Cosmetics Promo, shot on HVX200

Bella Pierre Cosmetics Promo Video 2mins, 10mb. H.264

Did this late last year for a start-up cosmetics company selling mineral-based powders. Extremely small budget for this, under $7K for everything (production and post). Shot in two days in an unused office space in the client's building (getting good depth of field on that backdrop was a b*tch!) Used a stock HVX with no attachments, 720p24 with some slo-mo shots done using the in-camera slo-mo menu setting. We worked with two P2 cards, hot swapping during the shoot to a Powerbook G4 w/external FW drive. Edited in FCP 5.04 with limited use of Livetype and Motion.

This was my first shoot for a makeup company, and in retrospect I would have done a lot more to soften the overall look in camera. Despite the heavy makeup and the relative youth of the girls, the HD just picked up everything. I definitely needed some ProMist filters and I think we skipped the skin smoothing option on the camera too. I wound up using several specialty filters from 55mm to smooth out their skin and pump up the color as well. Next time we're going to need a good studio location where I can get some better lights in place and really shape the images better in camera. The client loved it though so I got that going for me... which is nice.

JK

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Great work John

I especially like the fact that the models were more of the "real women" variety rather than supermodel 15 year olds. Thought the skin tones looked very real rather than the usual softened in post to an unnatural glow.

Music is cool too.

Good job

Michael Horton
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I think your own analysis is on the money, John. The thing was a bit long, but that's probably also what the client requested. The graphics transitions are good -- they don't feel too "desperate to be hip".

I think if I were to suggest anything, it's just a bit more variety on the direction. The camera moves were good, but it'd be nice to get a little more diversity in the models -- not ethnic diversity, of which there was plenty, but some more vibrancy and personality. Along the same lines as Mike, I liked that the images weren't softened up to the usual antiseptic "white glow", and would've liked to see it go further and make those models real people with different vibes.

Other than that, though, it looks great.


www.derekmok.com

Thanks for your comments guy, much appreciated.

The client did push for a lot of those softening effects, and it was a bit of a fight to keep them from looking too alien. I'd also love for there to be a "story" or flow next time (which speaks to derek's comments regarding direction) so it's not just them sitting there looking pretty and pouty

JK

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> I'd also love for there to be a "story" or flow next time (which speaks to derek's comments
> regarding direction) so it's not just them sitting there looking pretty and pouty

Well, it is a cosmetics ad, so looking pretty is the thing. But yeah, it would be nice once in a while to see a little more character. Some of the most attractive stars -- Keira Knightley, Eliza Dushku and Julianne Moore for the women, Benicio del Toro, Mark Ruffalo and Christian Bale for the men -- are even more about charisma and spark than physical perfection. Even just interacting with others and loosening up rather than looking right into camera would go a long way towards selling the "feel good" element.

But I think you did a good job steering the client away from the cliched "doctored" look. I think if more producers had the guts to pursue different ideas, clients can often come around to their thinking and make more unique works.


www.derekmok.com

I've seen bad quality and bad ideas with a price more expensive.
Under $7K, it is an excellent work, great music and good grading... more has already been told by
Michael and Derekmok.
The letters are a little big in the blue backgroung, smaller who be more nice to read.

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

That looks great.
Nice lighting and solid camera work.


I did a few Cosmetics videos as well.
Here is one I shot on mini DV for a Canadian makeup company, Mac Cosmetics, back in 2005:





Johan Polhem
Motion Graphics
www.johanpolhem.com

Overall, good spot! Something I would be proud of, were it my own.


A few comments, mostly nitpicky things:

A few wrinkles in your muslin... from being folded up. A steamer will get these out.

The text effects don't have any ramp to them. When bringing in those drop shadows from other parts of the screen, they are at a constant speed -- you might consider slowing them down as they approach their target. If they're made in motion, it's pretty easy to do.

I love your shots on the white seamless... there are shadows on some of them, this is incredibly (i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-y) hard to avoid. Soft light, and more soft light. Then, softer light. Then more diffusion.

But, back to the point... I liked the spot. Very effective. I didn't think it was too long, at all.

Thanks all for the comments, truly appreciated!

In response to a few of your notes:

* The piece was long, but it wasn't meant for broadcast. These are playing off a DVD on a loop at their kiosks, along with an even longer piece that is a "how-to" guide for the makeup (that second video, BTW, was shot at the same time and was included in the $7K I mentioned)

* The titles were a little big, but I had to work under the assumption that the video would be shown on small LCD screens; bigger type would draw people in and compete with all the clutter and noise in the shopping malls where this is being shown. The note about ramping the type effects is much appreciated, I definitely like to finesse the typography in a piece. As it was, the type was all pretty rushed...

* Wrinkled backdrop -- probably my biggest mistake. It was actually a bedsheet(!) and I wanted to return it to keep the budget low so I didn't want to wash and iron it. I was hoping the wrinkles would look "arty" and crinkly like a regular backdrop, but when I saw that the HD picked up everything I was mortified! Definitely do things different next time!

JK

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nice.

it really could have benefited from a female voice over. not too much tho just hear and there at a lower level than industry standards.

the pan to face at the point where the word hypoallergenic could have been faster. it sorta slows the rhythm. we see the word then we are waiting for the action. all the other shots were at a faster tempo.

it kinda needs one of those 'all models laughing in a group' shots in it also.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"

John,

I watched the piece MOS (no sound). Very nice shooting / footage

I gotta say that I do not like the graphics choices - they are very basic looking & compete with the footage. I'm not gonna break it down, but the Typography could have been much more sexy / subtle on the font choice & animations. Except for the first title, the rest all slide & hit very abruptly. I would have stylized the text to gel with the "style" product, IMHO.

...my 2¢

- Joey

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.

i kinda had that in the back of my small mind also joe. the last text graphic especially. i might have used a thick script font and some blur ins.

alls i know is that after seeing that i know i need a hvx or 2.

""" What you do with what you have, is more important than what you could do, with what you don't have."

> > > Knowledge + Action = Wisdom - J. Corbett 1992 """"