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Most
of the time we think of commercials as annoying
interruptions, but looked at from another perspective,
they can be excellent lessons in storytelling
technique.
You
can tell a whole story with just a few shots if
you plan them carefully. Think of this story as
a television commercial. You have between 30 and
60 seconds to introduce your character, give him
a goal, challenge him with obstacles and bring
it all to a satisfying end. Sound challenging?
It is, and that's the fun of it. The ending? We'll
leave that up to you. We've provided a few options
to get the creative juices flowing. |
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The
Plot
A
man is riding in an elevator when he is suddenly
reminded what day it is. Panic-stricken, he embarks
on a mad dash across town. Not about to let anything
keep him from reaching his destination, he hurdles
obstacles, jumping over a baby carriage. He crashes
into a college student, knocking books and papers
out of her hands. He makes a half-hearted attempt
to help her with her books and then keeps running.
Using his cell phone, he even arranges for flowers
to be delivered to him en route. Finally, trading
his phone for a skateboard, he careens wildly
through a city park before wiping out at the foot
of a flight of stairs. He is greeted by the delivery
person, claims his flowers and races up the stairs
to an impressive door. There he pauses for just
a moment to recompose himself before stepping
inside.
What
happens next is up to your imagination. Maybe
it's his rich old aunt's birthday and he is trying
to stay on her good side in order to have a shot
at the inheritance. Maybe he's meeting his wife
for what he thinks is their anniversary only to
have her point out to him that it's actually her
birthday. Or maybe he's just raced across town
in order to be there for his daughter's first
violin recital. It's getting him there that's
the fun part. Use our 15-shot storyboard or think
of your own creative obstacles for your hero to
overcome. When you're finished, send us a copy
of your video. We'd love to see how things worked
out. |
