THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Everyone at Dragon's Egg wishes you all the peace and
joy of the season!
Friday Favourites: 16th September
"Buy the car not the ad!"
Three such a clever ads by Skoda Australia.
We are sure you will like it!
ASFF - Aesthetica Short Film Festival
Such a great news!
Our short film "Insight" got into this year's Official Selection of
BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
We hope you'll like it!
Find more about ASFF here
No inspirational quote today,
but an inspiring ads from Nike.
And yes, the future is definitely unlimited!
Hey everyone,
haven't posted for a long time, but here we are starting again!
Today we want to say Thank You to our talented DOP Aleksandr Aleinikov.
He is the professional who knows exactly what he is doing, he is the guy we can 100% rely on and just an absolutely lovely person!
Here is his DOP showreel!
Well done, Sasha,
and see you very soon at our new video shooting!
Friday Favourites: 20th May 2016
A FEW IMPRESSIVE VIDEOS FOR YOU TO WATCH
AT THE END OF THIS WORKING WEEK.
Have fun on the weekend!
Coldplay - Up&Up
Hyper-Reality presents a provocative and kaleidoscopic new vision of the future.
Monday Motivation: 16th May
WE JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT
PASSION NEVER FAILS!
Have a productive working week everyone!
Friday Favourites: 13th May
Today in our F.F.:
Yummy Grandma,
3D Jungles from Fendi,
A Son Betrays his Father
Feels intrigued? Just watch it!
GRANDMA'S Cookies Campaign
FENDI Sunglasses Campaign
INFINITI TV Campaign
FRIDAY FAVOURITES: 06th MAY 2016
Two brilliant adverts and a bit of Fashion here in our F.F.!
1) Method Commercial
2) French Road Safety Social Advert
3) The "Manus x Machina" Experience
Promotional Videos For Food Products
Working Wednesday: Promotional Videos For Food Products
The food adverts. We all know and love them. If you weren't hungry when you started watching them you certainly will be by the time they finish with you.
So what is it about them that makes them so mouth-wateringly good? If you pardon the pun. They have been spilt in to two separate camps, the "welcome home" comfort camp, and the "we make food beautiful" cinematic camp. Both are very different but just as effective as the other.
The comfort camp appeals to the audience who see food as the factor that brings together families and friends, it has a real sense of community. For example in the below KFC advert we see a young boy dealing with the stress of being adopted into a new family, but alas all his fears disappear
when the bucket of fried chicken is brought out and the start of his new life beginning. Because whose fears don't instantly vanish when faced with fried chicken?
So what is it about them that makes them so mouth-wateringly good? If you pardon the pun. They have been spilt in to two separate camps, the "welcome home" comfort camp, and the "we make food beautiful" cinematic camp. Both are very different but just as effective as the other.
The comfort camp appeals to the audience who see food as the factor that brings together families and friends, it has a real sense of community. For example in the below KFC advert we see a young boy dealing with the stress of being adopted into a new family, but alas all his fears disappear
when the bucket of fried chicken is brought out and the start of his new life beginning. Because whose fears don't instantly vanish when faced with fried chicken?
Another great example of the comfort camp is the Richmond Sausages advert. A son flies the nest to do what he wants to do, but comes home to the familiar home cooked sausages.
The next camp is the cinematic camp. Here we see food displayed as a work of art, the advert almost acts as a sensory overload, with all the colours and the sounds, you can't help but wander if you have been transported to the TATE to watch a new installation. Lurpak and M&S are industry leaders in this type of advert.
The Lurpak advert shows how the act of cooking itself can be majestic and magic.
In a similar tone, this M&S advert shows that their food alone is enough the get those stomachs rumbling.
But to top it off, Warburton's bread has enlisted celebrity help to add comic relief to this exciting advert.
