Sprite - 2024 - ID# 373

South Elgin
Commercial
Entry Description

A quick paced :15-second ad spot for Sprite. Director: Mac Klinger

Copyright Info

Recent Teacher Comments

  • 4/26 9:22 am - I love the short amount of time you took to put the idea of Sprite into the viewers heads. Most ads are either 30 or 60 seconds, but with streaming now you will see lots of 15 seconds ads, and in that time you hammer home the idea of grabbing a refreshing Sprite. Some of the colors could be brighter on some shots. Consider color correction or bringing in more lighting for future projects. Overall well done!
  • 3/3 2:33 pm - It's clear that you've put considerable effort into ensuring the edit flows smoothly and maintains the viewer's interest throughout. Additionally, the quality of most product shots indicates a keen eye for detail and an understanding of how to showcase the product effectively, which is commendable. Regarding your lighting setup, your observation about the need for high key lighting is astute. High key lighting is indeed crucial in commercial production as it helps to create a bright, even, and visually appealing image that can make the product more enticing. This lighting technique minimizes shadows and emphasizes the product's details, contributing to a more polished and professional look. To address the concerns you've raised and enhance the visual impact of your commercial, consider the following suggestions: Expand Your Lighting Setup: Aim to use more light sources to achieve the high key lighting effect. This may involve adding additional lights or reflectors to fill in shadows and evenly distribute light across the scene. Pay attention to the positioning of your lights to ensure that they complement each other and eliminate unwanted shadows. Experiment with Diffusion: Softening your light sources with diffusers can help achieve a more even and flattering light, especially for product shots. Diffused light reduces harsh shadows and highlights, creating a more consistent and visually appealing image. Color Grading for Vibrancy: If your footage was shot in log format, color grading is essential to bring out the vibrancy and saturation that are characteristic of commercial content. Log footage offers great flexibility in post-production, allowing you to enhance colors, adjust contrast, and achieve the desired look for your commercial. Spend time experimenting with color grading techniques to make your colors pop and ensure that the product stands out. Consult Color Theory: Understanding color theory can be incredibly beneficial when color grading your commercial. Use colors that complement your product and evoke the desired emotional response from your audience. Vibrant and saturated colors can make your commercial more dynamic and appealing, but it's important to use them thoughtfully to maintain visual harmony.
Judge 1

Positives: Nice job, Mac! Cool lil vibey spot that feels on target for the brand. - I dig the variety of shots, and the creativity you pumped into the visual direction. In the beverage space, it can be tough to find a shooting style that feels unique, while still highlighting not just the flavors, but the feeling you get from drinking it. Editing is nice - pacing feels right, as does the music choice!

Improvements: I wanna see story or larger concept! I believe that at the core of ad stuff, we are artists and storytellers in service of a brand. This means that in addition to making the brand look good, which you do a decent job of, I want to feel an insight, a message, or something memorable that leaves me feeling something more than, "dang I'm thirsty for some SPRITE"...a little text on screen can go a long way. I think this spot starts strong photographically, and ends a little less strong, shot wise. It feels to me like you're using your best shots first, which is the right move, but if you aren't super satisfied with others, then it's time to take it into editing with a vision for how you can liven them up with visual effects. Same goes for the floating logo at the end - push yourself to find something more interesting than just slapping it on at the end!

Judge 2

Positives: 1. Sound / music goes really well with the visuals. It's fun and enticing. 2. I like the editing (the cuts) a lot. It's fast and interesting. The fast paced editing added intrigue to the product. 3. Great camera work!

Improvements: 1. Story - I'm a little hazy on what the story is. I know it's a soda commercial, but that doesn't mean you can't have a compelling story with emotions... that will make me want to buy Sprite. Here is my interpretation of your story: Sprite is a soda, it has a lot of bubbles, it is lemon lime flavored. That is a serviceable story but I think it needs a little more to be a fully effective commercial. Why should I buy this product? Next time, try to appeal to the emotions of the viewer. Maybe you can throw in a few lines of voice over. Something as simple as: "It's time to party" or "Be thirsty no more" or "Treat yourself." These simple phrases are almost always used by ad companies to sell their product. You aren't just selling lemon lime soda, you are selling something deeper. For example: Pepsi had a commercial that said "For those who think young" and it was a very young Brittney Spears holding the Pepsi. The message of the commercial was that Pepsi is for cool young people. If you drink Pepsi you will be cool and young. 2. I thought the editing was A+ except the product text at the end (not sure if that fits into the "editing" category or not). The "Sprite" logo at 0:14 is green text on top of mostly green background. I think you can clean that up a little. Green on green just doesn't "pop" off the screen like you want to in a commercial. I think yellow text on dark green background would have really shined. Or if you really like the green text, fade the images to black or white or yellow and then we are left with the vivid green text on a solid background. Basically, you want your product text to be as absolutely clear and vivid as possible. SUMMARY: Great job with this! I can tell you put in a lot of time with your shots and camera work.

Judge 3

Positives: No way this is an amateur commercial! Well done. This would play so well in a movie theater, that I can taste the refreshment. The shots are fun and overall it sounds great.

Improvements: Lighting was a little flat. I also would have liked a fade to black before bringing up the sprite logo at the end. This would have helped the brand to stand out.

Judge 4

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Judge 5

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