“The bitterness of low quality lingers long after the sweetness of low cost is gone”
Alar Kivilo
Over the last 50 years we have all experienced incredible changes in the technology involved in presenting messages to the consumer. We have moved from an analog world to a digital world. We have moved from a film based silver halide technology through a magnoferris technology to silicon /transistor based technology. All very complicated, all very amazing and all mere waystations on the endless technology highway. For my sins I have worked in the advertising film production business for most of this self same time. I started when the first few colour TV commercials were being produced and all commercials where delivered to the TV stations as 16mm film prints by mail. So you ask or maybe more accurately “so what?” Well the “so what” is that over this time frame and through and beyond all this technology I have formulated three basic things that are required to make great visual communication. They are:
One
First you gotta have a script… a story… an idea … a vision. This is simple and hard. The only problem is that without a great script all that follows is just gold plating on a turd. Part of this problem is how to identify the “great” and not get distracted by the merely OK. The motivation must be to make something happen … we want to get people to laugh or cry, to get happy or get mad, to tune in or tune out but they must do something….. If they do nothing then nothing happens.
Two
Secondly you gotta have a great piece of glass. This is simple and can be a little pricey. These days everybody is all over all kinds of
image capture formats… disc, hard drive, HD, XD, Red, and even film. This all matters nada! What to my mind is the most important element is in fact the “element(s) of the piece of glass between the idea and the image capturing media. The lens!!! Good lenses make great images. The best lenses will allow the idea to be clearly recorded. All modification to that image can be done … post can make something crisp and clean, soft and fuzzy, BUT NOT the reverse.
Three
Thirdly you gotta have a great set of eyes. This is simple and can be very hard. Someone has to know where the light is coming in. To get great images to support a great idea you have to have that person who sees the vision and can translate the idea to a look and execute the look by the moving the image gatherer and the lights so as to record the vision. They have to know where the light comes in. They have to know how much light they need or don’t need. After it is recorded it can, in post, be changed in almost any manner to further the idea.
With these three things any image capture device can be used… A good idea well lensed and well lit will win all the awards and more importantly move more of the merch!
James Hardie
With over 42 years experience in Canadian film and television, James Hardie has dedicated his career both to supporting the established individuals and companies who have succeeded in our industry while always fostering and encouraging emerging talent. For his ongoing efforts and dedication in the advertising industry James was honoured with The Bob Mann Award from the Television Bureau of Canada at the 2006 Bessies. The award was created to ‘recognize an individual who has demonstrated a long term contribution to their craft’. The description epitomizes James Hardie. He has worked as an editor, a grip, a production manager, in almost every discipline of post production and currently is Manager Commercial Dailies, Independent and Student Films for Creative Post Inc. Working with filmmakers has been the paramount driving force for James to dedicate his career to our industry, our filmmakers and their stories. A tireless and vocal supporter of the depth and diversity of filmmaking talent across the country, James has volunteered his time and expertise throughout the years with the Academy as a juror consultant and sponsor.
I consider “Jimmy” to be one of the greatest men in the Canadian Advertising Production Industry and a true friend. He now rests his cigar at Creative Post and can be reached at jimh@creativepostinc.com.
SW