Food is one of those products you can manipulate into may forms of advert, but judging by the success of these individual brands, food is a big seller however you portray it.
www.dragonsegg.tv
www.dragonsegg.tv
Friday Favourites: 29th April 2016
Friday Favourites
1) This Music Video: Kiss It Better
2)This Music Video: Doing It To Death
Promotional Videos For Charities
Working Wednesday: Promotional Videos For Charities
You're sat there, watching your shows and an advert break comes on. Then it hits you; the charity commercials. They make you sit up and pay attention by pulling on your heart strings.
As a filmmaker there are factors you need to take into consideration when producing promotional videos for charities:
Understand your audience:
You can't produce anything without getting to know your audience. So know your typical demographic and where the promo will be shown. Where is important as it will also determine the length of the production. For example, if you are showing the video online it can stand to be a little longer.
Have a strong narrative:
Don't just fill the video with all the information out there. Be brave, less is more. Make it as simple as possible so the audience focusses on the issue or message you are trying to put forward. The production needs to follow a strong storyline, to set out the reason and goals of the charity and the call to action.Make it emotional and shocking:
You want the audience's hair to stand up on the back of their neck. You want your video to be one of the most poignant things of their day, so much so that they can't stop thinking about it. Try and put your audience in the shoes of the people who need the charities support. A great example of this is the UNICEF advert:
Don't forget your facts:
Using the emotional and shock card is great, but you need to back it up with statistics in order to install the all important trust factor. For example the NSPCC advert below shares one facts, 1 child in 9 are abused, those figures are showing enough to stand alone.
Have a call to action
Make it clear what your viewers need to do now, have the number clearly displayed and often and make the call to action as easy as possible. Many use a text call to action as it's quicker and easier for the audience, but they also display a phone number. However, don't overload the viewer with all the contact details of the charity, you will only be masking the main contact channel.
DoP Tuesday: 26th April 2016
DoP Tuesday
Today we are introducing a new cinema camera to you. Lytro are officially showing off their new 755MP RAW Cinema Camera.
It has the highest resolution video sensor that has ever been designed. To bring it back to numbers, this camera can capture up to 755MP this is around 40K! Step aside 4 and 5K.
It's said to have the ability to shoot objects without a green screen. Then you can take the objects out, manipulate them to how you want and reinsert back into the picture. A camera like this can revolutionise the way filmmakers approach projects.
But don't take our word for it, watch the video below:
To read more about Lytro, check out these articles:
Studio Daily: Studio Daily
News Shooter: News Shooter
DP Review: DP Review
Friday Favourites: 22nd April 2016
Friday Favourites
This week we are all about the adverts!
1) This Advert: IKEA
2) This Advert: Dove
3) This Advert: Interac
Enjoy!
Pitching For Documentary
Working Wednesday: Pitching For Documentary
Many don't know what they need or where to start when looking to get their documentary ideas off the ground.
Your idea may be exactly what you want to show to the world, but don't get too caught up in the message. You need to make your story compelling, remember you're pitching for investment, the potential investors are going to want to back something that will make a profit. You need to think how you want your audience to feel when they watch it, so it's also a good idea to think about who your demographic may be, and where the documentary will be shown.
Assembling the team:
You have your show stopping idea, and now you need to get the ball rolling on getting financed. You need a good team around you. Gather a few people who will be enthusiastic and passionate about the documentary, some with good "business heads" to help with the pitching and others who are industry professionals to give you advice. If you can get someone with contacts in the area you are pitching on board, even better!
The power of Social Media:
Don't underestimate the power of social media. If you can gather hype about the documentary this will really help your fundraising case. You are showing there is already a demand for it, and if there is a demand for a product the sales will follow. It will be the shining point of your funding pitch. Plus you already have your audience lined up when you release the production.
Use your production skills:
'Death by powerpoint' is a well known thing, so don't commit it. It comes with serous consequences, it will put your financiers off backing your production. The chances are you are not the only one who is going to be pitching to them, so stand out from the crowd. You are a creative so use your skills. Make a trailer that is gripping and toe curling, and if you can't do that tell them a story that they can't wait to be a part of.
