and coughing and doesn’t want Mac to catch the virus. Instead of backing away, Mac shrugs off his suggestion and wipes the PC’s nose just before PC crashes to the floor. The ad is designed to compel the audience to purchase a Mac because they are invincible to viruses and crashing.

Restarting

The Restarting Apple advertisement speaks to the audience’s need for a computer that runs software flawlessly without interruptions, frozen screens or the need to restart. The audience desires the ability to work in a program without having to contact IT for Microsoft Office or file sharing trouble shooting. The advertisement communicates that while Macs and PCs run the same software and have the capability to share files, PCs often run into problems with freezing. The songbird is revealed after the PC freezes and the Mac has to pat him on the shoulder to wake him up. The PC begins to repeat what he just said and the Mac casually shakes his finger to indicate that they’ve already talked about this. Mac remains laid back and calm as he explains that Macs don’t know what it is like to constantly restart. The audience understands that they won’t need to troubleshoot as many issues if they purchase a Mac.

Better

The Better Apple Mac advertisement speaks to the audience’s need for a computer that can provide intuitive and efficient hardware and software for editing and saving pictures, movies, and Web sites. The audience desires a computer that can optimize their creative energy and minimal or extreme graphics capabilities. The songbird is revealed when the Mac compliments the PC on his spreadsheet capabilities but then casually points out that Macs are better at “life stuff”. Mac is seen as the nice, complementary guy who recognizes his strengths and also his one weakness. The audience is given the choice to decide what’s more important: having a computer that can produce excellent spreadsheets or a computer that will help organize and highlight events in their life.

iLife

The Apple iLife commercial speaks to the audience’s need for bundled software that provides endless entertainment and graphics capabilities. In addition to iTunes, which can now be downloaded on a PC, the audience desires photo, video and web editing software that comes with their computer purchase. The songbird in this ad is revealed when the Mac explains that iLife comes with every Mac and makes a hand gesture to show that everything comes together and works together. The PC tries to mimic him and acts as though his built in clock and calculator are just as impressive. The audience understands that Macs come with so much more, so why would they purchase a PC?

Network

This advertisement speaks to the audience’s need for efficient network connections and their desire for plug in play peripherals that easily connect to computers. The songbird is revealed when Mac greets the camera from Japan by speaking Japanese and it is revealed that he is intelligent enough to speak the same language. The advertisement is designed to compel to purchase a Mac because their cameras and printers will begin working automatically.

WSJ

The WSJ advertisement speaks to the audience’s need for a reputable, highly reviewed computer. The songbird is revealed when the Mac tries to take the newspaper back from the PC because he is modest and does not want to show off the fact that he has received glowing reviews. The PCs songbird is revealed when he lies about his review in a magazine that does not exist. The audience is encouraged to buy a Mac because it receives better and more frequent reviews than PCs by reputable publications like the Wall Street Journal.

Work vs. Home

In the Work vs. Home advertisement, the PC reveals the songbird when he argues that the fun had in family vacations can be captured in a pie chart. At this point, the commercial is communicating to the audience that PC’s are boring in terms of meeting their needs for graphic and photo capabilities. The Mac reinforces this understanding with his skeptical, yet friendly, response. This spot also reinforces the message that PCs are boring and not as intelligent as Macs.

Touché

In the Apple Touché advertisement, the audience’s need is for Macs to run the Windows operating system. They desire the capability to run either OS 10 or Windows on a Mac. The songbird is revealed when the Mac raises his eyebrows and questions the PC’s use of the word “touché” and then further explains that PC hasn’t made a valid point in response to Mac saying that he can run Windows. The audience is given the impression that Macs are simply smarter than PCs in that

Out of the Box

In Out of the Box, the commercial targets consumers who need a computer that works straight out of the box and that does not require software and hardware installation. The audience desires simplified setup and one box for all computer equipment. The songbird is revealed when PC is waving and stretching his arms, signifying that he’s gearing up for a tremendous feat, whereas Mac hops effortlessly out of the box to get started, leaving PC behind. The audience should feel compelled to purchase a Mac due to the ease of setup and the fact that they can be up and running in a matter of minutes.

