Monday, March 21, 2011

WRT 150 FILM PSA LECTURE NOTES - aaron j. hall

FILM PSA GUIDELINES

MEDIUM IN THE MESSAGE - -The medium is the message is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.

FILM: is the best way to do a PSA. Film is far better than print. Reading a PSA is active. Watching is passive. But if the message is compelling then the viewer becomes active as well. You must involve viewer.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

FILM METHOD: what is your budget. Find your setting. Use lighting to your advantage. Minimalistic camera movement (NO SHAKY CAM). Be aware of background action. Don’t distract your viewer.

IDEA - Your idea must be powerful.

SIMPLICITY- one sentence test. Or even a fragment.

MINIMALISM- in film technique.

TYPED MESSAGE vs SPOKEN WORD

-This is a CRUCIAL DECISION (Use either/or because it is tough in an editing sense to combine them)

DON’T OVERWHELM THE VIEWER! TOO MUCH IS BAD

TIME - 30 SECS TO 2MIN

MUSIC - Use film soundtracks or ambient music. No vocals.

****YOUTUBE VIDEOS****

President Obama - “The More You Know” NBC PSA

One Take. No Cuts. Slight zoom at the end and we have a logo.

Animoto - you can do this one with Sherry’s link …

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -- STUDENT PSA POLLUTION VIDEO. Not a good song.

Anorexia PSA- Okay, but too long, too cheesy, too much of the same theme. The viewer shouldn’t know what to expect.

Bristol Palin’s PAUSE- Great editing, but mixed message? What does it mean?

Don’t make your viewer jealous of you.

Don’t condemn the viewer … condemn yourself … or just inform and CALL TO ACTION

MODEL YOUR PSA AFTER THESE:

Rob Bell - Chairs - Stats with Talking

Make Dirty Water Clean -- 20Liters

Charity Water - Jennifer Connelly - No talking simple message.

Other Water one - 30 secs.

SOUND: Speechless VIDEOS TV / REMEMBER Hollywood Writers Strike of 2008

Woody Allen … Speechless Hollywood video

HUMOR: The Office PSA’s vs CBS Cares “Family Jewels” Valentines Day (only 15 secs) shock ending

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