Experience:
Don't forget that your track record matters, no one will hand over big budgets to a novice, so make sure you have the right team on board to make up for your lack of experience. If you are a seasoned documentary filmmaker then remember to stay humble and stick to the story.
But the most important point is not to loose your fire. You wanted to make this documentary for a reason, and finding funding is a full time job. It can take months or even years. But don't loose sight of what you're trying to achieve, keep pushing and the right backing will come at the right time for your project.
Good luck.
Friday Favourites: 15th April
Friday Favourites
1) This, just this: Late for Meeting
2) This Online Publication: Digital Arts
Inspiration for you Digital Creatives
3) This Festival: Cannes
Along with the release of it's official selection, we thought it warrants being in our favourites!
Post Production Thursday: 14th April 2016
Post Production Thursday
We love this website on the history of animation!
Simple, clever and educational, so we thought it was more than appropriate for today's post.
http://history-of-animation.webflow.io
Simple, clever and educational, so we thought it was more than appropriate for today's post.
http://history-of-animation.webflow.io
Production Team vs Videographers
Working Wednesday: Production Team or Videographers
The age old question. I want to produce a video but do I go for the Videographer or the Production Company?
What's the difference?
A videographer, is typically a camera operator that is either part of a small team or works solo. You may also find that some production companies hire individual videographers to shoot as and when. Whereas a production company tends to come with a much larger crew consisting of Directors, Producers, DoPs, Gaffers, Focus Pullers and the list goes on.
When do I use a Videographer instead of a Production Company?
This question relies on two very important things. What is it that you want to see in your production, and what is your budget. A well set up production company should be able to handle most of their clients needs and delivering to when the clients deadlines. This is helped by the larger crew that is employed. However, this can also mean that as the overheads are larger, the price may be bigger too.
If you have a smaller budget and don't need much in terms of the shoot itself then a Videographer who can shoot and edit your video themselves may be best.
Will a Videographer have less experience than a Production Crew?
Not necessarily. When looking into who to use for your project, production company or Videographer you should always look into their previous works and experience. Sometimes a Videographer may have had a long career in a production company and has decided to take that experience into freelance work? Or maybe a company has been set up by Videographers.
To summarize, the Videographer will often do the work him/herself, whereas in a company you have tend to have a larger team. They are both great to work with, but it really depends on what you want to get out of the process and on what budget.
(Pictured: Zhenya Berline - shooting our backstage video for the Reckless Wolf fashion shoot with our BlackMagic Cinema Camera)
DoP Tuesdays: 12th April 2015
DoP Tuesday
We have a treat for you this week. The top 10 closing shots of all time.
Monday Motivation: 11th April 2016
Monday Motivation
Keep the fire and persist until you succeed.
Friday Favourites: 8th April 2016
Friday Favourites
WE have three great advertising campaigns for you to feast your eyes on this week. From the bright colours of Africa, to the subtle animation from Dominoes! We hope you enjoy!
1) This Advert: Alive Inside
2) This Advert: Old Spice
3) This Advert:
Post Production Thursdays: 6th April 2016
Post Production Thursdays
This Thursday we are showing our own post production work.
Polyna is a talent artist who approached us to edit her new music video Tiger.
The creative team stabilised shots, coloured it and put it all together to make one great, catchy and memorable video! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Polyna's website: http://www.polyna.com
Promotional Videos For: Mobile Phones
Working Wednesday: Promotional Videos For: Mobile Phones
As is the way with many other promotional videos out there, mobile phone adverts are becoming more cinematic and stylistic. But is seems that there are two distinct groups, the apple crowd and the android crowd, both having two styles of promotion.
Starting with the iPhone 5 commercial below we can see their minimalist style, focussing on nothing else but the phone. Hinting that the phone itself is so innovative and great that it doesn't need anything extra to help promote it.
In contrast we have the Sony Experia Z3 advert that is much more colourful, vibrant and bright. It's almost showing a lifestyle that comes with the phone rather than the phone itself.