Accident

The Apple Accident commercial targets the audience’s need for cord and wire management and prevention of damage from a cord becoming tangled with a person. The commercial advertises Apple’s MagSafe, or magnetic power cord, which can help prevent injury to the computer or its user. The songbird is revealed when the PC slams his arm onto his wheel chair revealing that he is in significant pain and also not the smartest computer in the word due to the fact that he continues to injure himself. The Mac book at the end features a shot of the magnetic cord popping out of the computer to show the audience how simple and safe the cord is. The audience should be compelled to purchase a Mac book due to its cord innovation and safety.

Angel/Devil

The Angel / Devil Apple commercial plays upon PC’s insecurities and need to step outside the box to handle more creative applications. The audience is compelled to purchase a Mac because it is secure with its graphics capabilities. The songbird is revealed when the PC’s Devil and Angel disappear and PC is left standing alone looking over his shoulder to see if anyone is behind him and he swats his hand as if to see if the Angel and Devil are still behind him. The commercial targets the consumer’s need for a smart, secure, creative computer that is dependable and does not come with any issues. The audience sees that PC might be a little crazy or at risk of losing it and so they should purchase a Mac, which is calm, cool and collected.

Trust Mac

The Trust Mac commercial targets the audience’s desire for a computer that is not susceptible to spy wear or viruses. PC is doing everything in his power to hide and not be targeted by the spy wear and Mac indicates that there’s no need for him to hide. The audience desires a computer where they never need to worry about contracting a virus. The songbird is revealed when PC pushes his hand into Macs chest. This gesture symbolizes that PC is paranoid about viruses and feels the need to wear a disguise. As in other Mac commercials, the message that Macs are smarter than PCs is also communicated when Mac tries to crack a joke by saying “PC who?” and PC doesn’t get it. The audience is compelled to buy a Mac because they will not need to worry about viruses or spy wear.

The brand, the cluster of ideas and the creation myth

For the Digital Storytelling writing assignment two, focused on brands and clusters of ideas, the following movies have been selected:

1. The Graduate (1967, Mike Nichols)

2. American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendes)

3. Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Wells)

In addition to the movies, the following well-known brands have been selected and analyzed below:

1. The Gap
2. Coca-Cola
3. Pixar

The Graduate

Locate a brand in the movie

In the movie The Graduate, Mrs. Robinson is the brand. The film’s central character, Benjamin, returns from home from college and spends his time lounging in his room or at the pool for hours on end, not sure of what to do with his life. He begins an affair with a woman, Mrs. Robinson, who feels isolated in her marriage and is saddened by the thought of growing older and shows no emotion towards him. Benjamin falls for her daughter Elaine and decides to tell her about the affair. Elaine returns to school and when her father finds out about the affair with Mrs. Robinson and Ben’s love for Elaine, he forces Elaine to drop out of school to marry someone else. Ben finds her, interrupts the wedding and runs off with Elaine to board a bus where they sit and stare blankly upon the road ahead, uncertain of where they are going or what the future holds, just as they were at the beginning.

Describe the cluster of ideas

The cluster of ideas that encompass the brand Mrs. Robinson are a secret love affair, coming of age, uncertainty about one’s future, confusion about what to do with one’s life, lack of communication and control.

What transformation does the brand undergo?

The Mrs. Robinson brand transforms when Ben decides that he is in love with her daughter and she does everything in her power to prevent them from being together. Elaine is forced by her parents to marry someone else, because of her parents’ unhappiness and unwillingness to face the fact that they are growing older and can no longer completely control Elaine’s actions. At the end, Elaine and Ben escape the power and control of Mrs. Robinson and decide to runaway together only to find that they are right back where they started, confused and unsure of what to do or what the future holds for them.

American Beauty

Locate a brand in the movie

In the movie, American Beauty, middle class suburbia is the brand as the movie’s central character, Lester is a suburban father who is depressed with his job and marriage and they movie provides an inside look at suburban life, where things aren’t always as flowery and beautiful they appear. Rose petals are a recurring motif throughout the film, perhaps to symbolize the escape to find happiness and beauty.

Describe the cluster of ideas

The cluster of ideas that encompass the middle class suburbia brand are misguided notions of beauty and personal success / satisfaction, loneliness, imprisonment and judging by appearances.

What transformation does the brand undergo?

The brand undergoes a transformation as life in suburban America appears shiny, happy and beautiful from the outside but in peeling back the layers of the various characters, the audience sees that they are each troubled or forced to hide who they truly are. At the end, Lester dies happy knowing that he has experienced true beauty by expressing who he is at his core and seeing his fellow suburbanites for who they really are.

