So Silly You Might Think It's April Fool's: Old Spice Bar Soap

Here's a crazy new commercial poking fun at 80's commercials and jingles created by Wieden & Kennedy in Portland for Old Spice.   Amusing stuff, because it is so far out there you aren't sure if it's real or if it's a joke commercial.  That madness is brilliant.  Particularly once you start seeing it on TV because it is going to make a lot of people do a doubletake.  Cutting through in this day and age is not easy, so I hand it to the Wieden & Kennedy and Old Spice for taking some chances and having some fun.  I hope it pays off big time. 

At deweymedia we have fun telling our client's stories.  They aren't usally as far out there as this Old Spice bar soap commercial, but we are ready, willing and able if you are.  We have a comedy writing background and we are ready to use it.  Listen to this low budget, silly video piece we produced introducing a speaker at conference who worked for the JibJab team.  "It was a ball writing words to put in the mouth of former president George W. Bush," says deweymedia Executive Producer Paul Dewey.  "He was a great president, but some of his pecadilloes made wide open opportunities for humor."

You Get Whay You Pay For - and You Thought Camera Work Was Easy!

Many clients believe that one cameraman is just like the next.  Well from a Producer's POV that statement couldn't be more wrong.  You get what you pay for when it comes to your cameraman.  Here's a basic guide to camera settings (on a Canon camera) that gives you a feel for just one piece in the cameraman's toolkit.  This should give clients a better understanding of why it's important to use an experienced camera operator... someone who has a LOT of production under her belt.  You can't use a kid out of college for a production that needs to be perfect the first time out.  Then add lighting, shot blocking, dollies, cranes and steadicams and you begin to understand the complexiites of camera work.  It's an art and producers like those of us at deweymedia + partners lean heavily on the work of talented camera operators.

the sm color tutorial // part one color in camera from stillmotion on Vimeo.

Jello Jiggle-It App: Real Simple

Here's a fun new app for Jello that allows you to pick any song and any flavor (read color) that the Jello dances to on your iPad, iPhone, etc.  So what's so great about this app? Watch and then we'll discuss.

Got it?  In addition to offering up a cool, entertaining video clip with some great music, it tells you the whole story without a spoken word.  Up front it tells you to pick the song, pick the flavor and then the Jello rocks out.  Maybe it's just me but I think the Jello has some personality.  While it's still dancing you widen out to see the iPad and at thee end of the piece we see the Jello on iPhones with a click-thru to download the app.... it's all really easy to follow.  You gotta love a piece that entertains you and achieves it's purpose without an announcer. 

An admissions video or a capital campaign video produced by a deweymedia producer will rarely use an annnouncer.  We think they get in the way.  Tell us what you think.