Both of these styles clearly work very well due to the success of the phones themselves, but it depends on what type of person, you the viewer, is. Are you a minimalist iPhone with a clean style and upfront, or a more creative android brightening your surroundings.
www.dragonsegg.tv
DoP Tuesdays: 5th April 2016
DoP Tuesdays
This week we are paying tribute to The Revenant with this "Director of Photography Featurette".
Emmanuel Lubezki himself talks through some of his works on the visually stunning production.
Monday Motivation: 4th April 2016
Monday Motivation
As we are the first Monday of April here is a little boost of motivation to keep yo guys going to summer!
Friday Favourites: 1st April 2016
Friday Favourites
It's April Fool! And also we are well into the spring weather, to help you ease into the weekend here are our Friday Favourites!
1) This Short: Hennesey
2)This Ad: Rio, Olympics
3) This Facebook Page: Sh*tty Rigs
With imaginative and DIY rigs, it's hard not to gasp at some of these! Like the pic below.
"When the D.O.P wants a topshot"
Post Production Thursdays: 31st March 2016
Post Production Thursday
Wow. The new opening sequence for Marvel's Daredevil is just amazing. The blood red and the liquid animation is inspiring! Plus it really suits the series!
DoP Tuesday: 29th March 2016
DoP Tuesday
Staying with the lighting theme, we have another very interesting article on what effects light can have on your body, our emotions and even motivation.
Post Production Thursdays: 24th March 2016
Post Production Thursdays
Here is the showreel for a great 3D generalist we are lucky to know, Anatoly and will hopefully be working with us very soon!
To check it out click on the link below:
DoP Tuesdays: 22nd March 2016
DoP Tuesdays
This week we have an article we'd love to share.
"WHY IS LIGHT A DRUG" by Robert Bain and Nicky Trivett
Here's a snippet to get you interested!!
"The leading researchers suggest that we start thinking about light as a drug, such is its potent effect on our bodies and its rhythms."
Friday Favourites: 18th March 2016
Friday Favourites
1) This Advert: Chanel
Yes, it's old. But we still love it!
2) This Advert: IKEA
3) This Advert:Beagle Street
Post Production Thursdays: 17th March 2016
Post Production Thursdays
This Game of Thrones style advert for Grimbergen is stylish, on topic and great! It's a must watch!
How To Make Promotional Videos For: Sportswear
Working Wednesday: Promotional Video: Sportswear
Sportswear commercials are becoming increasingly more cinematic, show stopping and motivational. If they are making you, the viewer, want to get up and play sports or work out, then they have achieved their goal; because you will need something to wear when your running/ swimming/ going to the gym.
Another way for sportswear brands to draw more attention to themselves is to use celeb endorsements. A great example of this are the Foot Locker adverts, this one featuring Kevin Hart.
There are many brands that have mastered the "motivational" advert, Nike being one of the most famous, and after looking at the above video you can see why.
In contrast to the typical motivational sportswear adverts, there are more comical ones. For example, one from our last Friday Favourites blog (and yes, it's another Nike commercial).
Another way for sportswear brands to draw more attention to themselves is to use celeb endorsements. A great example of this are the Foot Locker adverts, this one featuring Kevin Hart.
DoP Tuesday: 15th March 2016
DoP Tuesday
This week we have something different for you.
In a BBC News article, Anthony Don Mantle explains and gives advice on how to be a Cinematographer. Click on the link below to read what he has to say.
Friday Favourites: 11th March 2016
Friday Favourites
This week we are getting active with three great sporting adverts. Get your trainers on everyone!
1) This Ad: I Will
2) This Ad: Nike's Women Vs Men
3) This Ad: Don't Go Down
Post Production Thursday: 10th March 2016
Post Production Thursday
This video will give you an insight into the amazing Sky Q Viewing advert.
DoP Tuesdays: 8th March 2016
DoP Tuesday
We love our DoPs, but this is extremely funny!
Friday Favourites: 4th March 2016
Friday Favourites
Here are your exciting Friday Favourites! And they are exciting, we have three visually stunning documentary films to transport you to exotic and breathtaking places.