Citizen Kane

Locate a brand in the movie

In the movie, Citizen Kane, the snow globe is the brand as Charles Kane, the story’s central character utters the word “Rosebud” whenever he sees the globe. This leads an inquisitive reporter to investigate Kane’s life, which the audience sees through a series of flashbacks, in order to determine the symbolism of the globe and the meaning of the word Rosebud.

Describe the cluster of ideas.

The cluster of ideas surrounding the snow globe are unhappiness, isolation, mystery, longing for happiness and childhood pastimes. Whenever Kane looks at the snow globe he becomes sad and says the word, “Rosebud”. Kane dies holding the snow globe, as if the globe represents a happier time or place that has long been forgotten with his increasing success as a newspaper publisher.

What transformation does the brand undergo?

The brand is transformed when Kane’s wife leaves him and he again says “Rosebud” when he sees the snow globe. He then proceeds to isolate himself from the world and spends the remaining years of his life building his expansive estate, Xanadu. With Kane’s death and the shattering of the globe, the audience sees that Rosebud was the name of a sled that Kane had as a child. The snow scene in the globe was a continuous reminder of a time in his life when he was truly happy and never regained this feeling of happiness.

The Gap

Describe the cluster of ideas

The cluster of ideas for The Gap includes all-American, one-stop shop for men’s and women’s clothes, timeless, safe, laid-back, clean, comfortable, relaxed, unassumingly hip, khaki, blue bags and dancers in knit hats and scarves.

Creation myth

The creation my behind The Gap is that the store got its name from “the generation gap”, which was a popular term in the late 1960’s used to describe the intellectual and social differences between young people and their parents generation.

Coca-Cola

Describe the cluster of ideas

The cluster of ideas for Coca-Cola includes sugar, red, American pastime, cursive writing, Just for the taste of it, skinny bottle, McDonald’s, refreshing, timeless, delicious and caffeinated.

Creation myth

The creation myth behind Coca –Cola is that the name is derived from the story that the original ingredients contained small amounts of cocaine.

Pixar

Describe the cluster of ideas

The cluster of ideas for Pixar includes revolutionary, ground-breaking, creative, refreshing, outside the box, box-office hits, humor, three-dimensional, loveable toys, animated characters, office lamp, product sales and theme park rides.

Creation myth

The creation myth behind Pixar is that a team of disgruntled, ex-Disney animators combined their creative brainpower with the likes of Steve Jobs and George Lucas to form the first three-dimensional animation powerhouse.

 

Analysis of Three of the Greatest Movies of All Time

For the Digital Storytelling Week 1 writing assignment focused on an analysis of three of the greatest movies of all time, the following movies have been selected:

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)

2. Titanic (1997, James Cameron)

3. Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock)

It’s a Wonderful Life

What is at stake?

In the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, a man’s honor, pride, financial security and happiness are at stake. While the man’s actions are central to the movie, his family’s stability and happiness are also at stake.

Who is the central character? Why? Describe this character’s personal journey.

The central character is George Bailey, a business owner, family man and small-town hero in Bedford Falls. George is a visionary who had big dreams of leaving his small town and traveling the world but instead the Great Depression forced him to stay behind and run his father’s building and loan company. George is the central character because the movie is about his personal journey to find happiness. On Christmas Eve, George is faced with a financial crisis that is almost unbearable due to his growing sadness about never leaving town and so he contemplates ending his life, as he believes the world will be better off without him.

How is the character transformed?

George’s character is transformed when an angel named Clarence takes him on a journey through time to show how different the world would be without him. George realizes he has impacted many people’s lives in positive ways.

What complex and dynamic aspect of the character transfers its energy to the story?

The complex and dynamic aspect of George Bailey is the fact that he is gregarious and friendly and everyone loves him but he does not love himself.

What good reason does the character have not to act?

George has every reason to give up or not to act. He has not lived his life to its fullest and followed his dreams of traveling and now the one thing he has worked hard for, his building and loan business, is in jeopardy. It is easier for him to give up rather than keep fighting an uphill battle. He does not see the good he has done for the people around him; he instead feels sorry for himself and chooses to dwell on his sadness.

Titanic

What is at stake?

In the movie Titanic, happiness, freedom, love and life are at stake.

Who is the central character? Why? Describe this character’s personal journey.

