Overview
For this project we were tasked with creating a 30 second commercial spot for the brand of our choosing. I gladly, as a book lover myself, chose to represent the iconic Strand bookstore. This would be the first film project of this scale that we had ever created.
The Problem
Strand is in need of advertising to keep their business afloat. Despite being the most popular bookstore in NYC, Strand has found themselves struggling over the years.
The Solution
Appeal to the younger generation of bookworms through their environmental values and love of all things vintage, which is everything Strand stands for.
Process
Brands Best Self & Original Concept
Note On Original Concept: I came up with the idea for this commercial spot based on all of the things I loved. Vintage, books, and vintage books are a huge part of how I present myself as a person, so I was surprised and delighted when my vision was chosen by our professor. In the original concept, I pictured the main character of the story as someone who lived in luxury and had a cat instead of a dog. In the final shooting we chose to feature the cityscape of NYC instead due to our lack of vintage backdrop.
Story-boarding & Final Script
This was my storyboard of the ad spot I had in my mind. The final product did change from the original, and our script was also drafted many times, but my team finally came to an agreement on what direction we should go in.
The tone of the film is a mishmash of dreamy 1950s, 60s, 70s movies with Victorian aesthetics, although my team had decided to go with a black and white look after consulting our professor.
Strand Ad Draft
These are the first colored and black and white iterations of the film. We found that Opie, our little doggy actor, was washed out with white during filming. We later snuck him into the school to reshoot the last segment of the commercial for the final product!
Strand Final Ad Spot
Although the final spot was not how I pictured in my mind (As we were only students and did not have the production capabilities of a film studio), I felt that the final result was very well done!
Outcome + Reflections + Next Steps
This was a very fun project and I didn't realize I'd enjoy filming and creating videos as much as I did. I was able to bring my vision to life, although it wasn't as accurate as I wanted it to be, it proved that I do have vision and that if I pursue it, it could be recognized, just like how my professor recognized my passion for this concept. If I had to work on this project again, I would start from scratch and recreate my concept at a larger scale. I envision a full vintage set and wardrobe that would fit the eras, and I would put a slightly blurred pastel filter over the video. Overall this project was a huge success and I enjoyed every moment of the process.
Note: I loved this project and enjoyed learning so much about filming because of my wonderful professors, Robert Kahn and Craig Markus. Unfortunately our professor, Craig, had passed away due to some health complications which was a shock to us all. He has forever left a love of filmmaking with me and I will continue his passion and legacy through my work, even if it is not necessarily in film. I am so grateful to have gained this experience.