1) Samsara
Watch the above trailer for this brilliant non narrative documentary and find out more about it here: http://www.barakasamsara.com/samsara/about
2) Baraka
The maker of Baraka went on to do the above mentioned Samsara. They have a clear style, so captivating! The makers also shot both documentary films on 70mm film making the productions even more surreal.
3) Ashes and Snow
Ashes and snow has a strong theme throughout, it's reflected in the use of colours and movements.
All of these documentaries are a must watch for budding (and experienced) filmmakers, use them to inspire you for your next project. Take them as a learning that the world we live in is colourful, different, unusual and simply beautiful.
So go out there and film it!
Challenges Facing Your Small Business
Working Wednesday: Challenges Facing Your Small Business
Starting your own business can be a daunting journey, but the risks are worth it if it's something you believe in.
Money
Money is of course the most important point here. Money is the factor that enables your business to grow, whether it's to buy the relevant equipment, or to hire an extra person, it's how you manage the business accounts that will set you up. You need to think long term effects, that shiny brand new macbook with all the latest tech may be extremely tempting, but do you need to spend the extra couple of hundred when you can save and get something that will do the job. In the beginning you need to be frugal, save the money for what really counts, or for incase of emergencies.
When pricing your work too, know your outgoings, your ROI, know what your competitors are pricing. Do your research. You don't need to be raking it in from the first few clients, just make sure your price is enough to cover the cost of the service (or product) itself, and a little to cover your overheads in the company. There will be room to grow later, but only if you look after your accounts!
Exhaustion and Setting Your Priorities
In the beginning it seems to be "all systems go" and it's tempting to stay up all night working on perfecting your product/ service, or doing that one last email! But don't give in to the temptation. Sometimes the best thing for you and the company is a night off, especially when you face challenges a fresh look at things can be very beneficial.
A good way to avoid exhaustion is to make sure you have your priorities set out, otherwise if you are working on everything all the time, your work will suffer. Start the day with the most difficult or challenging task, then the rest of the day will seem easier! And don't forget to keep going, praise yourself.
Skills Shortage
Be aware of your skill set, this may be your business, your pride and joy, but you can't be everything and everyone in it. It will lead to the above mentioned exhaustion and will hinder your company. If you are a creative that misses details, hire a "completer finisher" to make your visions into a reality that will sell. Know your teams weaknesses and strengths and divvy out the work load accordingly. Ask others that have worked in companies similar to yours, use their knowledge and experience to put your company at an advantage.
Founder Dependance
This is a very important issue to address. When you get momentum behind your business you need to make sure you have the right people in place and the right layout to ensure that if anything happens to you you know that your business is still in a position to make money.
Monday Motivation: 29th February 2016
Monday Motivation
As Leonardo Dicaprio FINALLY get's his deserved Oscar, we thought this motivational pic was quite fitting.
Well done Leo!!!
#FilmWithTheDragon
Post Production Thursdays: 25th February 2016
Post Production Thursday
An old advert, but still great!
#FilmWithTheDragon
How To Shoot Promotional Videos For: Beauty Products
Working Wednesday: How To Shoot Promotional Videos For: Beauty Products
There are so many beauty products out there
so it’s important your brand stands out from the crowd.
With a large amount of platforms available
online to promote your content, for example Instagram. With Instagram you can
add your 15 second video and use the relevant hashtags to attract your target
audience. The same can be done for Facebook, you can write your post and ask
your friends and connections to share it.
Once the platforms have been decided on,
the content of the video can be looked at. With beauty products there are
different options for your video. You can have a plush advertising campaign,
the type that Rimmel London produce for TV usually featuring Kate Moss.
With the general advertising campaign you
can mix it up a bit. For example, in contrast with the Rimmel video, we have
The Body Shop Christmas 2015 ad featuring a more diverse and ‘real’ group of
people.
And of course we can’t talk about video
advertising without mentioning Dove. Dove pride themselves on being the
Champion for the “everyday” woman, stating that you ARE beautiful, as we see in
this moving advert.
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