The central character is Rose, a wealthy first class passenger on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the Titanic ship from Southhampton, England to New York City. In this movie, the “end is the beginning” as an 84-year old Rose visits the site of the Titanic wreckage and tells her story about her voyage and love affair with Jack Dawson, a free-spirited artist who she fell in love with despite her family’s wishes for her to marry Cal, a wealthy, but egotistical businessman.

Rose and Jack fall madly in love as the ship hits an iceberg sending everyone on board into a heightened sense of panic, including Cal who has discovered their love affair and makes it his mission to kill Jack. As the ship begins to sink, Rose is given the chance to escape by boarding one of the rowboats but at the last minute she jumps back onto the ship into the arms of Jack. The two make every attempt to survive together, but in the end Jack freezes in the water and sacrifices his own life so Rose can live. Rose is the central character because she is the narrator and storyteller and the movie centers around her actions onboard the Titanic.

How is the character transformed?

Rose’s character is transformed when she is contemplating suicide due to the pressures caused by her mother and fiancé and Jack Dawson reaches his hand out to pull her back on onto the ship. From that point forward, Rose experiences freedom by defying her mother and fiancé and secretly seeing Jack and experiencing the world through his eyes.

What complex and dynamic aspect of the character transfers its energy to the story?

The complex and dynamic aspect of the character that transfers energy to the story is the fact that Rose is more like Jack at her core. She has been forced to live a very conservative and proper life and she has been dying to break free. Rose finds that for the first time in her life she can truly be herself with Jack and she loves everything about him. Rose let’s go of all inhibitions and even goes so far as to let Jack draw a sketch of her in the nude.

What good reason does the character have not to act.

Rose could choose not to act due to the fact that even though she may not be happy, she leads a very comfortable life. She is engaged to marry a wealthy steel tycoon and will never need to worry about money. By staying on the rowboat as the Titanic sinks, Rose could choose a life of convenience and stability over love and freedom, but instead she jumps ship and experiences sorrow with the death of her beloved Jack, followed by happiness as she experiences her independence now free from her mother and fiancé.

Psycho

What is at stake?

In the movie Psycho, a woman’s freedom and life are both at stake. Also, at stake is the discovery of a man’s disturbing secret.

Who is the central character? Why? Describe this character’s personal journey.

Psycho is one of the few movies with two central characters. The first central character is Marion, a woman who steals money from her employer and leaves town in hopes of starting a new life. Marion is unhappy and distraught over the fact that she cannot marry her secret lover and live the life that she has always dreamed of. At this point Marion is the central character because the story centers on the events leading up to her arrival at the Bates Motel where she meets the owner, Norman Bates. This is where Marion’s personal journey ends as she is murdered in the shower by a woman who appears to be Bates’ mother.

Once Marion dies, Norman Bates becomes the central character as the story shifts to focus on Norman and his encounters with the other motel guests, including Marion’s boyfriend and a detective who is looking for Marion. Norman denies knowing Marion and goes back and forth between working at the motel and caring for his sick mother in his home. In the end, it is discovered that Norman is hiding his dead mother in his home and pretending to be her. His psychological problems stem from his need for his mother’s affection and pride.

How is the character transformed?

Marion’s character is transformed when she arrives at the motel and begins to calculate how to pay back the money she has stolen, but decides against it and flushes her calculations down the toilet. At that moment Marion decides that she is determined to start a new life without looking back.

Norman’s character is transformed when it is finally discovered that he has a deep psychological disorder and he has been pretending to be his mother and murdering women in the motel. When Norman is sitting in the Court House, his mother completely takes over his thoughts and he is no longer in a coherent mental state.

What complex and dynamic aspect of the character transfers its energy to the story?

The complex and dynamic of Marion’s character that transfers energy to the story is her innocence. She feels comfortable at the Bates motel and sees Norman as a kind, humble man who is caring for his sick mother. Marion appears completely oblivious to her impending doom.

As for Norman, the complex and dynamic aspect of his character that transfers energy to the story is the fact that he can mask his deep-routed physiological disorder with his kind demeanor. He acts in such a way that compels the viewer to feel sorry for him and the fact that he has a very controlling mother who criticizes his every move.

What good reason does the character have not to act?

Marion could choose to stay working at the real estate office and secretly meeting her boyfriend if she were satisfied with being complacent and unhappy. Instead, she chooses to leave to discover her own happiness, only to be murdered by a psychopath in an eerie, roadside motel.

Norman could have chosen to have a normal life with his mother and stepfather but his obsession with his mother’s affection drove him to murder his mother and Marion.