Pre Production folder-Ideas

Ideas

Idea Generation

After reading the book and researching more about the author I have some ideas on how I would like to do the advert. My main aim is to promote the book and make people interested in reading it. In order for the advert to do this, it has to be entertaining and it has to raise curiosity in the audience. Since the book is about an artist that is very mysterious, I think the advert should be shot in a gloomy setting, with an actor that never shows his face. Obviously music has to be a big part in the advert, but I don't think that it has to be informative (apart form showing the book at the end) .

Style 

Apart from the book itself, I looked at video clips from Tom Waits' performances and also some pictures of him to get inspired. A lot of his pictures are seen in b&w and always have that 'smokey' atmosphere, so I think I should create this atmosphere in the advert.

First Ideas

My first idea is to create an advert, focused on a man that is running away, or hiding from the camera. My plan is to treat the camera as a person that is following the actor. The camera will symbolize the people that are interested in the book, or more specifically in Tom Waits. The actor's face will be hidden from the camera, this means that I have to be very careful when planning the shot angels. The advert has to be one minute in length, so I'm afraid that it will be a bit boring with only this concept, but if the shots are interesting and the atmosphere is right, I think that one minute will be ideal. 


Content 

Till now I am sticking with my initial idea (camera following the actor), but I have some other ideas that will make the advert more entertaining. The first shot of the ad , will be a WS of a big room, with a piano placed at the right hand side and a man playing it. The man will be shot from behind , and the song being played will be one of Tom Waits' songs. This will introduce the artist by showcasing his song. The other shots I have in mind are of the actor walking in narrow streets and the camera following him . In order to get the message across that the camera is following him , I think it would be best to work without a tripod on these shots, I have never hand held a camera of that size , but I think that that is the only way to get the 'stalker' feeling across.
Another idea that I have is that between every shot/scene , there will be a split second black screen. It will symbolize the camera(person) blinking. Also I have the idea , that as the ad progresses the scenes will become shorter, and more hectic, to add the agitation and curiosity.